one-piecee

Chinese Pidgin English

Alternative forms

• 温卑士, 温卑時 (Chinese spelling)

Adjective

one-piecee

1. one; a
   • 1862, 唐景星 [Tong King-sing], 英語集全, volume 4, marginalia, page 32; republished as “Pidgin English texts from the Chinese English Instructor”, in Michelle Li, Stephen Matthews and Geoff P. Smith, editor, Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics‎^[1], volume 10, number 1, 2005, pages 79-167:

     㕭灣治𪢍治温卑士羅也
     *ju¹ waan¹ zi⁶ get³ zi⁶ wan¹ bi¹ si⁶ lo⁴ jaa⁵
     You wantchee catchee one piecee lawyer.
     You will have to engage a lawyer.

   • 1862, 唐景星 [Tong King-sing], 英語集全, volume 6, marginalia, page 43; republished as “Pidgin English texts from the Chinese English Instructor”, in Michelle Li, Stephen Matthews and Geoff P. Smith, editor, Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics‎^[2], volume 10, number 1, 2005, pages 79-167:

     拜温卑時豁卑乎
     *baai³ wan¹ bi¹ si⁴ kut³ bi¹ fu⁴
     Buy one piecee good beef.
     Buy a piece of good beef.

References

• Gow, W. S. P. (1924) Gow’s Guide to Shanghai, 1924: A Complete, Concise and Accurate Handbook of the City and District, Especially Compiled for the Use of Tourists and Commercial Visitors to the Far East, Shanghai, page 107: “One-piecee: one; a; an.”