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:
dhobi
dhoby
/ˈdəʊbi/
→
Hindi:
धोबी
dhobī
Detailed etymology
definitions
noun
- a washerman; a laundryman (or woman)
- short form for Dhoby Ghaut
Back in the 1930s, Narayanan Narayanan’s parents paid around Rs 5 to a washerman, or dhobi, in Singapore for doing their laundry. ... Narayanan uses a laundry service now, but still chooses to use the word dhobi.
— 2018 July 9, Garima Garg. Scroll, "How on Earth did a glitzy part of Singapore get the name Dhoby Ghaut?". https://scroll.in/magazine/880679/how-on-earth-did-a-glitzy-part-of-singapore-get-the-name-dhoby-ghaut
I stay around dhoby there. Quite central lah.
synonyms: