Origin of yee sang

I refer to the recent debate about the term Yee Sang. The term which literally means “raw fish” is a favourite dish served throughout Chinese New Year celebrations by the Chinese communities.  In fact, Yee Sang has become a tradition synonymous with abundance, prosperity and vigour.

 As a linguist fascinated by etymology, the study of history of words in language, I would like to share some views on this subject. Yee sang, according to Lim Mun Fah of the Sin Chew daily  is a Chinese word from the Cantonese dialect. This means the term originated from mainland China. One website said the dish originated as early as 220.  As the Chinese community dispersed to other parts of the world as emigrants, including to Malaysia and Singapore, yee sang being part of Chinese culture was tacked along with them. It is said the yee sang culture was brought to Malaysia and Singapore as early as 1920’s. 

So, the question that the word yee sang originated from the Chinese in Singapore cannot hold water.  Neither, can the Malaysian Chinese claim it originated from Malaysia. Probably, the content of the dish has changed from the original yee sang. Local flavour was added and the dish has now evolved into the modern version of yee sang.

I believe as an etymologist and linguist, this type of polemics can be solved, if we have an etymological dictionary. The dictionary will trace the history of all words used in languages. Therefore, I urge the Chinese community, especially the scholars to work on an etymological dictionary in the near future. Besides providing invaluable information of the origin of words, it could also serve as essential research tool for Chinese words.

On the controversy of the yee sang, I suggest we need not split hairs but rather accept the dish as a Chinese dish, a precious part of the Malaysia and Singapore’s Chinese culture. As Malaysians, we should be proud of yee sang, a cultural belonging of the Chinese, in particular the Cantonese community.