wantchee

Chinese Pidgin English

Alternative forms
  • 灣治 (Chinese spelling)

Etymology

From English want +‎ English -y, with the suffix spelled as -chee reminiscent of English -sy.

Verb

wantchee

  1. want
  2. need
    • 1860, The Englishman in China, London: Saunders, Otley, and Co., page 100:
      belong olo custom pidgin, any man must wantchee go chin-chin Joss new year tim.[sic]
      [according to?] pidgin customs, everyone needs to go worship God on new years
    • 1862, 唐景星 [Tong King-sing], 英語集全 [Chinese English Instructor], 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, volume 10, number 1, 2005, pages 79-167:
      㕭灣治𪢍治温卑士羅也
      *ju1 waan1 zhi6 get3 zhi6 wan1 bi1 si6 lo4 jaa5
      You wantchee catchee one piecee lawyer.
      You will have to engage a lawyer.

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 109: “Wantchee: to want; to require.”
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