The title comes from the Chinese words ai hao, meaning to wail or cry out in grief, which describes the short vocal burst rather than a specific film, game or character. Because the clip is only about half a second long and has no clear source attached, it circulates online as a generic reaction sound for pain and distress. Short wail sounds like this became popular on soundboards and in edited videos because they can be dropped instantly onto a moment without dialogue, music or context getting in the way.