"Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah" is the lexigraphic representation of a common children's chant. It is a rendering of one common vocalization for a six-note musical figure that is usually associated with children and found in many European-derived cultures, and which is often used in taunting.
The tune has many variations on how "nyah-nyah" is vocalized (e.g., "Nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh"), some examples of which include:
The tune is also heard in Canada, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, United Kingdom, and Iceland. Children in Korea use a different figure for teasing, la-so-la-so mi-re-mi-re with the vocalization 얼레리 꼴레리 (eol-re-ri kkol-re-ri) while a Japanese variant is so-so-mi-mi so-mi-mi and in Mexico a so-la-so-mi, so-la-so-mi figure is found.
The initial taunt is sometimes followed by further verses using the same tune, for instance in America "Nanny nanny nanny goat, cannot catch a billy goat" or following "Nanny nanny boo boo" with "Stick your head in doo-doo". French children might follow "Na na na na nère" with "Pouette pouette camembert". In Croatia, children sing "Ulovi me, ulovi me, kupit ću ti novine. Novine su skupe, poljubi me u dupe" (which means: "Catch me, catch me, [if you do that] I'll buy you a newspaper. Newspapers are pricey, kiss my tushie").
While the word "nyah" is now defined as being in and of itself an expression of contemptuous superiority over another, this is by derivation from the "nyah-nyah..." chant rather than vice versa so the "nyah-nyah..." vocalization version of the chant is, at least in origin, an example of communication entirely by paralanguage. Context-meaningful words are sometimes applied ad hoc, however, such as "Johnny is a sis-sy", "I got the blue one", or "I can see your underwear!". Shirley Jackson referred to it as the "da da, da-da da" or "I know a secret" chant in Life Among the Savages.[1]
Non-taunting uses are also seen, also associated with children. Several playground songs use the "Nyah nyah..." musical figure, including A Tisket, A Tasket; It's Raining, It's Pouring; and some variants of Ring a Ring o' Roses, Bye, baby Bunting and Olly olly oxen free. The tune has been used as an advertising jingle by the confectionery company Haribo.
The figure is used in the Benjamin Britten opera The Rape of Lucretia (1946) for a scene where the Roman and Etruscan generals mock each other.
Descendents centered the song "I Don't Want To Grow Up" around the figure in their 1985 album of the same name.
The tune (in both the "nah" and "nyah" forms) features as the chorus of the theme song 'It's Not Fair' from the 'Horrid Henry' animated TV series on CITV.[2]