Mangled English words or strange new ones made up by mainlanders are popular on the internet. An online dictionary of 'Chinglish' features such idioms as 'people hill people sea' and 'no money no talk'.
Recently, I came across the words 'geilivable' and 'ungeilivable'. Wondering what they could mean, I checked a popular internet dictionary. I learned that 'geilivable' is a new word coined from the Chinese 'geili' (giving strength) and means 'great', 'cool', 'powerful' or 'incredible'. Obviously, 'ungeilivable' is the antonym.
These words are so funny. Nevertheless, I think we may have a problem if we start accepting such Chinglish words as proper English. Some students may be misled, and begin using these words as if they were standard English.
Then again, expressions such as 'long time no see' has become part of colloquial English worldwide.
Terry Chan, The Chinese Foundation Secondary School
From the Editor