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:
tua peh kong
tua pek kong
→
Hokkien:
大伯公
poj:
tōa-peh-kong
Detailed etymology
definitions
noun
- a major deity of prosperity in Taoism or South-East Asian Chinese folk religion, said to be one of the Na Tuk Kong, distinguished or important historical people among the migrant Chinese communities who first came to South-East Asia from southern China. He is often conflated with a Taoist earth deity of the same name.
- a scapegoat; a fall guy; someone who takes the blame for a criminal act