"Singlish Terms Which Has Made Its Way Into The Oxford Dictionary"
Post on: February 3, 2018
Singlish is a colloquial English spoken by a number of Singaporeans — Sentences punctuates with “lahs”, “mah” or “lor”. It is a “Rojak”(unique blend) of Hokkien, Cantonese, Malay, Tamil and Punjabi, amongst others incorporated into the English language.
An old joke on Singlish goes … A Caucasian sat beside a Singaporean girl in an aeroplane. He struck a conversation and asked, “What do you do for a living?” The girl replied, “I am studying lor.” The Caucasian says, “So when will you become a Lawyer?” The bewildered girl went, “Huh?” The locals understand “lor” as something used to end a sentence — it simply adds feelings to what has been uttered.
Proponents say Singlish is a unique way of speaking and gives us an identity — it’s part of our local culture and heritage. Detractors say we should speak standard English to be understood by foreigners. I am not here to debate over it and neither am I taking sides. But I want to celebrate — Singlish has gained international recognition for quite some already. Yes! The venerable Oxford English Dictionary has added a number of Singlish terms to its lexicon. Here they are :
• Atas – It means “high class” or elegant. It can also refer to a snobbish and arrogant person. (It was an honour to be invited to the black-tie event at the “atas” hotel.
• Blur – It is used to describe someone living in his/her own world; someone slow in understanding. This is usually used on one who is inept.
• Ang Mo – It refers to a white person. It originates from Hokkien and literally translated means “red-haired”.
• Shiok – It is an expression of satisfaction. (Having an ice cream in the sweltering afternoon was so “shiok”).
• Lepak – It refers to usually a young person who spends his time loafing around aimlessly. (Instead of looking for a job after graduation, he just while his time lepaking at home).
• Teh Tarik – This word needs no introduction. It literally means “pulled tea”. It is a hot milk tea which can be found in outdoor stalls. (I cherish every drop of my Teh Tarik with kaya bun)
• Killer-Litter – It refers to objects thrown or falling from high-rise buildings which can endanger the lives of people below.
• Sotong – It means a squid or cuttlefish; Also a clumsy or confused person. (Being a “sotong” I mixed up the date of my dental appointment with my yoga lesson).
• Sabo – It is an intentional or careless act or omission that causes inconvenience — It leads to others being punished.
Sabo is a term every 18-year-old male who’s conscripted into national service will be familiar with. There is bound to be “sabo kings” in every platoon. In hindsight, without such personalities, my army days would not have been so memorable and fun.
Ok, I have fallen short of delivering the requisite terms which have made its way into Oxford dictionary … “Where are the rest?”, you may ask. I say, “Akan Datang (coming soon) ….” Wait till the next volume to see if “Akan Datang” made it on the list.
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