Words ‘Wah’, ‘Yum Cha’ are officially English
Words include ‘Wah’ an expression of surprise, ‘shiok’ which mean cool, and ‘yum cha’ equivalent of a Chinese brunch.
May 13, 2016
The Oxford English dictionary has added several Singaporean and Hong Kong English words in its lists.
Words include ‘Wah’ an expression of surprise, ‘shiok’ which mean cool, and ‘yum cha’ equivalent of a Chinese brunch.
‘Blur’ which means confused or ignorant, and ‘sabo’, which means to harm or play a prank on, have also been added.
The dictionary also included expression that are used only in Hong Kong and Singapore, such as the phrase ‘Chinese Helicpoter’ which refers to someone who has only studied in Mandarin Chinese and has little knowledge of English.
The Oxford English dictionary added 19 Singaporean terms and 13 Hong Kong Terms.
Hong Kong English words:
Char siu: roast pork marinated in a sweet and savoury sauce
Dai pai dong: an open-air food stall
Kai fong: a neighbourhood association
Wet market: a market for the sale of fresh meat, fish, and produce
Singapore English words:
Ang moh: A light-skinned person, especially of Western origin or descent; a Caucasian
Hawker centre: A food market at which individual vendors sell cooked food from small stalls, with a shared seating area for customers
Chilli crab: A dish consisting of crab cooked in a sweet and spicy gravy containing red chillies and tomato
Killer litter: Objects thrown or falling from high-rise buildings, endangering people
SOURCE: BBC
