Chapter 12. Naming practices in Singapore’s hawker centres
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Jakob R.E. Leimgruber
Abstract
A hawker is an itinerant salesperson, formerly typically ubiquitous in most urban environments. Despite the popular and useful services they provide, they are often viewed with suspicion. Starting in the 1960s, the government of Singapore has begun to sedentarise the trade into purpose-built ‘hawker centres’ that house individual stalls of foods in a covered area fitted with electrical, gas, and water connections as well as seating space and sanitary facilities. This food hygiene drive has resulted in a permanent immobilisation of the hawker trade. This chapter considers the naming practices of 211 hawker stalls in four centres to reveal patterns (in the use of languages, scripts, and geographical references) that challenge the imposed immobility and evoke memories of actual hawking.
Abstract
A hawker is an itinerant salesperson, formerly typically ubiquitous in most urban environments. Despite the popular and useful services they provide, they are often viewed with suspicion. Starting in the 1960s, the government of Singapore has begun to sedentarise the trade into purpose-built ‘hawker centres’ that house individual stalls of foods in a covered area fitted with electrical, gas, and water connections as well as seating space and sanitary facilities. This food hygiene drive has resulted in a permanent immobilisation of the hawker trade. This chapter considers the naming practices of 211 hawker stalls in four centres to reveal patterns (in the use of languages, scripts, and geographical references) that challenge the imposed immobility and evoke memories of actual hawking.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Lifestylization and the global
- Chapter 2. How less means more in the comments section of vegan food blogs 15
- Chapter 3. The moral taste of food 35
- Chapter 4. The local and the global in airline food 57
- Chapter 5. Language in transnational communities of consumption 79
- Chapter 6. Craft beer and linguistic lifestyle emblematization 99
-
Mediatization and identity
- Chapter 7. (Un)healthy food discourses 125
- Chapter 8. Dinner for One 145
- Chapter 9. “Tell me about food and I tell you who you are” 167
- Chapter 10. Formality and informality in cooking shows 189
-
Enculturation and localization
- Chapter 11. A rich sauce of comedy 211
- Chapter 12. Naming practices in Singapore’s hawker centres 235
- Chapter 13. Naming food in English in multilingual Cameroon 257
- Index food and food names 277
- Index 281
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Lifestylization and the global
- Chapter 2. How less means more in the comments section of vegan food blogs 15
- Chapter 3. The moral taste of food 35
- Chapter 4. The local and the global in airline food 57
- Chapter 5. Language in transnational communities of consumption 79
- Chapter 6. Craft beer and linguistic lifestyle emblematization 99
-
Mediatization and identity
- Chapter 7. (Un)healthy food discourses 125
- Chapter 8. Dinner for One 145
- Chapter 9. “Tell me about food and I tell you who you are” 167
- Chapter 10. Formality and informality in cooking shows 189
-
Enculturation and localization
- Chapter 11. A rich sauce of comedy 211
- Chapter 12. Naming practices in Singapore’s hawker centres 235
- Chapter 13. Naming food in English in multilingual Cameroon 257
- Index food and food names 277
- Index 281
