When we talk about languages in Singapore, we automatically think of Singlish. While it is true that Singlish makes our language landscape unique, we’re forgetting that we already have three other languages besides English—Mandarin, Malay, Tamil! These languages are referred to as our Mother Tongues. You’re probably wondering, “How can our Mother Tongue languages be uniquely Singaporean?”

While I was in Australia, I was delightfully surprised to find that not all Malay words I use were words Malay-speaking folks from other parts of the world were familiar with. They either use the same terms differently, or they’ve never heard of them in the first place! Here are some words that we use often here in our Red Dot but not necessarily anywhere else in the world:

Unique Singaporean words (in our Mother Tongue)

More commonly used as a verb “to lie”, Malay term bedek can also be used as an adjective “fake”, usually referring to an object. There’s a related Singlish term – Action bedek, used to refer to a pretentious person or someone who is all-talk-no-substance. Some Mandarin terms for everyday things such as HDB flats (组屋 – zǔwū) and Medisave (保健储蓄 – bǎo jiàn chǔ xǜ), is more common in Singapore than anywhere else in the world. Due to Singapore’s history and linguistic mixing, terms like kampongs (甘榜 – gānbǎng), markets (巴刹 – bāshā or pasar in Malay), and food (such as 沙爹 – shādiē which means satay), are what makes Singapore, well, Singapore. Perhaps this is why some words have found themselves in our Mandarin dictionary, much to the confusion of our fellow Mandarin speakers from overseas!

Same meaning, different words

In Malay, guna means “to use” while pakai means “to wear”. However, Singaporeans generalise the word pakai for everything, especially in conversations! It still gives some of us the giggles when someone says “tak guna” to say “(I’m) not using it” because to me, it means “I’m useless”. Other words that refers to the same things but uses a different word are found in food names, such as: roti prata, kuih dadar, puteri salat, roti kirai, and epok-epok (referred to as curry puffs or karipap in neighbouring countries—our karipap refers to another type of flaky pastry!) Mandarin speakers tend to use 老龄 (lǎo líng) instead of 乐龄 (lè líng) to refer to old people, and 德士 (déshì) instead of 出租车 (chūzūchē) for taxi.

Same word, different meanings

Originally a word for “strong” or “tough”, speakers of Singaporean Malay kental have given it a  completely different meaning! Here, when we say someone or something is kental, we’re actually saying that they’re boring or lame. Cue the look of confusion on my housemates’ faces when I told them that a boring movie was kental! 

Many Malay words that are “uniquely Singaporean” are often used in informal conversations and not in formal writing or speech. My Tamil-speaking friend that uniquely Singaporean Tamil words are also rare, especially in formal writing or speech. Words like chocolate are coklat in Malay and சாக்லேட் (cāklēṭ) in Tamil, which is essentially the English word written like how it would sound in Malay or Tamil.

Could you think of more words that are uniquely Singaporean? Do you use any of these uniquely Singaporean terms with babies or young children? We will be launching an online game soon to help us find out about terms that Singaporeans use with young children. Join us on our exciting journey by clicking here!

This post was drafted by Shaza Amran,  Research Assistant on the BLIP team.

Deepavali is the Festival of Lights, a celebration of the triumph—of light over darkness, good over evil. 

Did you know that the term ‘Deepavali’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Dīpāval’i, which is formed by two words, ‘dipa’ meaning light or lamp and ‘avali’ meaning series or row. In Singapore, Malaysia and South India region, most people use the term ‘Deepavali’ whereas, in parts of North India, most use the term ‘Diwali’ (some interesting syllable reduction! Perhaps due to influence from the Indian languages spoken in the North). 

Before we celebrate the festive day itself, there are some preparations that need to be done—like spring cleaning, decorating our homes, and shopping for traditional outfits!  Every year, we choose a colour palette. And then we go shopping! This year, I’ve chosen a palette of deep pink, purple and yellow hues. Finding The One (the ultimate desired outfit) is always deeply satisfying. We also spend time putting up various decorations to usher in the Deepavali vibes. 

My family also participates in traditional practices that many Singaporean households observe during Deepavali, such as lighting up oil lamps at doorway entrances on Deepavali Eve as a mark of inviting of prosperity into houses. We mark newly bought traditional outfits with turmeric, a symbol of sanctity, and place them at the altar to show respect for the festivity and invite blessings for the whole family. On the morning of Deepavali itself, all family members apply a mixture of oil and shikakai (botanical term: acacia concinna, a medicinal herb) on the tip of their heads gently with three fingers. This practice is believed to help remove all impurities, after which family members go for their baths and change into their new clothes.

Throughout the day, there are many different traditions adults and children both enjoy, such as playing with sparklers and poppers. And don’t forget another enjoyable tradition—savouring goodies! Families indulge in festive treats and delicacies such as murukku, omam podi, pakora, kueh tarts and kueh makmur. My favourites are murukku and kueh tarts; the crunch and spice of the murukku cannot be found anywhere else! And, of course, who can say no to a kueh tart (or two, or five?).

My family looks forward to these fun and classic parts of Deepavali celebrations. We also love inviting non-Indian friends to participate in the festivities and share our joy. In a multicultural Singapore, it is common to have friends of diverse ethnicities come together during various festivals and have a taste of all the different practices and celebrations!  On behalf of BLIP Lab, I wish everyone a very Happy Deepavali. 

This post was originally crafted by Eshawaaree, a research associate at BLIP.

This October, we celebrate Dyslexia Awareness Month. We know that Dyslexia is a type of learning difficulty, but there is also another condition associated with language learning that might be more common than we think. 

Published in Frontiers for Young Minds, ‘Developmental Language Disorder: The Childhood Condition We Need to Start Talking About’ by Kuiack and Archibald, gives a useful summary of what the condition is all about. DLD, previously known as Specific Language Impairment, is described as “a hidden but common condition that causes difficulty using and/or understanding language” usually without an obvious cause. This condition can usually be first discovered and treated during childhood, but it does not go away. Sometimes, we might think that kids with DLD were just being naughty or are not paying attention because they are not doing what they were instructed to do. More often than not, DLD could be underreported because it can be seen as a symptom of other conditions such as Dyslexia and Autism. It may also be more common than we think—DLD affects one child in every fifteen in the UK (but we do not have the statistics about its prevalence rates in Singapore).

So what kind of problems does a child with DLD face? The article mentioned four symptoms typically associated with DLD:

1. Many children with DLD have trouble using proper grammar
2. Many children with DLD have trouble with sounds—they may leave sound out, e.g. “nana” instead of “banana” or using the wrong sounds, e.g. “wed” instead of “red”
3. Many children with DLD know fewer words than their peers
4. Many children with DLD have problems properly using language in social situations

Why do some children have DLD? It’s complicated. Experts say that the exact cause(s) are hard to pinpoint and that it may be a mix of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. It is important, however, to remember that no two children have the same language skills, communication, or learning abilities.

In Singapore, our children are exposed to many languages with different grammatical structures. They may say “I haven’t eat” instead of “I haven’t eaten” and “streng” instead of “strength”. Bilingual kids are also reported to know fewer words in one of their languages when compared to a native speaker of that language, but it does not mean they know fewer words in general when we take into account both their languages. In fact, very often, bi- and multilingual kids know more words than monolinguals. (Which is why learning more than one language from a young age is not disadvantageous!)

So how can I tell if my child has a problem? And how does a child with DLD get help? The first step is to recognise that there is a problem. Symptoms may differ from one child to the next, but when there is a problem with schoolwork or language skills that fall behind that of peers, then teachers and parents should take it as a warning sign. Early intervention and support from professionals can help maximise a child’s existing language capabilities and morale. If you are concerned about your child, you can consult the school or your paediatrician. By creating awareness about this condition, we can reach out to more children who face these problems every day, and sooner.

Read the original article here: https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2019.00094

For more information about DLD, you may also want to check out this organisation based in the UK: https://radld.org/