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:
wa lao walao wahlao walau wah lau
wah lao
→
Hokkien:
我老
poj:
óa lāu
Detailed etymology
definitions
interjection
- oh my God, man; oh my goodness; for goodness' sake; exclamation of frustration, incredulity, disbelief, shock, anger, distress, surprise, etc.
Wah lao! That musical was so bad, pay me money also I will never watch again!
— 2005 June 22, Mr Miyagi. Today, "Don't ask why, but this is fun". p.18
synonyms:
particles
eh
effect:
emphasis
—
See wah lao eh.