Singlish

1
Singlish English in Singapore
2
Singlish

• English is a language for national unification.
• Singlish is an English used in Singapore.
• ? British English
• Singlish is the spontaneous and delightful way
  that Singaporeans express themselves in English.
  In short, street talk. It is a language that is
  exclusively ours, lah Singlish is the common
  dialect of the people of Singapore.

3
Description of language

• Phonology (sounds)
• /th/ /t/ ex) three tree
• /d/ex) then den
• /f/ex) with wiff
• /p/, /t/, /k/ sometimes unaspirated
• ex) pat, tin, come bat, din, gum
• /l/, /r/ ex) Use your blain! (brain)
• Don pray pray! (play)

4
Description of language

• Phonology (sounds)
• To put an accent equally
• ex) celebration, anniversary
• Not to distinguish between verb and noun
• ex) increase, object
• Unique
• ex) advantageous, character, colleague,
  economic, faculty, specific

5
Description of language

• 2. Semantics (lexicon)
• Different from British English
• ex) coffee shop??????
• market ??????
• outstation ???
• From China or Malay
• ex) kia-su afraid of losing, makan eat
• jalang-jalang ????, siao ??
• tai-tai ????, chio bu ??????
• shake legs ??????

6
Description of language

• 3. Syntax (grammar)
• Nouns ex) one of my lecture
• To be ex) Dis house very nice.
• I still finding.
• Tense ex) I go there yesterday.
• Reduplication ex) Wait wait!/ Can can!
• can/ cannot ex) Can you?
• - Can./ Can-lah.
• Cannot./ No can.

7
Description of language

• a/an ex) I like to read storybook.
• is it?/ isnt it?... ex) You are from Japan, is
  it?

8
Description of language

• 4. Discourse style (communication style)
• lah larh, luh
• ex) Drink lah!- Just drink!
• He is big sized, lah? (tag question)
• wat (what), mah, lor, leh, hor, ar, hah, meh,
  siah

9
Description of language

• A You spend me drink, can or not?
• B Can.
• A Thanks, man.
• B I see you with girl at hawker centre last
  night.
• Your classmate, is it?
• A Friends only. Friday, she got off-day. Usually
  we take makan and go to disco-la
• B You are going steady?
• A Not actually, but very closely.
• B She is still schooling?
• A No, working la.