Competition details!

Details for the mei tai give-away have now been published on Marvellous Mummies’ blog:

Click here for competition details 

‘Follow’ for free entry! Winner will be drawn after the competition closes at 11pm Sunday 13^th February 2011. Good luck everyone!

The origins and meaning of 'mei tai'

So now you know what they are, how they work and all about their benefits, do you know how to pronounce their name? Ha! The spelling is ambiguous and a large majority of people are unsure so I thought I’d shed some light on the matter.

The correct spelling is ‘Mei Tai’ and there is speculation whether their origin is Mandarin, Cantonese, Chinese or another Asian region (the consensus is for Cantonese or Mandarin). Traditional mei tais have been used for centuries so it’s not surprising we’re unsure who thought of the idea first.

After researching the different pronounciations, it seems the Western way of saying it is ‘may tie’ but people of Asian origin say ‘may dye’ - I believe this to be more accurate.

‘Mei’ and ‘Tai’ both have various meanings when used alone including ‘beautiful’, ‘pouch’ and ‘carry’ – the most relevant translation when used together is ‘carry straps’ or ‘carry pouch’.

I’ve tried to find a suitable dictionary definition to link to but had no joy; not being a speaker of any of these languages or dialects, I’d love to hear from anyone who has a more accurate definition!