View source for Introduction to Taiwanese Vocabulary

'''Taiwanese''' has been passed on for generations without a standardized writing system. Considered a variety of [[Høxlør-oe|Hokkien]], it is spoken natively by about 70% of the population of Taiwan, brought by immigrants from [[Banlaam|southern Fujian]], mainly during the [[Zhefng-tiaau|Qing dynasty]]. Taiwanese also contains loanwords from Japanese and the native [[Formosan languages]], plus some [[Sepangaa-gie|Spanish]], [[Hølaan-guo|Dutch]], and [[Enggie|English]].

A writing system using Latin characters, [[Peh-oe-ji]], was developed by Western missionaries in the 19th century. The [[Taioaan Kitog Tviwlør Kaohoe|Presbyterian Church]] has been active in promoting Taiwanese and POJ since the late 19th century. In 1943, [[Liim Keahioong]] and classmates started work on a spelling system that evolved into [[Modern Literal Taiwanese]] (MLT), which is used by the [[Washington DC Taiwanese School]] and the system we use below.

== Common Phrases ==
Main article: [[Common Taiwanese phrases]]
[[File:Lie hør.mp3]]
;[[Lie hør]] : Hello!
[[File:Ciaqpar`boe.mp3]]
;[[Ciaqpar`bøe]]? : Hello. (Literally, "have you eaten your fill?")
;{{x|Bøexbae}}! :Not bad. 
;{{x|Kafmsia}}! :Thank you.
[[File:Mxbiern-khehkhix`laq.mp3]]
;[[Mxbiern-khehkhix]]! :You're welcome. / That's OK.

==Lexicon==
Main reference: {{w|Taiwanese Hokkien#Lexicon}}

=== Hokkien ===
As a variety of Hokkien, Taiwanese has many words with cognates in other Chinese varieties. False friends do exist; for example, '''{{x|zao}}''' ({{wt|走}}) means "to run" in Taiwanese, whereas the Mandarin cognate, ''zǒu'', means "to walk". Moreover, cognates may have different lexical categories; for example, the morpheme '''{{x|phvi}}''' ({{wt|鼻}}) means not only "nose" (a noun, as in Mandarin ''bí'') but also "to smell" (a verb, unlike Mandarin).

{{Ten common Chinese characters}}

In Taiwanese, [[Harnji]] often have differing literary and colloquial readings (pronunciations). See [[Talk:Bungieen kab peqoe]].

Some words just have no standard Harnji, and are variously considered colloquial, intimate, vulgar, uncultured, or more concrete in meaning than the pan-Chinese synonym. Some examples: '''{{x|laang}}''' (person, concrete) vs. '''{{x|jiin}}''' ({{wt|人}}, person, abstract); '''{{x|zabor}}''' (woman) vs. '''{{x|lwjiin}}''' ({{wt|女人}}, woman, literary); '''{{x|baq}}''' (meat). See [[Taiguo Siong'iong 460-ji]] and [[臺灣閩南語推薦用字]].

===Austronesian===
Main article:  [[Taiwanese words from Austronesian]]

Some Taiwanese terms originate from the Austronesian Formosan Aboriginal Languages. For example, '''{{x|asef}}''', meaning "silly goose", is from [[Siraya-guo|Sirayan]]. Many Taiwan placenames came from these languages, including '''{{x|Taioaan}}''', '''{{x|Alysafn}}''', '''{{x|Køelaang}}''', etc. It is said that 70 to 80% of Taiwan placenames are from the Formosan Austronesian languages.

===Japanese===
Main article: [[Taiwanese words from Japanese]]

The [[Taioaan Jidpurn sitai|Empire of Japan ruled Taiwan]] from 1895 to 1945. Extensive contact with the [[Jidguo|Japanese]] language has left a legacy of Japanese loanwords. Examples are: [[piexntofng]], [[iafkiuu]], [[piexnsor]], [[huilengky]], [[bixsox]]. 

*'''{{x|otofbae}}''' (from {{wt|オートバイ}} ootobai "autobike", an "Engrish" word)
*'''{{x|pharng}}''' (from {{wt|パン}} pan "bread", which is itself a loanword from [[Portugal-guo|Portuguese]]). 
*Grammatical particles borrowed from Japanese, notably '''{{x|tek}}''' (from teki {{wt|的}}) and '''{{x|kaf}}''' (from {{wt|か}}), show up in the Taiwanese of older speakers.

===Western Languages===
See Also: {{z|台灣閩南語用詞#西洋語言}}

Taiwanese has words that come from [[Hølaan-guo|Dutch]], [[Portugal-guo|Portuguese]], and [[Sepangaa-guo|Spanish]] via its history (see [[Hølaan ee Formosa]]). Aside from placenames (like [[Samtiaw Kag]] and [[Huokuix Kag]]), most western words might be from English via Japanese (see [[Taiwanese words from English]]).

{| class="wikitable" 
! MTL || Notes
|-
| '''{{x|bihluq}}''' || from [[Hølaan-guo|Dutch]] ''{{wt|bier}}'' via Japanese
|-
| '''{{x|kaq}}''' || from Dutch ''{{wt|akker}}'' (acre): 2934 [[pvii (tan'ui)|pvii]]
|-
| '''{{x|pak}}''' || from Dutch ''{{wt|pachten}}'' (to lease)
|-
| '''{{x|phorngphuq}}''' || from Dutch ''{{wt|pomp}}'' (pump)
|-
| '''{{x|angmngthoo}}''' || they called the Dutch "[[angmof|angmo]]" savages (紅毛番 or {{wt|紅毛}})。
|-
| '''{{x|sapbuun}}''' || soap, from [[Portugal-guo|Portuguese]]: ''{{wt|sabão}}''
|}

==Getting started==
===Words you may recognize===
{| class="wikitable" 
! MTL || Tai. Hanji || English Meaning
|-
|[[tee]] {{sound|tee}} || 茶 || tea (from [[Exmngg-oe|Amoy]])
|-
| [[khaothaau]] {{sound|khaothaau}} || 叩頭 || {{wt|kowtow}} (to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in token of homage, worship, or deep respect)
|-
| [[kafmsia]] {{sound|kafmsia}} || 感謝 || {{wt|cumshaw}} (grateful thanks, from Amoy)
|-
| [[sampafn'ar]] {{sound|sampafn'ar}} || 舢舨仔 || {{wt|sampan}} (a flat-bottomed skiff used in eastern Asia and usually propelled by two short oars)
|-
| [[Jidpurn]] {{sound|Jidpurn}} || 日本 || Japan/Nippon
|-
| [[Sekkhiaf]] {{sound|Sekkhiaf}} || 釋迦 || sweetsop ({{w|sugar-apple}}), resembles top part of Gautama Buddha's (Sakyamuni) head 
|}

===How to Count===
There are two sets of numbers in Taiwanese, colloquial and literary. The colloquial style is used for counting. See [[Hokkien numerals]].

== Further study ==
* [[A Beginner's Guide to Taiwanese]]
*{{w|Taiwanese Hokkien}}

[[Category: Getting started]]