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:
guniang ku niang kuniang koo niang
gu niang
→
Mandarin:
姑娘
pinyin:
gū niáng
Detailed etymology
definitions
noun
- an effeminate man
- a feminine and ladylike woman
Shovelling hard-packed snow is no easy task. It’s a bit like trench-digging during NS, except in the cold and without some sergeant calling you a “gu niang” every few minutes.
— 2009 January 11, Colin Goh. The Sunday Times (Lifestyle), p.12
synonyms:
adjective
- (of a man) extremely effeminate
- (of a woman) ladylike; feminine; dependent
He may be gu niang, but he's also one of the most caring and compassionate individuals I know.
synonyms:
I think the stereotype of girls in the army tending to be more tomboyish is not true... We can be very gu niang (ladylike).
— 2001 March 8, Fiona Chan (quoting Charmaine Chua). The Straits Times (Life! This Weekend), p.8