Singlish: how Singaporeans created their own unique English language

The linguistic environment in countries whose population consists of migrants of various nationalities is a real find for linguists. A bizarre mix of two or even several languages, which are sometimes very far apart, gives rise to incredible variations. For example, in the rapidly developing Asian state of Singapore, there is a local variety of English called singlish, which is owned by the vast majority of the population.

Despite the fact that the vast majority of Singaporeans are ethnic Chinese, three more languages are officially recognized in this country: Malay, English and Tamil, one of the languages spoken in India. English is a kind of tribute to the past, a reminder of the times when the city was a British colony. And Malay and Tamil are the native languages of immigrants from neighboring Malaysia and India, who left their native lands in search of a better share.

The ethnic composition of the population of Singapore

But English, which is owned by most Singaporeans, is somewhat different from the classic version that the English and Americans speak. Locals modified it for themselves, adding a lot of borrowings from their native languages, as well as changing a number of grammar rules, solely for convenience. For example, in Singaporean English articles are often not used, and many words with complex sounds for Asian people are modified into more convenient pronunciation. Such a replacement, for the sake of simplicity, led to the fact that the English can hardly understand a Singaporean who speaks a single speaker. Yes, and many tourists who speak English, inspired by a familiar speech, after some time realize that they do not understand everything in a dialogue with Singaporeans. Of course, among the residents of the city-state there are also those who speak the highest level of real English. These are usually employees of large international corporations. They have to use the articles and verbs for their intended purpose, as well as pronounce all uncomfortable sounds, unlike those who can carelessly chat on a fancy singlet.