The following is my latest entry to the "Mind your Slanguage" series, which takes a close look at Malay slang terms and examines their impact on the Malay conciousness. Providing socio-linguistic commentry through the medium of street slang and argot.

Apa stim?

Stim [stiːm] :

Colloqioul Malay slang term used to describe the state of intoxication and/or an altered state of conciousness.

The nature of the experience may take form and find origin in one, any, or all of the following:

1. Administration of psychotropic substances (narcotic or otherwise).

2. Sexual arousal (the term is often employed in describing the male erection).

3. Other sensations or experiences of hedonistic proportions that engages one at a pleasurable sensory level.

Although primarily associated with illicit drug use and abuse, the term "stim" is a catch-all phrase used to denote experiences characterized by sensations and emotions that incites and pleasures human sensory faculties. Although often used to deragotary effect (e.g. "Kau ni tak abis2 buang masa tangkap stim."), the term is also used as an indication of deep and high levels of enjoyment, reception and appreciation, often to confer glowing testimonial and compliment to given persons, bodies, action, display, artform, product or entity (e.g. "Stim siol, nasi ayam nenek aku.").

As with all hermeneutic enquiries and discussions, it is of customary importance to derive and postulate some theory or hypothesis on the origins of the term that finds itself as the subject of discourse. On this particular occassion, the most plausible and direct explanation would be that the term stim is derived from the English language phrase "to let off steam". In plotting and comparing the features and characteristics of the two entities in an attempt to determine if they are the same monster, one would note that both the causal factors that compels one to "tangkap stim" and its resultant benefits and after-effects are in congruence with the act of "letting off steam".

However, I would hereby like to postulate, by means of informed speculation, an alternative theory of the origins of the term stim. An examination of the definition of the slang term would reveal that the term encompasses all forms of sensory organ stimulation. Hence, it would probably not be too far fetched for one to conjecture that the slang term stim, is actually a short-form derivation of the term stimulate. Having emerged and found circulation into usage from within the realm of the sex drugs and rock n roll subculture, the term can therefore be said to have been coined by Mat Rocks. That having been stated, it is interesting to therefore note that this alternative theory of the origins of the term stim assumes that the Mat Rocks had quite a sophisticated grasp and knowledge of neuro-biological science and sensory processes.

Fancy that!