Singlish vocabulary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Singlish is the English-based creole spoken and written colloquially in Singapore. Although English is the lexifier language, Singlish has its unique slang and syntax, which are more pronounced in informal speech.
Singlish vocabulary formally takes after British English (in terms of spelling and abbreviations), although naming conventions are in a mix of American and British ones (with American ones on the rise). For instance, local media have "sports pages" (sport in British English) and "soccer coverage" (the use of the word "soccer" is not common in British media). Singlish also uses many words borrowed from Hokkien, the Chinese dialect native to more than 75% of the Chinese in Singapore, and from Malay. In many cases, English words take on the meaning of their Chinese counterparts, resulting in a shift in meaning. This is most obvious in such cases as "borrow"/"lend", which are functionally equivalent in Singlish and mapped to the same Mandarin word, "借" (jiè), which can mean to lend or to borrow. For example: "Oi, can I lend your calculator?" / "Can borrow me your calculator?" This is technically incorrect in standard English but is widely used in Singlish.
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[edit] Singlish dictionaries and word lists
There have been several efforts to compile lexicons of Singlish, some for scholarly purposes, most for entertainment. Two early humorous works were Sylvia Toh Paik Choo's Eh, Goondu! (1982)[1] and Lagi Goondu! (1986).[2] In 1997 the second edition of the Times-Chambers Essential English Dictionary[3] was published. To date, this is the only formal dictionary containing a substantial number of Singaporean and Malaysian English terms. Such entries and sub-entries are arranged alphabetically amongst the standard English entries. A list of common words borrowed from local languages such as Hokkien and Malay appears in an appendix. It appears that no subsequent editions have been published.
2002 saw the publication of the Coxford Singlish Dictionary,[4] a light-hearted lexicon which was developed from material posted on the website Talkingcock.com. In 2004 a website, A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English, was launched to document the actual usage of Singlish and Singapore English in published material, in the way that the Oxford English Dictionary does for standard English. Compiled by an amateur lexicographer, the Dictionary appears to be one of the more comprehensive and professionally-written dictionaries dealing exclusively with Singlish and Singapore English available so far.
The Singapore Tourism Board and tourism-related businesses have also produced short lists of commonly used Singlish terms, ostensibly to allow foreigners visiting Singapore to comprehend the local language better. Such lists have been printed in brochures or booklets, and also published on websites.
The lack of an officially-printed version of a Singlish dictionary is due to the fact that the Singapore government frowns upon the use of Singlish, their official stand being that the speaking of Singlish will make Singaporeans difficult to understand when communicating with foreigners who are not familiar with Singlish. Thus, the government has made an effort to quash the use of Singlish and to promote the use of standard English through the Speak Good English Movement over the past few years. This has resulted in Singlish having a bad rap in recent years, further stalling efforts to document actual Singlish usage.
Recently, there has been a resurgence in support for Singlish in Singapore. Letters contributed to the forum of The Straits Times, the main local newspaper, by readers have called for Singlish to be kept alive in Singapore. The idea of promoting Singlish was raised as part of a larger debate on creating a uniquely Singaporean identity. However, the government has yet to officially change its stand regarding Singlish.
[edit] Singlish vocabulary
A list of Singlish terms and expressions widely used in Singapore is set out below. It is not exhaustive and is meant to provide some representative examples of Singlish usage in Singapore. The origins of the Singlish terms are indicated where possible, and literal translations are provided where necessary.
[edit] General terms
[edit] 0–9
- 4D
- Local 4 digit lottery game run by Singapore Pools
- 5Cs
- The 5 C's of Singapore, namely Cash, Car, Credit card, Condominium, (Country) Club
[edit] A
- Aboden / Abuden (ah-buh-den)
- Thrown in response to remarks stating the obvious. Equivalent to "Isn't it obvious?" or "Duh?". Sometimes shortened to "Aboh?". Derived from "and then...?" as if to say "need I say more?".
- Act blur
- Pretend to be ignorant, feign ignorance.
- Ah?
- Expression used like "Lah", but in questions, rhetorics, and in questions where opinions and affirmations are being sought. "This dress looks good on me ah? / Eat what ah? / You going home first ah? / He was there first ah?"
- Ah Beng (male) / Ah Lian (female)
- Hokkien. Hill billy, toughie, redneck. The expressions came about because they are common Chinese names.
- Aiyah! / aiyoh!
- Malay. Oh, no!
- Alamak!
- Portuguese origin. An expression of surprise / shock. Lit. "oh my mother!" Possibly carried over from Singapore's neighbour Malaysia, which was previously a Dutch colony.
- Arrow
- To pinpoint or pick on; To assign someone to an unwanted duty. "Why he arrow me to do this?"
- Auntie
- Used as a generic title for females who are middle-aged or older, especially those who are not well acquainted. Can be slightly offensive when used on younger women. "Hello Auntie! How are you?" Also used to describe a younger person who dresses / behaves in an uncool / unfashionable manner, like older people. "Eh, today you dress very Auntie leh..."
[edit] B
- Blur
- English. Clueless. In a daze. Unaware of what is going on.
- Bodoh
- Malay. Ignorant.
- Boleh
- Malay. Can, possible.
- Buaya
- Malay. Lit. "crocodile". A womanizer, flirt.
[edit] C
- Chin chye lah!
- In answer to a query: "I have no preference; it's up to you, don't bother me!"
- Chio bu
- Hokkien. Good-looking female. Similar to use of "hot chick" in America.
- Chiong sua
- Hokkien. Gung ho. Lit. "to charge up a hill".
- Chope
- Reserve. "Don't take this seat, I choped it already."
- Cock up
- To make a mistake or to mess up. "Don't cock up your evaluations." / "This job is important, don't cock it up."
- Confirm plus Chop
- To mean that you are extremely sure of something, you are willing to chop off you body parts if the situation does not turn out as expected.
[edit] D
- Dey!
- Indian. "Hey!"
- Double confirm
- Confirm and reconfirm. Used to emphasis the confirmation.
- Dulan
- Hokkien. Pissed.
[edit] E
- Eye-power
- Refers to someone who sits back and watches others do the work. The comic book character "Cyclops" of the X-Men is sometimes used to describe someone who uses eye-power all the time.
[edit] F
- Fuck spider
- Used to express extreme frustration. Originates from the Army, where a "spider" was dirt in the barrel of one's rifle. If during inspection, you found a "spider" in your rifle, you'd have to strip it and clean it all over again. Hence, the term would be a rather common expletive uttered amongst recruits forced to clean their rifles over and over again.
[edit] G
- Gabra
- Very confused or very disorganized.
- Gahmen
- Deliberate mispronunciation of the word "government". Used as a substitute for the actual word especially when criticising the government in written form to prevent possible sanctions against the author.
- Garang
- Malay. Gung-ho. Lit. "fierce"
- Gostan
- Pidgin English. Go backwards / Reverse. This actually originates from the nautical phrase "go astern".
- GGXX
- Adapated from arcade games, where during the end of a sparring game, the words 'GGXX', meaning 'good game' and 'game over', will be displayed prominently on the screen. It is frequently used in its short form 'GG', both forms of which means that you are doomed (i.e. game over). If you continue like this and dont study, your exam sure ggxx liao.
[edit] H
- Heng
- Hokkien. Lucky, fortunate.
- Hosei liao
- Hokkien. Very good! Excellent!
- Hosei bo?
- Hokkien. How are you doing? (Greeting)
[edit] I
[edit] J
- Jiak
- Hokkien. Eat.
- Jiak jua
- Hokkien. Refers to a skiver, or the act of skiving. Lit. "to eat snake".
- Jia Lat
- Hokkien. Oh dear! Lit. "sapping strength". Used to describe a terrible situation. "Ah! You broke your leg!? Jia lat ah! How you play soccer later?"
- Jilo
- Deliberate mispronunciation of the number "zero".
- Jing Gang
- Used to refer to a group of idling individuals. Eh, I want the whole jing gang to fall in in the parade square in 2 minutes' time.
[edit] K
- Kan ni na (bu chao chee bye)
- Hokkien. Vulgar. Lit. "Fuck your mother", this is the archetypal Singlish insult, but it is often used just as an intensifier akin to English "fucking", and not uncommonly abbreviated "KNN" in written form. The long form, meaning "fuck your mother's smelly cunt", is extremely rude.
- Kilat
- excellent - army term referring to someone who shines his boots well. See also "solid"
- Kay poh
- Refer to a person that is nosey parker or busybody. Eg 'Eh, Don't be so kaypoh leh!'
- Kiah su / kiasu
- (literally "scared to lose/of loss") somebody who fears losing out (from Hokkien 惊输)
- See also: kiasu
- Kiah si / kiasi
- (literally "scared to die/of death") somebody who fears losing out (from Hokkien 惊死)
- See also: kiasi
- Kena / kana
- to be afflicted with, to suffer (from) (Malay passive auxiliary)
- Kope
- (copy) to take without permission "eh, don't kope my homework leh"
- Kuku
- stupid/silly; unfashionable
[edit] L
- Lah!
- Most basic and famous of Singlish expressions. Tagged as an exclamation usually (but not in questions). "Good lah!" / "Go home lah!" / "Ok lah!" / "Eat lah!" / "Cannot do it like this lah!"
- Lim peh
- Hokkien. Used when demonstrating authority, usually in a sneering manner. Lit. "your father".
- Lim bu
- An offshoot from the term Lim peh, used perhaps as a demonstration of feminist power, as opposed to patriachy in the term 'lim peh'
- Luan hoot!
- Hokkien. To bark up the wrong tree; to cast a wide net hoping to catch something. Lit. "randomly hit".
[edit] M
- Mai siao lah!
- Hokkien. Don't be crazy!
- Mah-cham
- As if; to resemble something in a certain way.
- Makan
- Malay. Eat.
- Mata
- Malay. Police. Sometimes used as a quick warning that the police are here. Lit. "eye".
- Mati
- Malay. Die, be doomed.
- More better
- The incorrect, but frequently used expression of the word 'better'
[edit] N
- Ngeow
- Hokkien. Someone who is overly meticulous, nit-picky or tries to find fault. Lit. "cat".
[edit] O
- Orbit / Obiang
- 'Someone or something that is gaudy or overly flamboyant in taste.'
- ORD loh!
- ORD (Operationally Ready Date) is the date on which a National Serviceman completes his 2-year (or 2 1/2-year) military service. A favourite exultation of those nearing their ORD. Sometimes, ORD is also used as a verb. "I am going to ORD soon!"
- OTOT
- 'own time/ own target. Meaning "to act on your own initiative." or in the context of training in sports etc, "to do it at your own pace and abilities"' Of army origins, during shooting practice, before shots are fired at the range, the commander will usually give the order "At your own time, at your own target...fire!". Evolved to the bastardised Singlish version "Own time, own target, carry on!"
[edit] P
- Pantang
- bad luck, being superstitious, superstitions, (Malay)
- Photostat
- photocopy (reference to old photostat)
- Pia
- to rush or charge "I need to pia for my exam sia" or "I want to pia taxi home"
[edit] Q
- Qia zha bo
- Qia means fierce and arrogant, zha bo means a lady. Thus, the complete term 'Qia Zha Bo' refers to a fierce and arrogant lady who wants everything done her way.
[edit] R
- Return back
- To give back. Direct translation from the Chinese phrase.
[edit] S
- Sakar
- Malay. To flatter, to lick one's boots. Derived from Malay meaning 'sugar', which may have been derived from Hindi 'sakar' or 'Sakkar' meaning 'sugar' and 'sweet words', and ultimately from Persian 'shakar' meaning 'sugar', 'sweet'.
- Sekali
- Malay. Pronounced SCAR-ly. Lest, what if. "Skali no way to go out, then how?"
- Shiok
- Punjabi. Great! An expression of satisfaction. Originally "shauk" in Punjabi.
- Siam
- Hokkien. Get out of the way! Considered rude but effective.
- Sian
- Hokkien. Bored, tired, or sick of something. "I am so sian! Nothing to do, man!"
- Siao / Xiao
- Hokkien. Refers to either "crazy" in response to: "You wan to go the haunted hospital tonight anot?" "Siao ah you?" or an offensive term used to address a friend: "Xiao eh! wan to go clubbing tonight anot?" (Not considered offensive if used between close friends.)
- Sotong
- Malay. Forgetful or not knowing what is going on. Lit. "squid".
- Suaku
- Hokkien. Not well informed or backward; a country bumpkin. Lit. "mountain tortoise".
- Suay
- Hokkien. Unlucky.
- Sup sup sui
- Cantonese. Something that is insignificant or easy to do. Lit. "a little drop of water".
[edit] T
- Talk cock / tok kok
- Talking nonsense / senselessly. Probably originated from the English expression "cock and bull story". "Don't tok kok lah! Where got like that one?"
- Thiam
- Hokkien. A very rude way of saying "shut up!" "Oi! Thiam lah! I'm trying to study!"
- Toot
- Stupid / silly. "He wear like that look very toot hor?"
- Tebalek
- Opposite / Upside-down / Inside-out. "Did you see that? He wear his shirt tebalek leh!"
- Tua pai
- Hokkien. A big shot; someone of a high status. "You think you got money damn tua pai is it?"
- Tu Tu Train
- Means train. Boy ah, u go onto the tu tu train, mummy take nice picture of you, you must smile sui sui ok?''
[edit] U
- Ulu
- Malay. Used to describe a rural or remote area. Commonly found in road names around Singapore as well.
- Uncle
- Used as a generic title for males who are middle-aged or older, especially those who are not well acquainted. "Uncle! One teh-C and one milo-peng!"
Also used to describe a younger person who behaves/dresses in an uncool/unfashionable manner. (See Auntie)
[edit] V
- Very the
- Same meaning as just saying "very" but is usually used with a clearly sarcastic tone. "Wah! You like that also cannot do? You very the good leh!"
[edit] W
- Wah lao! / Wah piang! / Wah seh!
- Hokkien. Exclamation of shock.
[edit] X
There are currently no entries in X because in Singlish, 'X' can always be replaced by 'S'.
[edit] Y
- Ya ya papaya
- An arrogant person.
- Your head
- Mild curse used to disabuse someone of his or her erroneous assumption. "He get first in class? Your head lah!"
- Yandao
- A handsome male, see Chio Bu (female version)
[edit] Z
There are currently no entries in Z because in Singlish, 'Z' can always be replaced by 'J'. E.g. "Jilo" as opposed to "zero".
[edit] Food and beverages
- See also: Cuisine of Singapore
Singlish is prominently used in local coffee shops, or kopitiams (the word is obtained by combining the Malay word for coffee and the Hokkien word for shop), and other eateries. Local names of many food and drink items consist of words from different languages and are indicative of the multi-racial society in Singapore. For example, teh is the Malay word for tea which itself originated from Hokkien, peng is the Hokkien word for ice, kosong is the Malay word for zero to indicate no sugar, and C refers to Carnation, a brand of evaporated milk.
NOTE: Hokkien is NOT Singlish. Only local dishes which have no other English terms would then be considered Singlish. However, drinks in local coffeeshops have slowly evolved into their own Singlish jargon, in a mix of Malay, Hokkien and English - which would be considered Singlish in this context. (Please see section on Drinks)
[edit] Food
Names of common local dishes in Singapore hawker centres are usually referred to in local dialect or language. However, as there are no English words for certain food items, the dialect terms used for them have slowly evolved into part of the Singlish vocabulary. Ordering in Singlish is widely understood by the hawkers. Some examples of food items which have become part of Singlish:
- Chze Char
- (Hokkien) Literally means cook and fry. General term for food served by mini restaurants in local hawker stalls serving restaurant style Chinese dishes, like fried noodles, sweet and sour porked, claypot tofu etc.
- Char Kway Teow
- (Hokkien) Fried flat rice noodles with bean sprouts, Chinese sausages, eggs and cockles, in black sweet sauce, with or without chili.
- Chwee Kuay
- (Hokkien) cup shaped steamed flour cakes topped with preserved vegetables and served with or without chili
- Ice Kachang
- Crushed ice with flavored liquids poured into them. Beans and jelly are usually added as well.
- Kaya
- (Malay) Local jam mixture made of coconut, sugar and egg of Straits Chinese origins
- Kaya-roti
- (Malay) Toasted bread with Kaya
- Mee Goreng
- (Chinese/Malay) Malay fried noodles
- Otak
- (Malay) Fish paste wrapped in banana leaf or coconut leaves and cooked over a charcoal fire. South east Asian influence - you can find similar versions in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia
- Popiah
- (Hokkien) Chinese spring rolls (non fried). Various condiments and vegetables wrapped in a flour skin with sweet flour sauce. Condiments can be varied, but the common ones include turnip, bamboo shoots, lettuce, Chinese sausage, prawns, bean sprouts, garlic and peanut. Origins from China. Hokkien and Straits Chinese (Nonya) popiah are the main versions.
- Rojak
- (Malay) local salad of Malay origins. Mixture of sliced cucumber, pineapple, turnip, dried beancurd, Chinese doughsticks, bean sprouts with prawn paste, sugar, lotus buds and assam (tamarind).
- Roti John
- (Malay/English) Indian version of western hamburger comprising of 2 halves of french loaves fried with egg and minced beef/mutton. Colonial origins.
[edit] Beverages
[edit] Types of tea
- Teh
- (Hokkien/Malay) Tea
- Teh-O
- (Hokkien) Tea without milk
- Teh-O-ice-limau
- (Hokkien-English-Malay) Home brewed iced lemon tea
- Teh-C
- (Hokkien/Malay-Roman alphabet) Tea with evaporated milk. The C refers to the Carnation brand of evaporated milk.
- Teh-cino
- Tea version of cappuccino
- Teh-Peng
- (Hokkien) Tea with ice.
- Teh-Poh
- Weak or thin tea.
- Teh-kah-dai
- Tea with more sugar.
- Teh-siu-dai
- Tea with less sugar.
- "Teh-packet" or "Teh-pao"
- Tea to go.
- Teh-Tarik
- 'Pulled' tea with milk, a Malay specialty.
[edit] Types of coffee
- Kopi
- (Hokkien) Coffee
- Kopi-O
- Coffee without milk
- Kopi-C
- Coffee with evaporated milk. The C refers to the Carnation brand of evaporated milk.
- Kopi-Peng
- (Hokkien) Coffee with ice.
- Kopi-packet or Kopi-pao
- Coffee to go.
- Kopi-gao
- Thick coffee.
- Kopi-poh
- Weak or thin coffee.
- Kopi-kah-dai
- Coffee with more sugar.
- Kopi-siu-dai
- Coffee with less sugar.
[edit] Other beverages
- Bandung
- (Malay) Rose syrup-milk drink, of Indian origins. (Goat's milk was used in the old days)
- Ice kosong
- (English-Malay) Iced water
- Horlick-dinosaur
- Iced Horlicks with extra scoop of Horlicks powder on top
- Horlick-sio
- Hot Horlicks
- Horlick-peng
- Iced Horlicks
- Meelo-sio
- Hot Milo.
- Milo-dinosaur
- Iced Milo with extra scoop of undissolved Milo powder on top
- Milo-Peng
- Iced Milo
- Tak Kiu
- (Hokkien; literally means football or soccer) Milo; Nestlé Milo often uses soccer and other sports as the theme of its advertisement.
- Tak Kiu-Peng
- Iced Milo
- Tiau Herr
- (Hokkien; literally means fishing). Takeaway beverage packed in a used condensed/evaporated milk can. Carried around with a raffia string looped through the half open cover of the tin can. Resembles going fishing with a can of worms
The above list is not complete; for example, one can add the "-peng" suffix (meaning "iced") to form other variations such as Teh-C-peng (tea with evaporated milk with ice) which is a popular drink considering Singapore's warm weather.
[edit] English words with different meanings in Singlish
- follow - to come along/accompany - Can I follow?
- having here - "to eat in at a restaurant. The antonym is "take away" or "tah-bao"."
- help, lah - please, do lend me a hand by desisting from whatever it is you are doing - "Help lah, stop hitting on my sister"
- mug - to study
- on, off - to switch on/off "I on the TV"
- on ah - 'It's settled then?'
- open - to turn on a light - "I open the light." (Derived from Chinese, which uses the verb "to open" in this manner. Use of "open" to mean "turn on" is limited specifically to lamps or lights.)
- pass up - to hand in "Pass up your assignments"
- revert - to get back (commonly used in business emails) - "I'll revert to you by tomorrow"
- scully - what if - "scully, we win this game?" (This is actually from Malay sekali - see above.)
- send - to take somebody to somewhere - "I'll send you to the airport."
- solid/steady - excellent - "Solid sia, that movie." See also "Kilat"
- sabo - short for "sabotage", also meaning to betray or jeopardise - "Because he sabo me, now boss mad at me!"
- spoil - to be damaged "This one, spoil."
- stay - to live (in a place) - from Malay "tinggal". "She stay in Ang Mo Kio."
- steady - attached (in relationships) - "Eh u two steady liao ah?" '
- - cool (to praise integrity or strength) - "Wa you sick also turn up for work? Steady!"'
- stoned - to daze out
- take - to eat - "Have you taken your lunch? I don't take pork."
- tok kok - (talk cock) - Probably from the English "cock and bull story". Talking senselessly/rubbish; "Don't tok kok lah!"
[edit] Expressions
- Blur like sotong - literally blur like a squid. To be extremely clueless. Not exactly clear why squids are compared to being clueless.
- Don't fly my kite - a Singlish expression which means 'Please do not go back on your word' or 'Please do not stand me up'
- Don't play play! - Singlish expression to mean 'Don't fool around' or 'Better take things seriously'
- Got problem is it? - an aggressive, instigatory challenge. Or an expression of annoyance when someone is disturbed. 'Do you have a problem?'
- He still small boy one - a remark (Often offensive) made against someone who is not of a legally median age allowed by the law. Or expression used to excuse someone because he is either immature or still too young to know the difference.
- Issit/Izzit? - lazy/bastardised form of "is it?" Used in various contexts, to question in both positive and negative forms, or as a response in a rhetorical quizzical manner. Eg: You going home now issit? Eg: You not going home issit? Eg: Someone comments: "You look good today." Answer: "Issit??"
- Last time policemen wear shorts! - a retort made to someone who refers to how policies were made in the past. Or in response to something which is passe. Or to brush aside old references or nostalgia. Direct reference to the British colonial police forces who wore three-quarter khaki pants in the 1950's and 60's.
- Liddat oso can!? - (English - Like that also can?) In response to feats of achievement or actions which are almost impossible, or unexpected. Usually with tinge of awe, sarcasm or scepticism.
- My England not powderful! - (English - My English is not powerful (good)) My English is not good.
- no fish prawn oso can - accepting a lesser alternative (direct translation of the Hokkien idiom "bo hir hay mah hoh.")
- Not happy, talk outside! - Used as a challenge to a fight to settle an argument, by taking it outside. (Hokkien: Ow buay gong (settle it at the back/alley way))
- No horse run! - (Hokkien - Bo bei chow) Original Hokkien expression used in horse racing jargon to describe a champion horse which is way ahead of the field. Used to describe things (food usually) which are ahead of its peers.
- Onz lah!/On!/Set! - expression to voice enthusiastic agreement or confirmation
- Relak lah! - (Malay-English for Relax) Expression used to ask someone to chill, cool it.
- ..then you know! - Expression used at the back of a sentence to emphasise consequence of not heeding advice. 'Tell you not to park double yellow line, kena summon then you know!'
- Why you so liddat ar? - (English - Why are you so "like that"?) 'an appeal made to someone who is being unreasonable.'
- You think, I thought, who confirm? - army expression used during organisational foul ups.
- You want 10 sen? - Means to "buzz off!" Refers to public phones that require 10 cents per call.
- Your grandfather's place/road ah? - Used to cut someone down to size in terms of their obnoxious boorish behaviour, behaving as if they owned the place.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Toh, Paik Choo (1982). Eh, Goondu!. Singapore: Eastern Universities Press. ISBN 9971-71-168-0.
- ^ Toh, Paik Choo (1986). Lagi Goondu!. Singapore: Times Books International. ISBN 9971-65-224-2.
- ^ (1997) Times-Chambers Essential English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Singapore: Federal Publications. ISBN 981-01-3727-3.
- ^ (2002) The Coxford Singlish Dictionary. Singapore: Angsana Books. ISBN 981-3056-50-9.
[edit] References
- Ho, Mian Lian and Platt, John Talbot (1993). Dynamics of a contact continuum: Singapore English. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-824828-8.
- Lim, Lisa (2004). Singapore English: a grammatical description. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: John Benjamins. ISBN 1-58811-576-3.
- Newbrook, Mark (1987). Aspects of the syntax of educated Singaporean English: attitudes, beliefs, and usage. Frankfurt am Main; New York: P. Lang. ISBN 3-8204-9886-9.
- Platt, John Talbot and Weber, Heidi (1980). English in Singapore and Malaysia: status, features, functions. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-580438-4.