I can relate to that Louis. My four year old son is profoundly autistic and not at all language oriented. When he was diagnosed as autistic, his mother and I and my son had a session with a really good therapist who said, you must get him to kep – keep him focused on a task. So I say KEP, KEP , KEP all the time. Works sometimes which is a pretty good result for me. When he does GEP, it is really great.l
David, the NT used to be known ironically as ‘South Irian’ ie Indonesia’s next target for expansion and the local rag used to have a ‘South Irian’ column. Local politicians were co-opted and silent. As were well-known ANU academics. South Irian means Finlandisation of the mind.
Reluctance to call a spade a shovel also accounted for another period Darwin loanword ‘Kamarian,’ the name of a Malukan language taken from the Holle Lists and used instead of ‘enemy invader’ during ADF exercises. Kamarian passports were even printed and sold as souvenirs. I always thought it was unfair on the poor Malukans and indicative of the pig-ignorant racism which then thrived in certain institutions.
Anyway, most comments here seem to be on the mark – sex and food is what we all have in common and most likely to provide good loanwords.
Typically used as an adjective. It is a Hokkien term. Hokkien being the dialect from Fujian province in China.
In literal translation into English, it means “to eat energy.”
As used in Singapore, it is typically used to denote despair when one encounters a difficult situation which one did not expect. For example, “Your car broke down along the highway? Jialat.” See the numerous other instances in this Youtube video (http://youtu.be/WBZXMBf2dUw).
It is also often used to describe difficult or chaotic situations that one encounters which causes discomfort, is complex to explain, or causes grief to others. For example, “The situation in Thailand is now very jialat.”
If the word appears twice in the phrase “one time jialat jialat”, it means that one authoritative person or group is doing some action to try to exert pressure on another person or group. For example, “The Thai junta invite all the academics for talks to give them one time jialat jialat.”
I don’t think so. To the extent that I understand the term “mezze”, it’s snacks that precede a meal, though of course one can and does often stop after the mezze and not go on any further with the meal. But you can have “mezze” without drinks, whereas “pulutan” without drinks is kind of meaningless: it’s the drinks that turn whatever it is you’re eating into pulutan.
I’ve been using the term Nusantara quite a bit in my own academic publications, always with an explanatory footnote. So I support your suggestion. But we’d have to agree on what precisely it includes (and excludes). In my own usage, I include the entireties of Borneo and Timor, but not the Philippines or any part of the island of New Guinea – so it really isn’t the same as the “Indonesian archipelago”, or, for that matter “Insular Southeast Asia”.
This article came to me with the title “nusantara words for popularising?”. Actually I think ‘nusantara’ is the very word to be proposed for popularising. As a translator specialising in arts/culture texts (Indonesian-English) I often find this word used to refer to the Indonesian archipelago before independence, without conceding to the term Dutch East Indies. In these texts it carries a kind of fraternal ‘resistance’ solidarity across the archipelago (including those regions no longer part of Indonesia) without getting to deeply into pre and post-colonial geopolitics. It would make my job a lot easier if I didn’t have to put a footnote explaining that in every text that uses the word, so bring on the popularising of ‘nusantara’!
Heathrow airport had that “motorcycle” taxi quite a few years ago. Not sure if they still have that. Trouble is, the bikes cost more than regular taxi. Bike taxi SEA cost about 10% of regular taxi!
Names of local food dishes are often taken from the original language.
Pretty much *any* dish qualifies (e.g. larb, nasi lemak, banh chung, kimchi, okonomiyaki). Unfortunately, the popularity of the word is closely tied to the popularity of the dish, and does not stand on its own.
The only way for such words to become popular is (a) for the local dish to become globally well known and (b) not to have an easy and well known English translation (e.g. “boiled rice”).
I think the list we’re seeking here is more focused around words that can stand on their own merit.
“Gik”, the more general world, seems like a better proposal. It has English origins (“gig” as in “live music performance” among other meanings, I presume), but means something entirely different in Thai, and as you pointed out, has no precise English equivalent.
Many uses, but essentially to soften communication (don’t believe me, never mind, but trust me lah — i got it from the internet).
No lah, I don’t think it works like that lah! (to politely say that someone is wrong)
Too expensive lah! (To politely emphasise disagreement)
Shut-up lah! (to politely tell someone to keep quite firmly)
Faster lah! (to politely ask someone to do things quicker)
Hurry up lah! (same as above)
Though in temporary disuse, Irian as in South Irian already has some history as a loanword, localised to Darwin political discourse where we know exactly what it means ie Finlandisation.
Can also be applied to uncritical academics scared of losing access to their country of research. There’s still plenty of this around in academia, business and politics so here’s my suggestion – revival of the term South Irian for all those surrender monkeys past present and future who allow themselves to be compromised for career reasons.
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Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
I can relate to that Louis. My four year old son is profoundly autistic and not at all language oriented. When he was diagnosed as autistic, his mother and I and my son had a session with a really good therapist who said, you must get him to kep – keep him focused on a task. So I say KEP, KEP , KEP all the time. Works sometimes which is a pretty good result for me. When he does GEP, it is really great.l
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
I guess “KEPO”
It is a famous Indonesian slang which derived from Hokkien word used in Palembang, Medan, Pekanbaru (Sumatera island).
It also becomes a loanword in Singlish “Kaypoh.”
The meaning is “really curious” (adjective) or “someone who always wants to know other persons’ (personal) affairs.”
It sometimes can be related to a person who seemingly knows many things or details, but in fact not really.
It has derogative meaning, yet it has high frequency of use in daily conversation, especially concerning to (Southeast) Asian context.
Interestingly, it has an English explanation too:
Knowing Every Particular Object.
Therefore, this term is really a hybrid one that can bridge across East and West.
The examples:
A: How much is your salary for the new job?
B: Why are you so kepo.
A: The lady is a kepo. She told me every little thing how to raise a child, but she did not have one.
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Belum (Indonesian)
Means ‘yes, but not yet’ One of the most useful of all words for procrastinators.
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Thanks for the clarification!
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
But if you said I’ve got a new gig, people will think you’re a musician not a lover
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Puyat — Tagalog
adjective, “lacking in sleep” “I am puyat”
–useful as there is no English equivalent, and these days many of us are in this condition.
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
David, the NT used to be known ironically as ‘South Irian’ ie Indonesia’s next target for expansion and the local rag used to have a ‘South Irian’ column. Local politicians were co-opted and silent. As were well-known ANU academics. South Irian means Finlandisation of the mind.
Reluctance to call a spade a shovel also accounted for another period Darwin loanword ‘Kamarian,’ the name of a Malukan language taken from the Holle Lists and used instead of ‘enemy invader’ during ADF exercises. Kamarian passports were even printed and sold as souvenirs. I always thought it was unfair on the poor Malukans and indicative of the pig-ignorant racism which then thrived in certain institutions.
Anyway, most comments here seem to be on the mark – sex and food is what we all have in common and most likely to provide good loanwords.
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Not too long ago, there were some commenters from Singapore writing in Singlish, and they spelled it leh. In Thai it would be nah
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Jialat.
Typically used as an adjective. It is a Hokkien term. Hokkien being the dialect from Fujian province in China.
In literal translation into English, it means “to eat energy.”
As used in Singapore, it is typically used to denote despair when one encounters a difficult situation which one did not expect. For example, “Your car broke down along the highway? Jialat.” See the numerous other instances in this Youtube video (http://youtu.be/WBZXMBf2dUw).
It is also often used to describe difficult or chaotic situations that one encounters which causes discomfort, is complex to explain, or causes grief to others. For example, “The situation in Thailand is now very jialat.”
If the word appears twice in the phrase “one time jialat jialat”, it means that one authoritative person or group is doing some action to try to exert pressure on another person or group. For example, “The Thai junta invite all the academics for talks to give them one time jialat jialat.”
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
I don’t think so. To the extent that I understand the term “mezze”, it’s snacks that precede a meal, though of course one can and does often stop after the mezze and not go on any further with the meal. But you can have “mezze” without drinks, whereas “pulutan” without drinks is kind of meaningless: it’s the drinks that turn whatever it is you’re eating into pulutan.
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
I’ve been using the term Nusantara quite a bit in my own academic publications, always with an explanatory footnote. So I support your suggestion. But we’d have to agree on what precisely it includes (and excludes). In my own usage, I include the entireties of Borneo and Timor, but not the Philippines or any part of the island of New Guinea – so it really isn’t the same as the “Indonesian archipelago”, or, for that matter “Insular Southeast Asia”.
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
This article came to me with the title “nusantara words for popularising?”. Actually I think ‘nusantara’ is the very word to be proposed for popularising. As a translator specialising in arts/culture texts (Indonesian-English) I often find this word used to refer to the Indonesian archipelago before independence, without conceding to the term Dutch East Indies. In these texts it carries a kind of fraternal ‘resistance’ solidarity across the archipelago (including those regions no longer part of Indonesia) without getting to deeply into pre and post-colonial geopolitics. It would make my job a lot easier if I didn’t have to put a footnote explaining that in every text that uses the word, so bring on the popularising of ‘nusantara’!
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
So basically what Arabs/Turks call “mezze”?
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Heathrow airport had that “motorcycle” taxi quite a few years ago. Not sure if they still have that. Trouble is, the bikes cost more than regular taxi. Bike taxi SEA cost about 10% of regular taxi!
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Could you please explain: I get the “Irian” bit but I’ve never heard the “South Irian” expression – what does it refer to?
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Indonesian da-da is actually a borrowed greeting from the Dutch “dag”, which means “day” (as in “good day”).
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Names of local food dishes are often taken from the original language.
Pretty much *any* dish qualifies (e.g. larb, nasi lemak, banh chung, kimchi, okonomiyaki). Unfortunately, the popularity of the word is closely tied to the popularity of the dish, and does not stand on its own.
The only way for such words to become popular is (a) for the local dish to become globally well known and (b) not to have an easy and well known English translation (e.g. “boiled rice”).
I think the list we’re seeking here is more focused around words that can stand on their own merit.
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
“Gik”, the more general world, seems like a better proposal. It has English origins (“gig” as in “live music performance” among other meanings, I presume), but means something entirely different in Thai, and as you pointed out, has no precise English equivalent.
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
lah! — from Malaysia and Singapore.
Many uses, but essentially to soften communication (don’t believe me, never mind, but trust me lah — i got it from the internet).
No lah, I don’t think it works like that lah! (to politely say that someone is wrong)
Too expensive lah! (To politely emphasise disagreement)
Shut-up lah! (to politely tell someone to keep quite firmly)
Faster lah! (to politely ask someone to do things quicker)
Hurry up lah! (same as above)
and many, many more…
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Though in temporary disuse, Irian as in South Irian already has some history as a loanword, localised to Darwin political discourse where we know exactly what it means ie Finlandisation.
Can also be applied to uncritical academics scared of losing access to their country of research. There’s still plenty of this around in academia, business and politics so here’s my suggestion – revival of the term South Irian for all those surrender monkeys past present and future who allow themselves to be compromised for career reasons.