CHAPTER 4
The Sounds of Home
A Chinese Singaporean today will sound quite different from an early Chinese migrant in colonial Singapore. The Mandarin we use today is influenced by other languages commonly used in Singapore.
Some terms are borrowed from other languages, some are combinations of different languages whilst others are created just for use in Singapore.
Take a stroll through the neighborhood and see if you can identify if the term is borrowed, combined, or created.
Take a stroll through the neighborhood and see if you can identify if the term is borrowed, combined, or created.
What other terms are unique to our culture?
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HDB Flats 政府组屋
That's right!
That's incorrect!
政府组屋 zhengfu zuwu is a unique Mandarin term created to refer to public housing built by the HDB.
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Elderly 乐龄
That's right!
That's incorrect!
乐龄 leling literally means happy (乐 le) + age (龄 ling). This term is created in Singapore and generally refers to senior citizens above the age of 60.
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Market 巴刹
That's right!
That's incorrect!
This term originated from bazar (Persian) which was adapted to pasar (Malay) then pasat (Hokkien) and finally 巴刹 basha (Chinese).
Other Chinese communities are more likely to use 菜市场 caishichang to refer to a market.
Taxi 德士
That's right!
That's incorrect!
This term is borrowed directly from the English term “taxi”. Other Chinese communities are more likely to use 计程车 jichengche and 出租汽车 chuzu qiche to refer to a taxi.
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Kopitiam
That's right!
That's incorrect!
This term is a combination of kopi (coffee in Malay) and tiam (shop in Hokkien).
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