A sketch grammar of Singapore Hainanese

Abstract

This is a sketch grammar of Hainanese as it is spoken in Singapore. Little has been done on this topic in Singaporean academia, particularly in the areas of Hainanese grammar, and so it is hoped that this paper will provide a means by which some knowledge of Singapore Hainanese can be preserved, for it is a unique language which is mutually unintelligible with its Sinitic cousins. Singapore Hainanese has also divulged greatly from its roots in Hainan, having come into intense contact with other languages in multilingual Singapore. This paper will consist of a brief overview of the language’s phonology, word classes, aspect and modality, as well as clause structure. It is hoped that this will contribute to the study of this unique, endangered language before the window of opportunity for such study closes permanently.