新加坡华语资料库
本资料库收录了具有文化、历史或情感意义的华语词汇。这些词汇是新加坡人过去或现在的生活用语，有的见于印刷媒体，有的则在日常对话中使用。
To date somebody (colloquially known as paktor)
To date somebody (colloquially known as paktor)
DEFINITION
Verb
- To engage in a romantic relationship.
- Dating between a couple.
由来
- 拍拖一词源自广东话（广州话、粤语）。广东话的“拍”有着两人并排或并拢的意思，“拖”则是拉手之意，“拍拖”（广东话发音为pak tō）形象说明约会的男女互相拉着手，并肩而行的情景。
- 有一种说法是，以前在珠江的航运常以汽船拖着木船行走，近岸时因为汽船无法驶入，就依赖木船转载人员搬运货物上岸，相互依赖以完成作业，后来就用“拍拖”比喻恋爱中的男女手挽手并肩而行。
ETYMOLOGY
- The term paktor originates from Cantonese (Guangzhou dialect). In Cantonese, pak is used to describe two parties being close to each other, side by side, and “tor” refers to the holding of hands. Paktor (pronounced in Cantonese as pak tō) is used to describe a courting couple holding hands and walking side-by-side.
- Another belief is that steam boats along the Pearl River (Zhujiang) used to tow (“tor”) wooden boats. When the steam boats came near the river bank, they are unable to enter, and needed the wooden boats to transport workers to unload goods onto the shore. Subsequently, the term paktor came to be used to describe a couple holding hands and walking side by side.
例句
异族婚姻，分隔海陆，旅游代理和海员丈夫拍拖8年后共结连理，但坦言感觉在一起只有4年。（《新明日报》，21/3/2019）
SAMPLE SENTENCE
Having an inter-racial marriage separated by distance, the travel agent married her sailor husband after 8 years of paktor-ing, but she said it felt like they have only been together for 4 years. (Shin Min Daily News, 21/3/2019)