towkay
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Malay tauke, from Min Nan 頭家/头家 (thâu-ke, “boss”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
towkay (plural towkays)
- (Malaysia) A business owner; boss (especially a Malaysian Chinese).
- (Malaysia) Term of address for such a person; sir.
Translations[edit]
term of address
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
References[edit]
- The Oxford English Dictionary just attributes a Malay origin, but the Collins English Dictionary (2009) states it's of Chinese origin.
- Lee Eng Kew (李永球), 2004, “誰是“頭家”?” (Who are the towkays), Sin Chew Daily.