Traka (Slang)

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About

Traka refers to a Spanish internet slang coined by the Mexican queer community, which is used to express surprise or something unexpected. The expression was popularized in October 2023 by TikTok influencer Yeri Mua, which was subsequently a trending topic on X and other media platforms, as users were confused about the slang's meaning and usage.

Origin

Although it's unknown when the exact first use of the word "traka" was posted online, one of the earliest usage found comes from a September 7th, 2021, tweet by @davidamistad^[1]. He uses the expression in the caption "Que TÚ digas que has pasado el peor verano es de traka," which translates as "That YOU say that you have had the worst summer is traka [a surprise]" and the slang is a replacement for surprise in this context. The post amassed over 602 likes and 130 retweets in two years.

X David Cereceda O @davidamistad. Follow Que Tú digas que has pasado el peor verano es de traka... Carlota Corredera, al límite "HE PASADO EL PEOR VERANO DE MI VIDA" Su implacable defensa de Rocío Carrasco le ha provocado numerosas críticas en redes y muchos enemigos en su trabajo 6:48 PM - Sep 7, 2021 O

Spread

Prominent early usage of the term "traka" on social media dates back to a video posted by Mexican influencer @yerimuaanews on October 12th, 2023, on TikTok^[2]. In the post (shown below, left), the creator reveals her new kitty and adds the slang "traka" in an overlay text. amassing more than 3 million plays and 313,000 likes in a month. In the following days, "traka" received an increase in usage on TikTok, as user @ilse_sc^[3] posted a video (shown below, right) using the expression in overlay text. The post garnered over 1.8 million plays and 151,000 likes in two weeks.