Streets Of Penang

I was born and brought up in Penang Enjoyed my childhood days very much in both Ayer Itam and Georgetown where I got my primary education So much of new things to learned about and so many new names to collect That was the early days when I was interested in remembering street names Of course there are names of street I heard about mentioned in a alien dialect Cantonese which I find it hard to co relate

Then later on in life I started working and having to return to Penang to seek out good Food That forced me to learn about new roads and lane that I do not go to when I am young In a complete circle now I am old and having stayed in a town that speaks more Cantonese and Hakka I find that the Hokkien dialect as spoken in Penang very rhythmic or melodic

It was not until that I went through the list of name of streets in Georgetown. Suddenly the scene struck me that those names in Hokkien dialect are so cute - bring back the feelings of those beginning years, by now nostalgic and in way could be fun hearing

 List of Street names in my collection

Accepted Names Known locally as Conveying
Abu Siti Lane 三牲巷 Gangster Lane
Acheen Street 拍石街 Stone-breaking street
Ah Quee Street 阿貴街 Ah Que Street
Argus Lane 色藍乳禮拜堂後巷仔 Roman Catholic Church Lane
Argyll Road 萬葛里巷 Bengali Lane - Red Lights
Armenian Street  本頭公巷 Flat Head Deity Lane
Ayer Itam Road 亞也依淡 Ayer Itam Road
Bagan Jermal Road 灣斗路 Bay Road
Barrack Road 兵房路 Military barrack
Beach Street 土庫街 Wholesalers Street
Bishop Street 順德公司街 Soon Teck Association Road
Brick Kiln Road 風車路 Turbine Car Road
Buckingham Street 新街頭 Start Campbell Street
Burma Road 車水路  Water cart Road
Bridge Street 過港仔 Out-Going Lane
Campbell Street 新街 Red Lights area
Cannon Square 龍山堂內 Inner Court Dragon Hill
 Carnarvon Lane 鑑光內 Inner Court - Kum Light
Cecil Street 七條路 SEventh Road
Ceylon Lane 四十間 Forty Houses
China Street 大街 Main Street
Chowrasta Road 吉寧仔萬山 Indian Market
Chulia Street 牛干冬 Cattke Pens
Chulia Lane 十七間 SEventeen Houses
Cintra Street 拍袍街 Lower Class of Brothels
Church Street 義興街 Ghee Hin secret Society
Hutton Lane 惹蘭亞丁 Jalan Ah Tin
 Dato’ Keramat 柑仔園 After Mandarin Orange
Downing Street 外關 External Office
Drury Lane 新戲臺 New Stage
Esplanade 舊關仔角 Old Fort corner
Esplanade Road 草埔海墘路 Field edge Road
Farquhar Street 紅毛路 English Road
Gaol Road 新跤樞 New Jail
Gladstone Road 火車路 Train Road
Green Hall 緞巴尼 Edge of Bush
Green Lane 青草巷 Green Grass Lane
Gurney Drive 新關仔角 New Fort Corner
Herriot Street 八條路 Eighth Road
Hongkong Street 香港街 Hong Kong Street
Hospital Road 病厝路 Hospitral Road
Hutton Lane 惹蘭亞丁 Jalan Ah Tin
Jelutong Road 日落洞路 Jelutong Road
Kampong Malabar 日本新路 New Japanese Road
Katz Street 六條路 Sixth Road
Kedah Road 鑑光麻六甲 Reflection of Malacca
Keng Kwee Street 景貴街 Keng Kwee Street
Kimberley Street 汕頭街 Garlic Street
King Edward Place (舊)關仔角 Old Official Corner
King Street 九間厝後 Rear Nineth Temp;e
King Street 亞片公司街  Opium Compant Road
Kulim Lane 萬安臺 Perpecture Peace Pagoda
Kuala Kangsar Road 番仔戲園街 Foreigner Theatre Street
 Leith Street 相好厝前 Front Wishful Tower
Light Street 玻理口 Glass Opening
Love Lane 愛情巷 Lovers Lane
Lorong Selamat 平安街 Peaceful Lane
Love Lane 愛情巷 Love Lane
Malay Street 刣牛後 Back Street Slaughter House
MacAlister Road 中路 MIddle Road
Macallum Street 五條路 Fifth Road
Madras Lane 油絞路 Tarred Road
Magazine Road 頭條路 First Road
Magazine Circus 五葩燈 Five Latterns
Market Lane 廣福居巷 Behind Cantonese Luck Palace
Market Street 吉寧仔街 Indian Street
Maxwell Road 開恒美米絞 Khai Heng Bee Rice Mills
Muda Lane 癞哥巷 Mang Alley
Muntri Street 南華醫院街 Lam Wah Ee Hospital Street
Nanking Street 七條路 Seventh Road
Noordin Street 二條路 Second Road
Northam Road 紅毛路 English Road
Penang Road 吊人街 Hanging [Execution] Room Street
Perak Road 大路後 Behind Main Road
Perak Lane 啪拉林 Pala Forest
Phee Choon Lane 丕竣路 Phee Choon Road
Pitt Lane 潮州公司後 Behind Teochew Association
Pitt Street 椰跤 Foot of Coconut
Prangin Lane 鹹魚埕 Salt Fish Shew
Prangin Road  牛車街 Bullock Cart Street
Presgrave Street 三條路 Third Road
Queen Street 十二間 Twelve Houses
Race Course Road 大菜園路 Main Vegetable Road
Residency Road 二王厝路 SEcond Chieftain Road
Rope Walk 拍索巷 Metal Works Lane
Saltfish Lane 鹹魚仔巷 Baby Salt Fish Lane
Sandilands Street 九條路 Ninth Road
Scotland Road 峇抵眼東 "Balik" Look East
Seh Tan Court 姓陳公司 Tan Clan Association
Seck Chuan Lane 大門樓内 Inside Main Gate
Stewart Lane 觀音亭後 Behind Quan Yin Shrine
Sungei Ujong Road 胡椒埕 Pepper Shed
Tamil Street 吉寧仔萬山 Tamil Market

Tek Soon Street

柴埕後 Rear of Chai Cheng

Toh Aka Lane

拍鐵街巷仔 Lane of Tin Smith Road

Transfer Road

 德順厝邊街 Side lane of Teeik Soon Temple

Tye Sin Street

四條路 Fourth Road
Union Street  玻理後 Rear of Glass
Victoria Street 海墘新路 Sea Landfilled New Road

Waterfall Road

 亞逸倒潤 Water Pour Run

Weld Quay

新海墘街 New coastal dyke Road
Western Road  紅毛新塚 English New Mansion

Most of the terms I have heard then before, so they are fairly accurate, others I translate them literally  but doesn't convey any sense. I will update these

It is an interesting compilation. The way the roads were hailed and later used as road names tell so much of the surroundings there then. Of course most of the land marks and practices had gone, but for those who loves dwelling into the historical past, these names were sure clues and and pointers as to where we sek next for our answers

 

 

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