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Singlish – English in Singapore. Singlish. English is a language for national unification. Singlish is an English used in Singapore. → British English
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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.”
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)
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…
Description of language 2. Semantics (lexicon) • Different from British English ex) coffee shop…街角の軽食屋 market… 買い物をする outstation… 出張中 • From China or Malay ex) kia-su… afraid of losing, makan… eat jalang-jalang… 散歩する, siao… ばか tai-tai… おばさん, chio bu… かわいい女性 shake legs… ブラブラする
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.
Description of language • a/an… ex) I like to read storybook. • is it?/ isn’t it?... ex) You are from Japan, is it?
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…
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.