singkek

Indonesian

Etymology

From Min Nan 新客 (literally “new guest”), a term used to refer to relatively new Chinese arrivals in Southeast Asia (as opposed to Peranakan), as compound of 新 (sin, “new, recently”) +‎ 客 (khek, “guest”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsɪŋ.kɛk]
• Hyphenation: sing‧kék

Noun

singkék

1. (ethnic slur, offensive) Chinese pure blood (as opposed to Peranakan).

   Synonym: totok

2. (ethnic slur, offensive) Chinaman, Chink (person of Chinese descent).

Alternative forms

• sengkek, singkeh

Usage notes

Considered a stronger ethnic slur than Cina.

Hypernyms

• Tionghoa

Further reading

• “singkek” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.