siao

English

Etymology

From Hokkien 痟 (siáu, “mad; crazy”).

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /sjaʊ˦˨/

Adjective

siao (comparative more siao, superlative most siao)

1. (Singapore, Singlish) Mad; crazy
   • 1993, Haresh Sharma, Off Centre, Ethos Books, →ISBN, Prologue, page 2, lines 18–20:

     […] Then why am I labelled mad, siow, crazy, mental, psycho, cuck-… and not you?

   • 2021, Daryl Qilin Yam, Lovelier, Lonelier, Epigram Books, →ISBN:

     Siao, man, he said. That’s another thing I’m never telling Sherry.

Synonyms

• gila

See also

• hao siao (unrelated etymologically)
• kee siao
• siao lang

References

• Lee, Jack Tsen-Ta (2004), “seow”, in A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English
• Colin Goh, Y. Y. Woo, editors (2002), “seow”, in The Coxford Singlish Dictionary‎^[1], Singapore: Angsana Books, →ISBN, archived from the original on 28 October 2020

Anagrams

• AIOs, AOIs, ASIO, Iaso

Macanese

Siao.

Alternative forms

• (dated) si iâu

Etymology

Borrowed from Cantonese 豉油 (si⁶ jau⁴, si⁶ jau^4-2).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /siˈjaw/

Noun

siao

1. soy sauce

   Synonym: sutate

Maranao

Numeral

siao

1. nine

References

• Howard P. McKaughan, Batua A. Macaraya (1967), A Maranao Dictionary‎^[2] (overall work in Maranao and English), University of Hawaii Press