Latest news with #CatherineLim
Independent Singapore
4 days ago
- General
- Independent Singapore
Alamak! Why Singapore English is so colourful
Singaporeans are the most frequent users of colorful words in English after Americans, Britons, and Australians, according to a study reported by CNN. As native English speakers, Americans, Britons, and Australians naturally use English expletives more often than non-native speakers from places like India or Pakistan. But Singaporeans use such words more frequently than even native English speakers from New Zealand and Canada. 'English in Singapore is increasingly seen not as a second language, but as a native language,' the study notes. Singapore has indeed appropriated the English language as its own. This sense of ownership comes through powerfully in Catherine Lim's book Romancing the Language . 'It's said that even if you speak several languages, there's only one in which you live — your mother tongue,' she wrote. 'The language in which I live, breathe, think and dream is, by that definition, not the Hokkien of my parents and their parents, and their parents' parents, all the way back to the southern Chinese province of Fujian, where we came from, so long ago. It is English. English is my mother tongue in the fullest, most meaningful sense of the word.' She recalled her first encounter with English at age six when she attended a convent school in the town of Kulim in what was then Malaya. 'The sheer excitement of the new language had instantly relegated the Hokkien of my birth and upbringing to secondary position. It seemed that I was walking into a brave new world.' Not every child experiences this dramatic transition from one language to another in Singapore now that English has become the first language for so many people. According to the Department of Statistics, Singapore, almost half the population speaks English most frequently at home. However, people generally mind their language, both in Singapore and abroad. Bad words are rarely used, according to the CNN study. Based on web data (excluding social media and private messaging), the research found 'vulgar words' made up just 0.036% of all words in data from the United States, 0.025% in Britain, 0.022% in Australia, and 0.021% in Singapore. The incidence was even lower in New Zealand (0.020%), Malaysia (0.019%), Ireland (0.019%), Jamaica (0.017%), and Canada (0.016%). Given its clean image, Singapore might have been expected to be more discreet in its language. But the study suggests that 'youthful swearing in Singapore' could be a reaction against the government's 'strict stance against swearing and offensive language in public areas'. New entries in Oxford English Dictionary Alamak! The Malay word just slipped into the Oxford English Dictionary, which calls it an 'interjection' expressing 'surprise, shock, outrage, dismay or outrage.' The local word 'lah' also entered the dictionary, which says it's 'used with various kinds of pitch to convey the mood and attitude of the speaker,' as in 'Come and see lah,' a quote from the former newspaper New Nation . Words used in Singapore and Malaysia have been creeping into the Oxford English Dictionary over the years. The newest entries, added in the March 2025 update, mostly refer to favourite local dishes that have made Singapore a haven for foodies: Kaya: A jam made from coconut milk, eggs, and sugar, usually flavoured with pandan leaf, found in Singaporean, Malaysian, and Indonesian cuisine. Kaya toast: A sandwich consisting of two slices of toasted bread spread with butter and kaya, popular in Singapore and Malaysia. Ketupat: A small rice cake boiled in a pouch of woven palm leaves, originating in Indonesia but also popular in Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore. Otak-otak: A Southeast Asian dish of ground fish or seafood mixed with spices and coconut milk, wrapped in banana or palm leaves, and cooked by steaming or grilling over charcoal, usually served with nasi lemak. Nasi lemak: A Malay dish of rice cooked in coconut milk and flavored with pandan leaf, served with various garnishes like cucumber slices, fried fish, roasted peanuts, cooked egg, and sambal, typically eaten for breakfast. Fish head curry: A dish influenced by Chinese and South Indian cuisine, featuring a large fish head (usually sea bream or snapper) cooked in tangy tamarind-based curry gravy with vegetables like eggplant and okra. Half-boiled egg: An egg cooked briefly in freshly boiled water so the yolk and white remain runny, then cracked open and served in a bowl, seasoned with dark soy sauce and white pepper. Steamboat: A dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables dipped in boiling stock by diners at the table, or the metal pot used for cooking and serving such dishes. See also Should everyone in Singapore speak English? Tapau: To take food or drink from a restaurant for consumption elsewhere. These new entries join Singapore words already in the dictionary: Shiok: An exclamation expressing admiration or approval. Ang moh: A light-skinned person, especially of Western origin; a Caucasian. Atas: Sophisticated, highbrow, classy—sometimes with negative connotations of arrogance or snobbishness. Blur: Slow in understanding; unaware, ignorant, confused. Chicken rice: Boiled, roasted, or braised chicken served with rice cooked in chicken stock and flavoured with ginger and pandan leaves, originating in Hainan province but particularly popular in Singapore and Malaysia. Chilli crab: Crab cooked in a sweet and spicy gravy containing red chillies and tomato. Hawker centre: A food market where individual vendors sell cooked food from small stalls with shared seating. HDB: Housing and Development Board. Lepak: The practice of loitering aimlessly or idly; loafing, relaxing, hanging out. Killer litter: Objects thrown or falling from high-rise buildings, endangering people below. Singlish: An informal variety of English spoken in Singapore, incorporating elements of Chinese and Malay. One reason so many Singaporean and Malaysian delicacies have entered the Oxford English Dictionary is that its editors seek 'untranslatable words'. 'The names of local dishes tend to be borrowed into English rather than given an Anglicised name,' explains Danica Salazar, OED executive editor, discussing the inclusion of terms like 'kaya toast' and 'nasi lemak'. That's why exclamations like 'alamak' and 'lah' have also made it into the dictionary. They are really untranslatable lah!
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alibaba (BABA) Shares Tumble 5% as U.S. Probes Apple AI Deal
Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed shares slid about 5% on early Monday trading, leading losses on the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, after U.S. officials raised alarms over its AI partnership with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). The White House is wary that the deal could accelerate China's AI prowess, expose Apple to stricter Chinese data rules and pose national security risks. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with BABA. The setback compounds Alibaba's mixed Q4 fiscal 2025 results. Revenue of RMB236.4 billion ($32.6 billion) fell short of the RMB237.9 billion that analysts expected, while earnings per American Depositary Share came in at $1.73, below forecasts. Investors punished the stock, driving it down more than 8% after the earnings release. Analysts caution that regulatory scrutiny may slow Alibaba's cloud and AI expansion. Bloomberg Intelligence's Catherine Lim warns the U.S. pushback could curb the company's potential cloud-revenue upside. Apple, China's second-largest smartphone vendor, also stands to lose if the tie-up stalls. Its sales in the region slipped 2.3% last quarter amid fierce competition from Huawei and Xiaomi. Union Bancaire Privee's Vey-Sern Ling notes Apple needs a local AI partner to remain competitive in China's fast-evolving market. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alibaba (BABA) Shares Tumble 5% as U.S. Probes Apple AI Deal
Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed shares slid about 5% on early Monday trading, leading losses on the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, after U.S. officials raised alarms over its AI partnership with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). The White House is wary that the deal could accelerate China's AI prowess, expose Apple to stricter Chinese data rules and pose national security risks. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with BABA. The setback compounds Alibaba's mixed Q4 fiscal 2025 results. Revenue of RMB236.4 billion ($32.6 billion) fell short of the RMB237.9 billion that analysts expected, while earnings per American Depositary Share came in at $1.73, below forecasts. Investors punished the stock, driving it down more than 8% after the earnings release. Analysts caution that regulatory scrutiny may slow Alibaba's cloud and AI expansion. Bloomberg Intelligence's Catherine Lim warns the U.S. pushback could curb the company's potential cloud-revenue upside. Apple, China's second-largest smartphone vendor, also stands to lose if the tie-up stalls. Its sales in the region slipped 2.3% last quarter amid fierce competition from Huawei and Xiaomi. Union Bancaire Privee's Vey-Sern Ling notes Apple needs a local AI partner to remain competitive in China's fast-evolving market. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Business Insider
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Alibaba Stock (BABA) Tumbles as U.S. Flags Concerns Over Apple AI Deal
Alibaba (BABA) (HK:9988) stock fell as much as 4.8% in Hong Kong on Monday, leading losses on the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index. The drop followed a report that the Trump administration has raised concerns over Apple's (AAPL) partnership with Alibaba to bring the Chinese tech giant's AI to iPhones sold in China. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks straight to you inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter According to the report, U.S. officials are concerned about the deal's implications, specifically how it could boost China's AI capabilities, expose Apple to tighter Chinese data laws, and create potential national security risks. The scrutiny around the Apple deal adds to Alibaba's recent challenges. In Q4 FY25, the company posted mixed results, with revenue of RMB236.4 billion ($32.6 billion) falling short of the expected RMB237.91 billion. Earnings per ADS also missed the mark, coming in at $1.73. Investors remained unimpressed with the results, sending the stock down by over 8%. AI Dreams Put on Hold The U.S. pushback on the Apple deal casts doubt on Alibaba's broader ambitions in China's fast-growing AI industry. The company had positioned itself as a key player in the DeepSeek-inspired AI boom, with investors viewing its cloud business as a major growth driver. However, regulatory friction could force Alibaba to slow its momentum at this point of time. Analysts also warn that ongoing regulatory hurdles could bring uncertainty to Alibaba's growth, making investors worried about its short-term outlook. For instance, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Catherine Lim said Alibaba's 'potential cloud-revenue upside' could be at risk due to 'US resistance' to the deal. Without 'more clarity,' she said the company might cut back on research and hold off on building new AI infrastructure. Why Apple May Have More at Stake While Alibaba's shares suffered immediately, analysts warn that Apple could face deeper consequences if the deal falls through. China remains Apple's second-largest market after the U.S., but its sales there fell 2.3% last quarter as competition from local brands like Huawei and Xiaomi intensified. Analysts caution that without a solid AI partner embedded within China's tech ecosystem, Apple risks falling behind. 'Apple has much more to lose,' said Vey-Sern Ling of Swiss private bank Union Bancaire Privée. He added that Apple 'will need an AI partner in China' to stay competitive in the region. average Alibaba price target of $165.13 implies 33.75% upside potential from current levels.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
JD.com's Sales Rise 16% After China Stimulus Draws Shoppers Out
(Bloomberg) -- Inc.'s revenue grew a better-than-anticipated 16% after Chinese consumer stimulus measures drove spending on electronics and other big-ticket items despite worsening tensions with the US. A New Central Park Amenity, Tailored to Its East Harlem Neighbors As Trump Reshapes Housing Policy, Renters Face Rollback of Rights What's Behind the Rise in Serious Injuries on New York City's Streets? NYC Warns of 17% Drop in Foreign Tourists Due to Trump Policies LA Mayor Credits Trump on Fire Aid, Stays Wary on Immigration The company reported sales of 301.1 billion yuan ($41.8 billion) for the quarter ended March. Net income jumped 53% to 10.9 billion yuan. The Chinese government this year has doled out purchase or trade-in subsidies to encourage domestic consumption of products from appliances to smartphones and cars, in part to prop up an ailing economy. Consumer deflation extended for a third month in April, after punitive tariffs imposed by the US sapped domestic demand. Beijing's subsidies, which began last year, have proven popular with belt-tightening consumers looking for bargains. JD already recorded its fastest pace of growth in almost three years for the December quarter. In May, policymakers announced a slew of stimulus measures including monetary policy easing, seeking to counter the potential fallout from a global trade war. Progress in trade talks between Beijing and Washington could also ease some of the pressure. What Bloomberg Intelligence Says Higher sales of items from these subsidized categories — which drive more than half of revenue — can deliver greater operating leverage, allowing to better absorb fixed costs. Such savings probably helped offset cost hikes from push into on-demand and food delivery services from February onward. - Catherine Lim and Trini Tan, analysts Click here for the research. Away from macroeconomic concerns, some investors worry about JD's recent entry into a hyper-competitive — and low-margin — food delivery service dominated by Meituan. Since joining the field this year, JD has introduced coupons to attract new users. In April, it vowed to recruit 100,000 full-time riders over the following three months. Investors have called JD's investment into food delivery 'unsustainable,' and worried that the battle with Meituan will hurt earnings — long a focus for a company accustomed to competing with aggressive rivals such as PDD Holdings Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. estimated that, at the current scale, the business could generate up to 18 billion yuan in annualized losses, wiping out 36% of its parent's operating profit for 2025. --With assistance from Charlotte Yang and Vlad Savov. The Recession Chatter Is Getting Louder. Watch These Metrics US Border Towns Are Being Ravaged by Canada's Furious Boycott Two Million Meat Sticks a Day Isn't Enough for Chomps' CEO Maybe AI Slop Is Killing the Internet, After All With the New York Liberty, Clara Wu Tsai Aims for the First $1 Billion Women's Sports Franchise ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
