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==Han Characters== | ==Han Characters== | ||
*Han Characters are used to write many modern and old languages. Today they are used in the Chinese languages, Japanese, and Korean. They were used in Vietnamese in the past. | *Han Characters are used to write many modern and old languages. Today they are used in the Chinese languages, Japanese, and Korean. They were used in Vietnamese in the past. | ||
*In most cases, Written Taiwanese uses the ''Harnji'' script (as does Mandarin), although there are a number of special characters which are unique to Taiwanese and which are sometimes used in informal writing. Where Han characters are used, they are not always etymological or genetic; the borrowing of similar-sounding or similar-meaning characters is a common practice. (See [[ | *In most cases, Written Taiwanese uses the ''Harnji'' script (as does Mandarin), although there are a number of special characters which are unique to Taiwanese and which are sometimes used in informal writing. Where Han characters are used, they are not always etymological or genetic; the borrowing of similar-sounding or similar-meaning characters is a common practice. (See [[Substitute character]]). | ||
*About 20-25% of typical running texts lack an appropriate sinographic written form (Mair (2003)) | *About 20-25% of typical running texts lack an appropriate sinographic written form (Mair (2003)) | ||
*''Harnji'' often have several pronunciations. For example, {{bt|老}} has one colloquial reading (marked {{wt|白}} ''peh'') and three literary readings (marked {{wt|文}} ''buun''). See [[ | *''Harnji'' often have several pronunciations. For example, {{bt|老}} has one colloquial reading (marked {{wt|白}} ''peh'') and three literary readings (marked {{wt|文}} ''buun''). See [[Literary and colloquial readings of Chinese characters]]. | ||
**Colloquial Taiwanese has roots in [[Sioxngkor Harngie|Old Chinese]]. | **Colloquial Taiwanese has roots in [[Sioxngkor Harngie|Old Chinese]]. | ||
**Literary Taiwanese, which was originally developed in the 10th century in Fujian ([[Hokkiexn]]) and based on [[Middle Chinese]], was used at one time for formal writing, but is now largely extinct. | **Literary Taiwanese, which was originally developed in the 10th century in Fujian ([[Hokkiexn]]) and based on [[Middle Chinese]], was used at one time for formal writing, but is now largely extinct. |
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