GeminiGeek’s Online Journal

Kopitiam Language

May 12th, 2006 in Writings

Milo, Tea, Kopi…. That is some of the usual drink in kopitiam. And for like so many years eating or limteh in this kopitiam, I always wonder who created the kopitiam language.

The Kopitiam Language

1. The -see suffix
Basically, if you add -see when ordering drinks, they will add milk to it. Milo-see, Teh-see, Kopi-see, Cola-see, Ice Lemon Tea -see, 7up-see and so on. So one day if you want milk in your drink, just add -see as the suffix. They will add milk.

2. The -kao suffix
If you add -kao suffix when ordering drinks, they will make it extra sweet and extra taste. Milo-kao, Teh-see-kao, etc. Ordering Milo-kao, you will get yourself an extra sweet and extra cocoa flavoured Milo. But nowadays, most kopitiam treated -kao as nothing. Ordering normal and -kao version is all the same. And of course canned or boxed drinks not included. You can’t “kao”-ed a canned drinks, can you?

3. The -kosong suffix
If you add -kossing suffix when ordering drinks, they will not put sugar in it. Kosong means empty, but Milo-kosong doesnt mean empty Milo. It means Milo with no sugar.

4. The -peng suffix
If you add -peng suffix when ordering drinks, they will make sure to add ice to your drinks. Ordering Teh-see-peng will give you iced milk tea.

5. The skyjuice
Hah. Skyjuice. It’s just a fancy name for plain water. I wonder why plain water is called skyjuice anyway. It’s not like rainwater or anything.

The language is so far valid in Miri, and probably throughout Sarawak. I am not sure about the west Malaysia, but I’m sure it’s the same.

I’ve been thinking. I wonder why they want to call it teh-see-peng when you can call it iced milk tea? Why Milo-peng? Why not Iced Milo? And why is it that the -peng suffix is used? I’ve been thinking and I can’t relate where the -peng and -see suffix is orginated from. Of course, -kao is from chinese and -kosong is from malay.

Weird isn’t it? Kopitiam have their own language. And I bet if you ordered Teh-See-Kao-Kosong in Australia, the waiter will look at you, wondering what the hell are you ordering.

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