What does «inglés de Singapur» mean in Spanish?
- Singapore English refers to the varieties of English spoken in Singapore. Those that least resemble Standard English are known colloquially by the term portmanteau Singlish, although in academic discussions they are often referred to as Singapore Colloquial English (SCE). Singapore Standard English (SSE) is the term for varieties of Singapore English that are very similar to standard forms of English elsewhere, and is most clearly found in writing. It is unclear whether SCE and SSE comprise the extremes of a continuum of varieties in Singapore, or whether speakers mostly code-switch between them in a diglossic situation. Although there are three other official languages in Singapore - Mandarin, Malay and Tamil - only English is becoming the main language of speakers whose ancestors brought several Asian languages to Singapore. SCE is not spoken by all Singaporeans, and the government discourages it through its "Speak Good English" campaign. While SSE is generally easy to understand for both native and non-native speakers of English, SCE differs in vocabulary, syntax and phonology from other varieties of English, although it has much in common with Malaysian English. Affixes such as the plural -s can be optional, and the [l] sound can be realized as a vowel; for stronger SCE speech, it does not contrast with [r]. Different ethnic groups in Singapore also speak English in different ways, although there are features, such as loanwords and the rhyming of egg with vague, that are common to almost all. There are several explanations for the emergence of Singapore English as a distinct variety, including the idea that SCE is a creole, an assumption that, if based on the definition of a creole as originating from a pidgin, is not supported by the study of the history and linguistic structure of Singapore English. Rather, SCE is classified as one of the New Englishes, i.e., spoken as a working language in regions with a history of colonial (usually British) administration, but initially without a large English-speaking population. Singapore English and others, unlike Creole, emerged through constant contact with varieties of English.