redirected from
bak kua
Commonly found variants; note these may range from acceptable alternatives to
non-standard forms or incorrect spellings*.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.
also can:
bak kua bakkwa
* The diacritic ◌̃ represents a nasalized vowel.
[ SSS:
bak kwã ]
bak kwa
→
Hokkien:
肉干
poj:
bah-koaⁿ
Detailed etymology
definitions
noun
- a sweet and savoury, jerky-like grilled food of Hokkien origin, usually made from pork but also sometimes beef, chicken, mutton, or others. The meat is seasoned with spices, sugar, and soya sauce, then dried in large, square-shaped pieces around 3mm thick, and finally barbecued over a charcoal fire until a char has formed. It is a very popular food to eat during Chinese New Year.
Everyone indulged in the delicious Chinese New Year cookies on offer at Ah Kong's house. Even Waggie, the dog, got to enjoy a few delicious pieces of bak kwa!
usage notes
* The nasal vowel is almost always unmarked by speakers, though it is very important to the pronunciation of the term. In a dipthong or tripthong, the recommended convention is to mark the final vowel, unless it is spelled using a repeated letter, in which case the first-occurring repeated letter is marked.