Steady lah: Reddit user creates online Singlish dictionary with over 2,000 terms

The complexities of Singlish can make it difficult for foreigners to grasp.

Reddit user Klingonpigeon's side project, the Chimbridge Dictionary of Singlish and Singaporean Terminology, might just solve this problem.

At the time of writing, the online dictionary has 2,315 Singlish terms defined.

Klingonpigeon revealed their creation on Reddit thread r/singapore last Saturday (Nov 9).

"For the past few months, in my free time, I've been compiling the most comprehensive Singlish dictionary project I believe has ever been attempted to date," they claimed.

I made a Singlish dictionary with over 2250 terms, full etymology, and other Singlish details
byu/klingonpigeon insingapore

Given Singlish's reputation of being "unstandardised" and "broken", Klingonpigeon said in the Reddit post, the user was keen on approaching this project through an academic lens.

So the dictionary isn't simply a list of Singlish terms.

Its features include users being able to search for Singlish terms via a search function, as well as searching for them via its English meanings (useful for newcomers to the language).

Klingonpigeon's dictionary also includes categories such as rhyming slang, terms of address and insults.

In fact, 'abbreviations' is a category by itself, with more than 100 entries such as 11B, GCB and 4D.

Linguists among us might be interested in the Languages of Origin page, where a Singlish term's primary or secondary language is displayed.

Popular languages Singlish derives from include Hokkien, English and Malay.

Klingonpigeon mentioned that the amount of "fake etymology" surrounding Singlish drove them to start this linguistic journey.

While their project "isn't perfect", the hope is for it to be a used as a solid reference for those keen on learning the language, they added.

Based on the reactions on Reddit, it has certainly struck a chord among some locals.

"This is really cool! You put great explanations to Singlish words that I've always struggled to explain the meaning of. Great job!" one netizen wrote.

Another commented: "Efforts to preserve our unique cultural and national features such as this Singlish dictionary should be lauded and celebrated.

"I hope the website pops off and the project goes well for you! Power lah!"

One Reddit user noted how "comprehensive" the dictionary was, saying: "Didn't imagine there would be over 2,000 Singlish words!"

Not the first of its kind

As said by Klingonpigeon in the Reddit post, an online resource for Singlish isn't particularly novel.

The Chimbridge Dictionary of Singlish and Singaporean Terminology builds on the works of Jack Lee, who started his version of a Singlish dictionary in January 2004.

Jack's online dictionary had 1,241 headwords as of May 19, 2016. Headwords refer to the bold words, phrases and terms in the dictionary.

An alternative is The Coxford Singlish Dictionary, by Colin Goh and Y.Y Woo.

Published in 2009, the dictionary provides a witty and informative take on Singaporeans' unofficial language of choice.

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amierul@asiaone.com