September 13th 2016
Name
: Selviana Dewi
Class
:A
Semester : 1 (one)
Task Read
More Singlish words added to Oxford
English Dictionary
Lee Min Kok | The Straits Times/Asia News Network | Singapore
Tue, September 13 2016 | 01:10 pm
In its last update in March, the OED created a buzz by adding a varied list of nearly 20
Singapore English words.(Shutterstock/-)
More "Singapore English" words used colloquially here have been added to the lexicon of the
venerable Oxford English Dictionary (OED), following its latest quarterly update this month.
Top on the list of new words: "aiyah" and "aiyoh", which are often used to express
impatience or dismay, and "ah beng", a stereotype applied to Chinese men.
"Atas", an oft-used term by Singaporeans to deride people for being too arrogant or highclass, was also included in the list.
The ubiquitous coffee shop, or "kopitiam", also made it to the big time, alongside dishes
popular in Singapore and South-east Asia. They were "char kway teow", "chicken rice" and
"rendang".
In its last update in March, the OED created a buzz by adding a varied list of nearly 20
Singapore English words.
They included "blur", "ang moh", "shiok" and "sabo", as well as food items like "teh tarik"
and "char siu".
The September update, which paid tribute to the late British author Roald Dahl, also featured
new and revised entries used in his books for children.
Several Singlish words had previously made it to the dictionary's online version, which was
launched in March 2000, including "lah", "sinseh" and "kiasu".
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