55 replies to this topic

[General_Zhaoyun]

Eh, u dun know meh? This my first time writing in Singlish. Me being a Taiwanese immigrant in Singapore and grown up in a Singapore Skool environment surely know how to speak Singlish right? But this my first time writing in Singlish. So don't ka-chiao me ok?

If my Singlish not as "chimnh" as all of you, kollekt my Singlish Ok??..Anyway, Seebeh Paiseh..

Ok.. this thread ..try to avoid any vulgarity ok? I know some hokkien words in Singlish are quite chor loh.. but try to avoid them at all times and make Singlish more refined ok? Afterall, Singlish just like a Rojak mix of many languages..

Don't call me a suaku ok? .. bcos of all the "Cheem-logy" topics in CHF, Singlish is one eh-lia I wish to explore. Me quite interested in lee-searching Hokkien chinese grammar and words found in Singlish..

If you want to talk c**k and sing song here.. pls do it here..

If your Singlish not very Zai, I le-kommend you to check out the Singlish dictionary at http://www.talkingcock.com

[naruwan]

Eh, u dun know meh? This my first time writing in Singlish. Me being a Taiwanese immigrant in Singapore and grown up in a Singapore Skool environment surely know how to speak Singlish right? But this my first time writing in Singlish. So don't ka-chiao me ok?

If my Singlish not as "chimnh" as all of you, kollekt my Singlish Ok??..Anyway, Seebeh Paiseh..

Ok.. this thread ..try to avoid any vulgarity ok? I know some hokkien words in Singlish are quite chou loh.. but try to avoid them at all times and make Singlish more refined ok? Afterall, Singlish just like a Rojak mix of many languages..

Don't call me a suaku ok? .. bcos of all the "Chima-logy" topics in CHF, Singlish is one eh-lia I wish to explore. Me quite interested in lee-searching Hokkien chinese grammar and words found in Singlish..

If you want to talk c**k and sing song here.. pls do it here..

If your Singlish not very Zai, I le-kommend you to check out the Singlish dictionary at http://www.talkingcock.com

awesome, i await for engaging singlish dialogs.

[General_Zhaoyun]

"Cheema-logy" is my favourite Singlish word. It's made up by the initial "Cheem" (a hokkien term that means "deep 深") and the finals "-logy" that means "study 学". In general, Cheema-logy means "something that is deep and difficult" (深奥学).

Wah.. very cheem leh..wat a Cheem-logy..!

[Centaur]

hmm, I would be pretty worried of the company I keep in this case. Singlish are being discouraged in our schools, we are still getting people to speak English right. I suppose it has become a culture of it's own in Singapore. I noted that it was only with people we are comfortable that we break into Singlish in the first place. In most occasions, we remain on track. However, I am certain the Singaporeans in this forum would have to tell the world that we might speak Singlish, but we too speak pretty reasonable English, remembering I was in the States, and some of the Americans there very rightly and patronizingly told me I speak good English. Also I am certain that we do attempt to speak reasonable Mandarin. I was surprised that were previously I thought I speak Mandarin poorly, when I was at Chengdu and Xian, (hopefully not because of my tourist dollars) I was told I spoke Mandarin was '好正' - correct. I chose to communicate in English because of my comfort zone and not because I am less a Chinese, (Wait, I am not a Chinese... I am only a Singaporean Chinese)

[naruwan]

"Cheema-logy" is my favourite Singlish word. It's made up by the initial "Cheem" (a hokkien term that means "deep 深") and the finals "-logy" that means "study 学". In general, Cheema-logy means "something that is deep and difficult" (深奥学).

Wah.. very cheem leh..wat a Cheem-logy..!

Cheema-logy very cool!

and enough people use it then it's a word. I see no reason why English can't adapt other words that is not of European origin. Japan does it all the time and they have no problem with keeping tradition and blending the new foreign terms.

[Sephodwyrm]

Wah Lau is a vulgarity that has been normalized, much like the censored F word.
It was easy for me to shake off that Singlish.
But going to the SMSA gathering, I had to create a facade of Singlish just to talk to the guys there.
Singlish-ness is, in a way, adopted as a sign of Singaporean characteristic amongst Singaporeans overseas.

[sg_han]

Can we revive this thread.

[General_Zhaoyun]

Sure.. but must talk Singlish loh..

Must mix Hokkien, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil into English.. more like Rojak language lah?

[Yang Zongbao]

My Singlish not very good la, only know to put "la" and "leh after everything leh.

Someone help me la, do not want to go to Singapura and not know.

[galvatron prime]

Can we revive this thread.

Apa Khabar tai kor sg han ,lama tak jumpa lu ,hope lu all the best ,kawan .

Edited by galvatron, 19 August 2007 - 11:06 PM.

[sg_han]

hi galvaton=)

[DaMo]

"Wah Lau" is a vulgarity? I thought it simply meant "Oh my gosh" or something like that.

[xng]

"Wah Lau" is a vulgarity? I thought it simply meant "Oh my gosh" or something like that.

The origin of 'Wah Lau' comes from "Gua Lan" which in Hokkien mean "My dick".
You don't know meh ? You not singaporean/malaysian meh ?

Si bay jiat lat one....

The sound is slightly twisted from the original

'Gua' -> 'Wa' (which is common among the uninitiated hokkien)

'Lan' -> 'Lau' (which is a misunderstanding, some still pronounce as Lan)


Yours truly

Singlish and Linguistic Expert

Edited by xng, 20 August 2007 - 09:50 AM.

[General_Zhaoyun]

I thought "Wat Lau Eh" means literally in Hokkien "My daddy 我老哦" (of course it means "My gosh").

[xng]

I thought "Wat Lau Eh" means literally in Hokkien "My daddy 我老哦" (of course it means "My gosh").

'老 ay' means 'old wife/husband' and not 'daddy'. Therefore, this cannot be the real meaning.


If you listen to the older hokkien people (> 60 years old), they will speak the original version which is 'Wa lan' or 'Gua lan' with the same rising tone for 'lan'.

Edited by xng, 21 August 2007 - 04:26 AM.