Definition:
A dialect of the English language that is used in Singapore, a lingua franca influenced by Chinese and Malay.
Educated speakers of Singapore English generally distinguish this variety of the language from Singlish (also known as Singapore Colloquial English).
See also:
Examples and Observations:
- "It appears that a distinct brand of Singapore English is emerging, common to all the ethnic groups living in the country and quite unlike the varieties of English found in most other parts of the world, though it is true that many of its features are shared with the English spoken in Malaysia. It seems likely that the main difference between the English of the various ethnic groups in Singapore lies in the intonation (Lim 2000), though the precise details of the intonation of the different groups have yet to be established. . . .
"It is quite possible to sound Singaporean but still be easily understood in the rest of the world, and it seems that a mature variety of educated Singapore English is indeed emerging."
(David Deterding, Singapore English. Edinburgh Univ. Press, 2007) - "In Singapore, it's time for another official crusade--and this past month it's been the Speak Good English campaign, aimed at counteracting the spread of 'Singlish,' a local patois including many Hokkien and Malay words and constructions, particularly as it's increasingly heard among new university entrants.
"Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong complains that the lingo is making too many young folk in the city-state unintelligible . . . at a time when the country is pulling out the stops to integrate itself with the English-speaking global economy."
("Rage Against the Machine." The Guardian, June 27, 2005)
