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==Literary vs colloquial == | ==Literary vs colloquial == | ||
'''Literary readings''' of [[Harnji]] are usually used in formal loan words or names, when reading aloud and in formal settings, while '''colloquial readings''' are usually used in vernacular speech. The existence of literary and colloquial readings is a prominent feature of some [[Hokkien-oe|Hokkien]] dialects and indeed in many Sinitic varieties in the south. | |||
In [[Hokkiexn-oe|Hokkien]], reading pronunciations (''{{tts|thag'ym}}'' 讀音) differ from spoken pronunciations/explications (''{{tts|gwym}}'' 語音/''{{tts|kayseq}}'' 解說). Hokkien dictionaries in Taiwan often differentiate between such character readings with the prefixes 文 ({{tts|buun}}) for literary readings, and 白 (pek/peh) for colloquial readings. For example, [[wikt:白|白]] can be read either "{{tts|pek}}" (literary) or "{{tts|peh}}" (colloquial). | |||
The colloquial (or vernacular) readings (白讀 | The bulk of literary readings (''bunthak'' 文讀) are based on pronunciations of the vernacular during the Tang ([[Toong]]) dynasty and mainly used in formal phrases and written language (e.g. philosophical concepts, surnames, and some place names). For example, see [[Most Common Surnames in Taiwan]] and [[Laixgoaxkhøf Kharnhoxhak]]. Literary readings tend to be more similar to the pronunciations of the Tang standard of [[Middle Chinese]] than their colloquial equivalents. The colloquial (or vernacular) readings (''{{tts|peqthak}}'' 白讀) are basically used in spoken language and vulgar (ordinary/common) phrases. | ||
The divergence between literary and colloquial is due to several strata in the Min lexicon. The earliest, colloquial stratum is traced to the {{w|Han Dynasty}} (206 BCE - 220 CE, [[Haxn]]); the second colloquial one comes from the period of the {{w|Southern and Northern Dynasties}} (420 - 589 CE); the third stratum of pronunciations (typically literary ones) comes from the {{w|Tang Dynasty}} (618 – 907 AD). (Note: this could be why literary readings sound closer to [[Mandarin]] than colloquial.) | The divergence between literary and colloquial is due to several strata in the Min lexicon. The earliest, colloquial stratum is traced to the {{w|Han Dynasty}} (206 BCE - 220 CE, [[Haxn]]); the second colloquial one comes from the period of the {{w|Southern and Northern Dynasties}} (420 - 589 CE); the third stratum of pronunciations (typically literary ones) comes from the {{w|Tang Dynasty}} (618 – 907 AD). (Note: this could be why literary readings sound closer to [[Mandarin]] than colloquial.) | ||
Unlike other spoken Chinese varieties, characters used to write [[Zoanciw]] Hokkien have three different kinds of readings: ''literary'' (文 ''buun''), ''colloquial'' (白 ''pek''), and ''vulgar'' (俗 ''siok''). For example, the readings for 肉 (meat) are: literary ''liak'', colloquial ''hiak'' and vulgar ''[[baq]]''; ''baq'' is the most commonly used reading | Unlike other spoken Chinese varieties, characters used to write [[Zoanciw]] Hokkien have three different kinds of readings: ''literary'' (文 ''buun''), ''colloquial'' (白 ''pek''), and ''vulgar'' (俗 ''{{tts|siok}}''). For example, the readings for [[wikt:肉|肉]] (meat) are: literary ''{{tts|liak}}'', colloquial ''{{tts|hiak}}'' and vulgar ''[[baq]]''; ''{{tts|baq}}'' is the most commonly used reading. | ||
== Examples == | == Examples == |
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