baluku en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /bɑːˈluːkuː/ (Singapore)
Etymology
Corruption of Malay buah duku (“fruit of the tree Lansium domesticum, langsat”), under influence from Hokkien phonology, in which [d] and [l] are in complementary distribution, compare 黎撩 (lê-liô) from radio and 鐳／镭 (lui, “money”) from Malay duit.
Meanings
-
(Singapore, colloquial) A swollen bruise or bump on the head; a goose egg.
My head hit the windscreen, so baluku lor.
2018, Jean Tay, Sisters & Senang: The Island Plays, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Scene 12, page 73:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| balukoo | alternative | lexicographic |