The particles of Singapore English: a semantic and cultural interpretation

Abstract

The Singapore English particles constitute one of the most distinctive features of this cultural dialect. These highly interactive particles play a major role in the integrity and cohesiveness of the Singapore English speech community and offer invaluable insights into Singapore culture. The semantic study of these particles could therefore pave the way for a better understanding of this culture. This study investigates the meanings of several of these particles—three particles la which come in different lexical tones (but are otherwise homophones), the particle wut (commonly spelt as what), and the particle meh—within the Natural Semantic Metalanguage framework. The meaning of each of these particles is stated in the form of a reductive paraphrase couched in simple and universal human concepts so that it can be readily understood by both insiders and cultural outsiders. This study shows that the Singapore English particles are loaded with interactional or pragmatic meanings. It also suggests that the high frequency of use of some particles, including wut and the particles la, is motivated by a cultural norm of interaction.