* 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:
kia si
* The diacritic ◌̃ represents a nasalized vowel.
[ SSS:
kiãsi ]
kiasi
→
Min nan:
惊死
驚死
poj:
kiaⁿ-sí
definitions
adjective
- cowardly; scared; afraid of taking risks
- (literal) afraid of death, dying, illness, etc.
People who know me know that I am quite kiasi. If I have a small symptom, I consult a doctor immediately, rather than rely on home remedies or off-the-shelf medicines.
— 2016 March 31, May Seah (quoting Romeo Tan). Today, "What’s up, doc?". p.68
noun
- a cowardly and risk-averse person
- (literal) someone afraid of death, dying, illness, etc.
The kiasi ... who insist on seeing a doctor for the most minor complain such as "my baby sneezed this morning leh".
— 2006 July 5, Tan Chek Wee. Today, "Debugging the kiasi, MC takers". p.18
usage notes
Often paired with kiasu.
* 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.