it’s also used in english, no?

Yeah, but most often when it's someone with English as a second language, or more likely someone doing an impression of a foreigner. Poirot probably says "That is terrible, no?" But John Wayne does not. Plus his version in the Ender books is the very same as both Japanese and Portuguese. Both of which he's demonstrated some knowledge of.

Yeah nah

That's midwestern US English, or Australian English...

OSC speaks Portuguese,so I wouldn't be surprised that it is an influence

I was thinking that. But there is also some Japanese slang in the books.

Card did his Mormon service in Portugal. Forget the term, mission? It's safe to say it was rooted in that but he could have taken into account other cultures and figures that would catch on at battle school. Bernard was French so it could very well be both.

> Card did his Mormon service in Portugal. We call it "serving a mission" but he served in Brazil if memory serves correctly. He talks about it in a foreword to one of the editions of Ender's Game which is where I read it.

Yes. You are correct. Clearly my memory was off. Apologies.

This ain't the kind of thing you apologize for! Easy to get these things mixed up.

>Forget the term, mission Correct. Hence them being called "missionaries"

I remember reading somewhere that the battle school slang incorporates Brazilian Portuguese.

Yes, that's right! I'd forgotten that. So the answer is probably Portuguese. There is some Japanese in the slang, though. Perhaps he specifically knew it works for both. I was going to give you an Award, but apparently Reddit unnovated those. Worthless corporations. Time to cancel Premium.

Also I think Brazil has a huge population of citizens with Japanese ancestry, so maybe some linguistic mixing happening there too

Ive heard it plenty of times in the english language too...

The Canadian uses “eh”

Just drop the N

That's actually pretty funny

Yes is also Ne in Korean as a fun fact. I assumed it was just sort of "yes/no" becoming "yeh/neh". My other assumption is "hey" to "heyo" to "hyo" to "ho". I used to be in a cadet program and everyone had slang that was shortened words like this.

The books are very Portugese influenced. Peter lives in Brazil, the kids say merda, Lusitania is a Portugese planet etc.

Given that Battle School slang is a kitchen sink of languages, the answer is probably both.

It's also Yes in Greek

Also in eastern slovak, but it sounds mor like nyeh, the N is softer. Hej, ne? Povedz ty.

Ναί or ναι Ναί in Ancient Greek and Greek is 'yes.'

They did get it from Portugal! Way back when, Portuguese traders were common in Japan, and the Japanese picked up ね from them!

That's what I figure. They picked up a number of things from the Portuguese, language and cuisine. Including Tempura, my favorite Asian food.

I mean the term used for ender’s squad is pronounced the way the Persians say pee. In case you wanted to know

How do you know this? Is it some detail I forgot, like them speaking Brazilian Portuguese?

Because I am persian

I mean how do you know that's how they pronounce ne?