As I’m strapped for time today, I’ll open up the floor to a question: does anybody know anything about Singlish?
This term refers to a creole language in Singapore, a mix of English and various East Asian languages. The spectrum of English in the country seems similar to that of Jamaica, with several “Englishes” ranging from full-on creole to Standard English spoken with a Singaporean accent. This last variant can be found in the video below, which comes from what I’m presuming is a television show:
For the most part, the actors here seem to be speaking standard English (that is, the “acrolect” of Singlish). I found the speech of the daughter particularly interesting: she speaks with what appears to be a unique, native accent of English that I’m unacquainted with. When talking about non-foreign English dialects, we regrettably tend to overlook this part of the world.
You’ll notice I don’t have a clip for Singlish creole, however. Most videos of this language online seem to serve a political purpose: to portray Singlish as improper and destructive. This hateful crank call by an FM radio station is just one example. Debates about creole in Singapore make similar conversations in the Caribbean seem tame by comparison.
Why the animosity over a language so unique?
