Introduction to Taiwanese Vocabulary: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Introduction to Taiwanese Vocabulary (view source)

Revision as of 15:36, 23 December 2017

115 bytes added ,  15:36, 23 December 2017
→‎Words you may recognize: {{sound
No edit summary
(7 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
The modern language that we call '''[[Taiguo|Taiwanese]]''' has been passed on for several generations primarily through oral tradition without a standardized writing system. It may be considered a variant of Hokkien brought by [[Fujian]]ese settlers from mainland China to the island of Taiwan ([[Formosa]]). The Taiwanese language has captured the history of the island in its borrowing of words from [[Formosan languages]], [[Sepangaa-gie|Spanish]], [[Kextexgie|Dutch]], [[Jidpwn'oe|Japanese]], and [[Engguo|English]].
The modern language that we call '''[[Taiguo|Taiwanese]]''' has been passed on for several generations primarily through oral tradition without a standardized writing system. It may be considered a variant of [[Hokkiexn-oe|Hokkien]] brought by [[Høxlør|Hoklo]] settlers from mainland China to the island of Taiwan ([[Formosa]]). The Taiwanese language has captured the history of the island in its borrowing of words from [[Formosan languages]], [[Sepangaa-gie|Spanish]], [[Kextexgie|Dutch]], [[Jidpwn'oe|Japanese]], and [[Engguo|English]].


Modern Taiwanese has words coming from [[Sioxngkor Harnguo|Old Chinese]] (ca. 0 BCE/CE) as well as the [[Toong|Tang Dynasty]] (ca. 618-907). However, it is still not natural for many people to write modern Taiwanese with [[Harnji|Han characters]]. Until the late 19th century, educated Taiwanese speakers wrote solely in [[Bungieen-buun|literary Chinese]]. Where Han characters have been used to record spoken Taiwanese, they are not always etymological or genetic; the borrowing of similar-sounding or similar-meaning characters is a common practice. The lack of a written standard and the difficulty in learning the relatively complicated [[Harnji]] posed a great barrier to written record of Taiwanese speech.
Modern Taiwanese has words coming from [[Sioxngkor Harnguo|Old Chinese]] (ca. 0 BCE/CE) as well as the [[Toong|Tang Dynasty]] (ca. 618-907). However, it is still not natural for many people to write modern Taiwanese with [[Harnji|Han characters]]. Until the late 19th century, educated Taiwanese speakers wrote mostly in [[Bungieen-buun|Classical Chinese]]. Where Han characters have been used to record spoken Taiwanese, they are not always etymological or genetic; the borrowing of similar-sounding or similar-meaning characters is a common practice. The lack of a written standard and the difficulty in learning the relatively complicated [[Harnji]] posed a great barrier to written record of Taiwanese speech.


A system of writing Taiwanese using Latin characters called [[POJ]], meaning "vernacular writing", was developed in the 19th century. The indigenous [[Taioaan Kitog Tviwlør Kaohoe|Presbyterian Church in Taiwan]] has been active in promoting the language since the late 19th century. In 1945, Professor [[Liim Keahioong]], formerly of the Cheng-Kung University in Taiwan, pioneered a system based on POJ called the Taiwanese Modern Spelling System (TMSS). TMSS has evolved into [[Modern Taiwanese Language]] (MTL), also known as Modern Literal Taiwanese (MLT). This wiki uses MTL to write Taiwanese.
A system of writing Taiwanese using Latin characters called [[POJ]], meaning "vernacular writing", was developed in the 19th century. The indigenous [[Taioaan Kitog Tviwlør Kaohoe|Presbyterian Church in Taiwan]] has been active in promoting the language since the late 19th century. In 1945, Professor [[Liim Keahioong]], formerly of the Cheng-Kung University in Taiwan, pioneered a system based on POJ called the Taiwanese Modern Spelling System (TMSS). TMSS has evolved into [[Modern Taiwanese Language]] (MTL), also known as Modern Literal Taiwanese (MLT). This wiki uses MTL to write Taiwanese.
Line 8: Line 8:
Main article: [[Common Taiwanese phrases]]
Main article: [[Common Taiwanese phrases]]
;[[Lie hør]][http://learntaiwanese.org/Beginner's%20Guide%20to%20Taiwanese_files/Lie%20hør.ogg !] : Hello!
;[[Lie hør]][http://learntaiwanese.org/Beginner's%20Guide%20to%20Taiwanese_files/Lie%20hør.ogg !] : Hello!
;{{tts|[[Ciaqpar]]`bøe?|ciaqparboe{}} : Hello. (Literally, "have you eaten your fill?")
;{{tts|[[Ciaqpar]]`boe?|ciaqparboe{}} : Hello. (Literally, "have you eaten your fill?")
;{{tts|[[Bøexbae]]!}} :Not bad.  
;{{tts|[[Bexbae]]!}} :Not bad.  
;{{tts|[[Kafmsia]]!}} :Thank you.
;{{tts|[[Kafmsia]]!}} :Thank you.
;{{tts|[[Mxbiern-khehkhix]]!}} :You're welcome. / That's OK.
;{{tts|[[Mxbiern-khehkhix]]!}} :You're welcome. / That's OK.
Line 17: Line 17:


===Han Chinese===
===Han Chinese===
Modern linguistic studies (by Robert L. Cheng and Chin-An Li, for example) estimate that most (75% to 90%) Taiwanese words have cognates in other Han Chinese languages. False friends do exist; for example, '''{{tts|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 '''{{tts|[[phvi]]}}''' ({{wt|鼻}}) means not only "nose" (a noun, as in Mandarin ''bí'') but also "to smell" (a verb, unlike Mandarin).
Modern linguistic studies (by Robert L. Cheng and Chin-An Li, for example) estimate that most (75% to 90%) Taiwanese words have cognates in other Han Chinese languages. False friends do exist; for example, '''{{tts|[[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 '''{{tts|[[phvi]]}}''' ({{wt|鼻}}) means not only "nose" (a noun, as in Mandarin ''bí'') but also "to smell" (a verb, unlike Mandarin).


{{Ten common Harnji}}
{{Ten common Harnji}}
Line 37: Line 37:
*'''{{tts|[[otofbae]]}}''' (from {{wt|オートバイ}} ootobai "autobike", an "Engrish" word)
*'''{{tts|[[otofbae]]}}''' (from {{wt|オートバイ}} ootobai "autobike", an "Engrish" word)
*'''{{tts|[[pharng]]}}''' (from {{wt|パン}} pan "bread", which is itself a loanword from [[Portugal-guo|Portuguese]]).  
*'''{{tts|[[pharng]]}}''' (from {{wt|パン}} pan "bread", which is itself a loanword from [[Portugal-guo|Portuguese]]).  
*Grammatical particles borrowed from Japanese, notably '''{{tts|tek}}''' (from teki 的) and '''{{tts|kaf}}''' (from か), show up in the Taiwanese of older speakers.
*Grammatical particles borrowed from Japanese, notably '''{{tx|tek}}''' (from teki {{wt|的}}) and '''{{tx|kaf}}''' (from {{wt|か}}), show up in the Taiwanese of older speakers.


===Western Languages===
===Western Languages===
Line 65: Line 65:
! MTL || Tai. Hanji || English Meaning
! MTL || Tai. Hanji || English Meaning
|-
|-
| {{tts|[[tee]]}} || 茶 || tea (from Amoy)
|[[tee]] {{sound|tee}} || 茶 || tea (from Amoy)
|-
|-
| {{tts|[[khaothaau]]}} || 叩頭 || {{wt|kowtow}} (to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in token of homage, worship, or deep respect)
| [[khaothaau]] {{sound|khaothaau}} || 叩頭 || {{wt|kowtow}} (to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in token of homage, worship, or deep respect)
|-
|-
| {{tts|[[kafmsia]]}} || 感謝 || {{wt|cumshaw}} (grateful thanks, from Amoy)
| [[kafmsia]] {{sound|kafmsia}} || 感謝 || {{wt|cumshaw}} (grateful thanks, from Amoy)
|-
|-
| {{tts|[[sampafn'ar]]}} || 舢舨仔 || {{wt|sampan}} (a flat-bottomed skiff used in eastern Asia and usually propelled by two short oars)
| [[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)
|-
|-
| {{tts|[[Jidpurn]]}} || 日本 || Japan/Nippon
| [[Jidpurn]] || 日本 || Japan/Nippon
|-
|-
| {{tts|[[Sekkhiaf]]}} || 釋迦 || sweetsop ({{w|sugar-apple}}), resembles top part of Gautama Buddha's (Sakyamuni) head  
| [[Sekkhiaf]] {{sound|Sekkhiaf}} || 釋迦 || sweetsop ({{w|sugar-apple}}), resembles top part of Gautama Buddha's (Sakyamuni) head  
|}
|}


Line 83: Line 83:
{{HokkienLiteraryColloquial-Num}}
{{HokkienLiteraryColloquial-Num}}


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


[[Category: Getting started]]
[[Category: Getting started]]
LearnTaiwanese
44,814

edits

Retrieved from "https://taioaan.org/wiki/index.php/Special:MobileDiff/25533...37065"

Navigation menu