05/04/2025

LYFE SATURDAY | APR 5, 2025

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Nasi lemak, ketupat, tapau enter Oxford dictionary o Latest update recognises Malaysian, Singaporean dishes, expressions

O XFORD Languages has added new words from Malaysia and Singapore to its latest Oxford English Dictionary (OED) update, including nine food terms that have become widely recognised beyond their regions of origin. Ketupat is a small rice cake boiled in a pouch of woven palm leaves, originating in Indonesia but also popular in Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore. Ketupat made with rice is wrapped in a diamond shape with woven coconut palm leaves, while a version made with glutinous rice is wrapped in a triangle shape with woven fan palm leaves. It is usually eaten with satay or other dishes and is traditionally served at festive occasions. Otak-otak is a Southeast Asian dish consisting of ground fish or other seafood mixed with spices and coconut milk, wrapped in banana or palm leaves and cooked by steaming or grilling over an open charcoal fire. It is usually served as an accompaniment to nasi lemak , a Malay dish of rice cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with pandan leaf, served with various garnishes such as cucumber slices, fried fish, roasted peanuts, cooked egg and sambal . Nasi lemak is a common breakfast dish, just like kaya toast, a sandwich consisting of toasted bread spread with butter and kaya , a jam made from coconut milk, eggs and sugar, often flavoured with pandan leaf. Kaya toast is also a popular afternoon snack, typically served in Malaysian and Singaporean kopitiams , accompanied by a half-boiled egg, an egg cooked briefly in freshly boiled water so that the yolk and white remain runny, then served in a bowl with dark soy sauce and white pepper. Two examples of dishes that received Anglicised names are fish head curry and steamboat. Fish head curry, influenced by Chinese and South Indian cuisine, consists of a large fish head, usually of a sea bream or snapper, cooked in a tangy tamarind-based curry gravy with vegetables such as aubergine and okra. Steamboat refers to a dish where thinly sliced meat, vegetables and other ingredients are dipped in boiling stock at the table. The word originally described a metal pot, often with a central flue, placed over a heat source at the table for cooking and serving the dish. For those craving a takeaway, Malaysian and Singaporean English use the term tapau , which comes from the Malay word and its Cantonese etymon da baau , meaning “to pack up food to take away”. In addition to food-related words, the update includes interjections and cultural terms. Alamak , borrowed from Malay, is a colloquial exclamation used to convey surprise, shock, dismay or outrage. Its origin is uncertain, possibly derived from the Arabic a‘la (meaning “higher, highest”) or Allah (“God”), combined with mak (“mother”). A similar interjection alamah is used in Kristang, a Malay-Portuguese creole language. This release also sees additions from Malaysian English. In Malaysia, mat rempit (2004) refers to young men who participate in illegal motorcycle street racing and perform dangerous stunts. The word “terror” has different meanings in the region: in Philippine and Malaysian English, it can mean “terrible” or “awful”, but it is also used positively to describe something excellent or admirable. Often, it is preceded by wah and followed by lah , as in the approving phrase, “ Wah! So terror lah .” The latest update to the OED includes nearly 600 new words, phrases and senses.

Tapau , referring to takeaways, is another colloquialism that has been recognised by OED. – PIC FROM FACEBOOK @MACHA,JOMTAPAU

Otak-otak is a fish-based savoury dish that is popular among Malaysians. – PIC FROM FACEBOOK @OTAKOTAKMASAI

Nasi lemak is Malaysia’s iconic dish.

Ketupat is best enjoyed with savoury dishes such as rendang or satay .– PICS FROM PEXELS

English words from Malaysia and Singapore added in this update: 0 Food-related

fish head curry, n. half-boiled egg, n. kaya, n. kaya toast, n. ketupat, n. nasi lemak, n.

otak-otak, n. steamboat, n. tapau, v.

0 Others

alamak, int. mat rempit, n. terror, adj.

Fish head curry is a spicy dish, slow-cooked with aromatic gravy.– PIC FROM YOUTUBE @THE MEATMAN CHANNEL

Steamboat is now officially an English word. – PIC FROM FACEBOOK @CHETAASTEAMBOAT