AAA
Ar Aik To Lun (From Ayer
Terjun) - Waterfall Road. (Lo Man Yuk)
Ar Iar Ee Tarm Lor - Ayer Itam Road (Lo Man Yuk)
Ar Kooi Kay (Ah Kooi Street) - Ah Quee Street, after Kapitan Ah Quee
(Chung Keng Kwee) who presented it to the Municipality (Loh Man Yuk)
Ar P'ian Kongsi Kay (Opium Farm Street so-called after the Opium and Spirit
Farms at the junction of China Street) - King Street, between Bishop Street
and China Street (Lo Man Yuk)
Arng Mor Koo T'iong (Old English cemetery i.e, the Protestant and
Roman Catholic cemetery) - That part of Northam Road that joins Penang Road
is sometimes called by this name. (Lo Man Yuk) [Note 1]
Arng Mor Lor (English Road, where the Europeans live) - Northam Road. That
part of the road which joins Penang Road is sometimes called Arng Mor Koo
T'iong (English old cemetery, i.e. the Protestant and Roman Catholic cemetery
there) (Lo Man Yuk)
Arng Mor O Cheng (In front of the English school i.e. the Penang Free School)
- Farquhar Street between Pitt Street and Love Lane. (Lo Man Yuk)
Arng Mor Sin T'iong (English new cemetery, after the European new cemetery
there) - Western Road.. Also Sai Hua Harng, also Paing Aun Harng (Lo Man
Yuk)
Arng Teng Kak (at the Corner of the Red Lantern; the red lantern
was the guide to boats at sea) - Noordin Street Ghaut
BBB
Barn Arn Tai (Ban Aun Theatre, after the name of the Chinese Theatre in
this lane) - Kulim Lane. Also Beng Hee Tai. (Lo Man Yuk) )
Barn Taik Hong Lor (Ban Taik Hong Road) - Sungei Ujong Ban Taik Hong owns
the pepper yard. (Lo Man Yuk). Also called Hor Chio Tnia, see below.
Barng Kar Lee Harng (Bengali Lane) - Argyll Road where many Bengalis lived.
(Lo Man Yuk)
Bar Too Garn Tung (Malay, Overhanging Rock) - Scotland Road (Lo Man Yuk)
Beng Hee Tai (Beng's theatre, "Beng" is part of the name of Mr Ong Beng
Teik, the former proprietor of the theatre. - Kulim Lane. Also Barn Arn Tai
(Lo Man Yuk)
Beng Sarn Lor T'au ( (at the) Head of Beng San Road) - China Street Ghaut.
Khoo Beng San, a merchant, had a shop there (Lo Man Yuk). Also called Tuar
Kay Lor T'au, see below
|
CCC
Chn'air Ch'au Harng (Green Grass Lane) -
Green Lane
Ch'ar Kang Kay (Wood Workmen Street) - Bishop Street between Beach Street
and Penang Street (Lo Man Yuk)
Ch'ar Lo T'au (Firewood Landing Place) - Chulia Street Ghaut. Firewood
used to be sold there before Maxwell Road, now a principal place for selling
wood, was constructed. Also called Kit-Ling-Ah Lor T'au or Snair Yneoh Kongsi
Kay or Tua Chooi Chnair (Lo Man Yuk).
Ch'ar Tniah (Firewood Yard) - Maxwell Road between Bridge Street
and Gladstone Road. This is the principal place where firewood is sold in
Penang. (Lo Man Yuk)
Ch'ar Tniah Au (Back of the Timber Yard i.e. Back of Maxwell Road ) - Tek
Soon Street, also called Taik Soon Lor (Lo Man Yuk)
Charp Ch'it Keng (17 Houses, because of the row of 17 houses of the same
size) - Chulia Lane, (Lo Man Yuk)
Charp Jee Keng (The Twelve Houses, because of 12 houses of the same
height) - Queen Street, . Also called Koo Ho Harp Sia Kay (Loh Man Yuk)
Charp Keng Ch'oo (Ten Houses) - Carnarvon Street between Acheen Street
and Prangin Road, formerly there was a row of ten houses of the same
height there. Also called Larm Ch'arn-Ah, also See Kark Chnair, also Sneh
Tneoh Kongsi Kay (Lo Man Yuk)
Ch'art Bok Kay (Painting Wood Street, because of the furniture makers shops
there ) - Bishop Street between Beach Street and Penang Street (Lo
Man Yuk)
Ch'au Por Hai Knee Lor (The Field By the Sea Road) - Esplanade Road . The
Cantonese call it Tai Po Tay Hoi P'ay (Striking Ball Place Seaside) or Siu
Kau Ch'iong Hoi P'pay (Small Parade Ground Seaside) (Lo Man Yuk) See
Kuan-ah Kak below.
Chay Tee Kay (Chettiar Street) - Penang Street between Market Street
and Chulia Street , where Chettiar moneylenders live (Lo Man Yuk)
Cheng Boo See Kuan (The Government Business Official's Office - The Chinese
Protectorate (Lo Man Yuk)
Ch'eng Io Keng (Gun Powder Depot, formerly the Government gunpowder magazine
was there) - Magazine. The open space formed by the intersection of
six roads in front of the Magazine Police Station. Also Gor P'ar Teng, also
Lark Ch'ay Lor (Lo Man Yuk)
Ch'ia Chui Lor see Goo Ch'ia Chooi
Ch'it Tiau Lor (7th Street) - Cecil Street
Chniar Chooi Karng (Clear Water Stream) - Sungei Pinang River
Chiu Long Lor T'au (Distillery landing place) - Church Street Ghaut. The
distillery stands at the junction of Church Street and Beach Street and
belongs to the Spirit Farm (Lo Man Yuk)
Chooi Tnee Lor (Reservoir Road) - Fettes Road
EEE
Ean Tarng Lor (Kerosene Lamp Tube Road) - Rope Walk between Kimberley
Street and Prangin Road (Chang Yong-Mee)
|
FFF
Fook Keen Kai (Hokkien Street in Cantonese) - Beach Street from Armenian
Street to Prangin Ditch because most of the shopkeepers here are Hokkiens
(Lo Man Yuk)
GGG
Gee Hin Kay (Gee Hin Street) - Church Street. The street was named
after the kongsi house of the Gee Hin secret society. The site is now the
family residence of Kapitan Ah Quee (Lo Man Yuk)
Gee Hin Kay Lor T'au (Head of Gee Hin Street) - Church Street Ghaut. Also
Chiu Long Lor T'au. (Lo Man Yuk)
Gee Hock Kay (Gee Hock Street, so-called because the Gee Hock secret society
kongsi house was located there) - Rope Walk.. Also P'ar So Harng (Lo
Man Yuk)
Gia Lan Ar Teng - (The Chinese pronunciation of Hutton) - Hutton Lane
(Lo Man Yuk)
Goo Ch'iar Chui (Bullock Cart Water), often contracted to Ch'ia Chooi
- Burmah Road. Before the construction of the Municipal Water Service
water sellers came to a well along the road for water and conveyed them
in bullock carts to town for sale (Lo Man Yuk) [Note 2]
Goo Ch'iar Kay (Bullock Cart Street, from the bullock cart builders shops
there) - Prangin Road between Sungei Ujong and Penang Road. This road and
Maxwell Road are often called Karng Ar Knee ( rivulet side) because of thie
proximity to the Prangin Ditch (Lo Man Yuk)
Goo Garntarng (Cattle Pen Street. Gan Tang after the Malay word kandang,
meaning a pen) - Chulia Street between Love Lane and Penang Road.
Cantonese call it Shar Kong T'au (Sand Hill Head) because in former days
people used to deposit rubbish there which heaped up in a mound (Lo Man
Yuk).
Gor P'ar Teng (The 5 Lamps, referring to the Municipal lamp post which
holds five lamps - Magazine. (Lo Man Yuk). Also Ch'eng Io Keng, also
Lark Ch'ay Lor.
Gor Tiau Lor (5th Street) - McCallum Street
Guar Kuarn (Outer Government Office = Chinese Protectorate) - Downing Street.
The office that transacts business with the general public - the Chinese
Protectorate. Also Tai Jin Kuan. In Cantonese Marn Wa Koon (Asking Questions
Office - where female immigrants from China are examined) i.e. The Chinese
Protectorate). (Lo Man Yuk)
|
HHH
Hai Chiu Kong Si Kay (Hai Chiu Kongsi
Street, the street where the kongsi house of the Hai Chiu people is. Hai Chiu
is the prefecture from which the K'air or Hakka come from) - Prangin Road
between Beach Street and Carnarvon Street. Also Oowan T'au Ar. (Lo Man Yuk)
Hai Knee Sin Lor (New Beach Road) or Sin Hai Knee Kay (New Beach Street)
- Weld Quay. In Cantonse, Hoy P'ay (Sea Beach) (Lo Man Yuk); also Victoria
Street (Chang Yong-Mee)
Hiarng Karng Lor - Hong Kong Street (Hiang Kang, the Hokkien for
Hong Kong. The word Hong itself is a mispronunciation of heung originating
from the boat population of Canton who were the first to come into contact
with the Europeans when they appeared in China. (Lo Man Yuk)
Hong Ch'iar Lor (Wind Carriage Road) - Brick Kiln Road, because there
was a switchback railway along Brick Kiln Road (Lo Man Yuk) [Note
3]
Switchback
railway
Ho Seng Kong Si Kay (Ho Seng Kongsi Street)
- King Street. See Koo Ho Seng Kay. (Lo Man Yuk)
Hoo Ooi Si Kuan (Protecting Official's Office) - Office of the Protector
of Chinese (Lo Man Yuk)
Hor Cheo Tniar (Pepper Yard, from the courtyard where pepper is exposed
to be dried) - Sungei Ujong. Also Barn Taik Hong Lor (Lo Man Yuk)
Huarn Ar T'iong (Malay cemetery) -
The Malay cemetery in that section of Carnarvon Street between Campbell Street
and the Central Police Station (Lo Man Yuk)
Huarn Ar Hee Hnooi Kay (Malay Theatre Street, from the Malay Theatre there)
- Kuala Kangsar Road (Lo Man Yuk)
Huay Ch'iar Lor (Fire Carriage Road, referring to the tramway) - Gladstone
Road. The tram once passed through here (Lo Man Yuk)
Huay Chiu Kongsi Kay (Huay Chiu Kongsi Street) - Prangin Road between Beach
Street and Carnarvon Street. The street where the Kongsi housse of the Huay
Choo people is. Huoay Chu is the name of a prefecture in south China whence
the K'air or Hakka come. (Lo Man Yuk)
|
III
Iar K'ar (Beneath the Coconut Trees) - Pitt Street from Chulia Street to
Armenian Street. There were many coconut trees growing there. Also called
Tuar Chooi Chnair (Lo Man Yuk)
Iu Kar Lor (Oil Mill Road, named after the coconut mill located there)
- Madras Lane
JJJ
Janrg Korng Lor - Rangoon Road
Jee Ong Ch'oo Lor (House of the Second King Road, "Second King" was
what the Chinese called the Resident Councillor) - Residency Road. (Lo Man
Yuk)
Jee Tiau Lor (Seond Street ) Noordin Street
Jit Lor Tong Lor (Jit Lor Tong is the Hokkien for Jelutong) - Jelutong
Road. The town end is called Eh Tong (Lower Cave) and the country end is
called Teng Tong or Siang Tong (Upper Cave) (Lo Man Yuk).
Jit Poon Kay (Japanese Street) - Cintra Street between Campbell Street
and Chulia Street . The street where Japanese brothels are. In Cantonese:
Yart Poon Chai Kai - Japanese Brothel Street (Lo Man Yuk).
Sources
Ronald Byrne - The Star newspaper 1985
Chang Yong-Mee, Penang
Dr Goh Ban Lee - Pulau Pinang magazine
Lo Man Luk - Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Straits Branch No 33
January 1900 Singapore
We also thank Mr Chan Yong Mee, Mr Lee Liang Shu and Mr Tang Khye Kian
for their assistance
Note 1:
We have preserved Lo Man Yuk's use of the tenses
Note 2:
The
records of the Penang Water Authority do not show the existence of a well
along Burmah Road. There was an aqueduct running along the road from which
the people drew water for their needs. This was made of brick, built by convict
labour, and ordered to be built by R. T. Farquhar, the Lieutenant-Governor
(1804-05). From 1827 cast iron pipes started to replace bricks. It
is significant that one of Penang's earliest mosques, which faces Nagore
Road, is called Mesjid Tarik Ayer. It is unlikely that the Chinese could
have called the road Gu Ch'iar Chooi (Bullock Cart Water). Ch'iar chooi (to
draw water, ch'iar also means "to lift"), seems more reasonable. Reference
may also be made the authoritative article, "A Taste of Roots," on the history
of Penang's water supply, in Issue No 6, August 2000, of The Penang File
- Editor.
Note 3:
Hong Ch'iar
Lor (Winnowing Machine Road) - Brick Kiln Road. It is very likely
that Lo Man Yuk is mistaken. Hong ch'iar, wind machine, means
winnowing machine. In the early days of rice fields in the heart of what
is now the city and the setting up of the Khie Heng Bee rice mill in 1880,
hand driven winnowing machines must have been used. The switchback
railway had just been invented in 1884; Shaw Brothers had not yet created
the Singapore Great World. The Fun & Frolic and Wembley amusement
parks only made their appearance in Penang in the thirties - Editor
Go to the
top |
|
