oppari means an impromptu folk song of southern India, traditionally sung by women during a death ceremony in order to memorialize the person who has died. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “oppari” is a great word
OPPARI — [Noun] An improvised folk lament of southern India, traditionally sung by women during funeral rites to mourn and memorialize the deceased. From Tamil ஒப்பாரி (oppāri), meaning 'lament for the dead'. Unlike a formal, literary elegy or a universal, melodic dirge, an oppari is an oral, ritual performance of raw immediacy. It is the syncopated slap of a palm against the thigh, the spontaneous weaving of a scar or a favorite sweet into public verse, and the keening wail that rises above the scent of incense and dust. In its performed grief, memory becomes momentarily louder than silence.
noun
- An impromptu folk song of southern India, traditionally sung by women during a death ceremony in order to memorialize the person who has died.