seh

The story

From Hokkien or Teochew. Its exact origins are unclear, possible etymologies include: * Hokkien 逝 (sē, “to pass away”), which may have been used as a hyperbole to describe someone who has passed out. * Hokkien 垂垂 (sê-sê, “(literary) to droop, to hang low”). * Clipping of Taiwanese Hokkien 馬西／马西 (má-se, “tipsy”). This is unlikely, considering that it is not a term found in Singaporean Hokkien.