The 'Lite' Post

Every campus has its own lingo. NIT Warangal, where I study, too has its own set of phrases that are rarely used elsewhere. Sega, kasi and frustoo are some of them (feel free to add the ones I missed). But the one that undoubtedly takes the cake is "Light" or its shorter versions "Lite" and "Lyt", the reason being its versatility.

It probably evolved from its longer and more popular cousin 'Light teesko' (meaning, take it easy), which is used quite extensively in Andhra Pradesh.  'Lite max' is the extreme version of the word. Desi post-fixes to lite include 'bhai' (as in, 'lite bhai'), 'ra' (as in, 'lite ra')  and 'mama' (as in, 'lite mama'). If there's one word that can take a hundred different meanings based on the context, it is this. From 'No' to 'May be' to 'Not interested' to 'I don't want to talk about it', this word captures it all, and a lot more.
Here are a few examples to prove my point.

• "What happened dude, are you depressed/angry?"
  "Lite".
  Possible meanings :
  - "No, I am not"
  - "It's none of your business"
  - "It's too painful to talk about"
  - "YOU are the reason, you moron"
• "Hey, want to go to chowrasta (Hanamkonda cross-roads, the 'shopping hub' of this place :P) with me?"
  "Lite".
  Possible meanings :
  - "I don't want to go shopping with you, who would want to roam around the whole place for hours and end up returning empty handed" (applicable when the person who asked is a girl :P)
  - "I can't. I have something else to do and I don't want to tell you what it is"
  - "Are we even friends? Why are you asking me??"
  - "I hate being seen with you"
  -  Or the simplest reason, "I'm sorry I wont be able to come"
• "I am really sorry"
  "Lite"
  Possible meanings : 
  - "Ok. That was genuine. Apology accepted"
  - "Oh, come on. I did not get offended by that silly issue. You don't even have to apologize"
  - "I am still mad at you. You think saying sorry would reverse things??"

There could be a plethora of other examples, but I think these convey the gist of what I want to say. 

When I first used the word lite at home, my parents were amused. And now, after almost four years of college, they have started using it too. The word has sunk so deep into the veins of NITW junta that it would be difficult to have a casual conversation without using lite. Everyone here, from the sweepers to the guards to the professors use the word. Most non-NITWians would be amazed at the many forms of lite that we use, so much that it is on its way to becoming a trademark of NITW (well, there was a little bit of exaggeration in that statement). A non-NITW friend had once wished some of us : "Is Diwali, NITW mein light hai" :D

Lite has become an inherent part of our vocabulary; it's usage, an inseparable part of our lives. May 'lite' continue to be used forever in NIT Warangal and may others continue to be amazed by the multitude of meanings of the word.

I could go on about this, but lite. Enough for now.