Reduplication in Singapore Colloquial Language

Date
2013
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Tri-College (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore Colleges). Department of Linguistics
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Thesis
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eng
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Tri-College users only
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Abstract
Reduplication is one of the most distinctive features of Singapore Colloquial English (Singlish). Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are often repeated twice or more to form reduplication. Most scholars have agreed on each function of reduplicating nouns, verbs, and adjectives. However, the origin of these kinds of reduplication is disputed. Wee (2004) argues that reduplication in Singlish has its origin in both Mandarin Chinese and Malay. On the other hand, Ansaldo (2004) argues that it originates in Hokkien. In this thesis, I would like to prove that reduplication in Singlish originates in various languages. It is incorrect to say that specific languages solely influenced certain aspects of Singlish because Singlish is an English-based creole language mixed with various languages. Major languages that greatly influence Singlish more so than other languages can be misunderstood as the only sources of reduplication in Singlish. However, case studies in other languages spoken in multilingual areas show that more languages besides major languages cannot be ignored. Many scholars already discovered the influence of major languages in the practice of reduplication in Singlish. However, recognizing both major languages and other languages will not only explain the phenomenon with a broad view, but also facilitate the understanding of the complex mixture of various languages.
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