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'''Introduction to Taiwanese'''
'''Taiwanese''' has been passed on for generations without a standardized writing system. Considered a branch 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]], [[Kextexgie|Dutch]], and [[Enggie|English]].


==Overview==
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.
The modern language that we call [[Taigie|Taiwanese]] has been passed on for several generations primarily through oral tradition without a standardized writing system. It may be considered a variant of the [[Exmngg-oe|Amoy dialect]] of Chinese 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]].


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.
== Common Phrases ==
 
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 page uses MTL to write Taiwanese.
 
==Common Phrases==
Main article: [[Common Taiwanese phrases]]
Main article: [[Common Taiwanese phrases]]
;[http://learntaiwanese.org/Beginner's%20Guide%20to%20Taiwanese_files/Lie%20hQr.ogg Lie hør!] [[wikt:你好|你好]]! : Hello!
[[File:Lie hør.mp3]]
;[[Ciaqpar]]`boe? 食飽未? : Hello. (Literally, "have you eaten your fill?")
;[[Lie hør]] : Hello!
;{{tts|Bexbae}}! [[wikt:未僫|未僫]] :Not bad.  
[[File:Ciaqpar`boe.mp3]]
;{{tts|Kafmsia}} [[wikt:感謝|感謝]] :Thank you.
;[[Ciaqpar`bøe]]? : Hello. (Literally, "have you eaten your fill?")
;{{tts|Mxbiern-khehkhix}}. [[wikt:呣免|呣免]][[wikt:客氣|客氣]] :You're welcome. / That's OK.
;{{x|Bøexbae}}! :Not bad.  
;{{x|Kafmsia}}! :Thank you.
[[File:Mxbiern-khehkhix`laq.mp3]]
;[[Mxbiern-khehkhix]]! :You're welcome. / That's OK.


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


===Han Chinese===
=== Hokkien ===
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}} ([[wikt:走|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]]}} ([[wikt:鼻|鼻]]) means not only "nose" (a noun, as in Mandarin bí) but also "to smell" (a verb, unlike Mandarin).
As a branch 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}}


{{Ten common Harnji}}
In Taiwanese, [[Harnji]] often have differing literary and colloquial readings (pronunciations). See [[Literary and colloquial readings of Chinese characters]].


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: [[laang]] (person, concrete) vs. jiin ([[wikt:人|人]], person, abstract); [[zabor]] ([[wikt:查某|查某]], woman) vs. lwjiin ([[wikt:女人|女人]], woman, literary); [[baq]] (meat). See [[Taiguo Siong'iong 460-ji]] and [[Taioaan Banlamgie thuiciexn ioxngji]].
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===
===Austronesian===
Main article:  [[Taiwanese words from Austronesian]]
Main article:  [[Taiwanese words from Austronesian]]


Some Taiwanese terms came from the Austronesian Formosan Aboriginal Languages. The often used example is from [[Siraya-guo|Sirayan]]: [[asef]], meaning "silly goose". But the major legacy is in Taiwanese place names.
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===
===Japanese===
Main article: [[Taiwanese words from Japanese]]
Main article: [[Taiwanese words from Japanese]]


The [[Taioaan Jidpurn sitai|Japanese 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]].  
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]].  


*[[otofbae]] (from [[wikt:オートバイ|オートバイ]] ootobai "autobike", an "Engrish" word)
*'''{{x|otofbae}}''' (from {{wt|オートバイ}} ootobai "autobike", an "Engrish" word)
*[[pharng]] (from [[wikt:パン|パン]] pan "bread", which is itself a loanword from [[Portugal-guo|Portuguese]]).  
*'''{{x|pharng}}''' (from {{wt|パン}} pan "bread", which is itself a loanword from [[Portugal-guo|Portuguese]]).  
*Grammatical particles borrowed from Japanese, notably ''tek'' (from teki 的) and ''kaf'' (from か), show up in the Taiwanese of older speakers.
*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===
===Western Languages===
Taiwanese has words that come from [[Kextexgie|Dutch]], [[Portugal-guo|Portuguese]], and [[Sepangaa-gie|Spanish]] via its history (see [[Hølaan ee Formosa]]). Aside from placenames (like [[Samtiaukag]]), most western words might be from English via Japanese (see [[Taiwanese words from English]]).
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"  
{| class="wikitable"  
! MTL || Notes
|-
| '''{{x|bihluq}}''' || from [[Hølaan-oe|Dutch]] ''{{wt|bier}}'' via Japanese
|-
| '''{{x|kaq}}''' || from Dutch ''{{wt|akker}}'' (acre): 2934 [[pvii (tan'ui)|pvii]]
|-
|-
! Harnji !! [[Hoaguo]] !! MTL !! Notes
| '''{{x|pak}}''' || from Dutch ''{{wt|pachten}}'' (to lease)
|-
|-
| [[wikt:雪文|雪文]] || 肥皂 || [[sapbuun]] || [[Portugal-guo|Portuguese]]: sabon
| '''{{x|phorngphuq}}''' || from Dutch ''{{wt|pomp}}'' (pump)
|-
|-
| [[wikt:甲|甲]] || 土地面積單位 || [[kaq]] || [[Hølaan-oe|Dutch]]: akker (acre)
| '''{{x|angmngthoo}}''' || they called the Dutch "[[angmof|angmo]]" savages (紅毛番 or {{wt|紅毛}})。
|-
|-
| [[wikt:紅毛塗|紅毛塗]] || 水泥 || [[angmngthoo]] || they called the Dutch "angmo" savages (紅毛番 or [[wikt:紅毛|紅毛]])。
| '''{{x|sapbuun}}''' || soap, from [[Portugal-guo|Portuguese]]: ''{{wt|sabão}}''
|}
|}


Refer to: {{w|zh:臺灣閩南語常用外來語#西洋語言}}
==Getting started==
 
===Words you may recognize===
==Words you may recognize==
{| class="wikitable"  
{| class="wikitable"  
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''MTL'''
! MTL || Tai. Hanji || English Meaning
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Tai. Hanji'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''English Meaning'''
|-
|-
| [[tee]] ||茶||tea (from Amoy)
|[[tee]] {{sound|tee}} || 茶 || tea (from [[Exmngg-oe|Amoy]])
|-
|-
| [[khaothaau]]||叩頭||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)
|-
|-
| [[kafmsia]]||感謝 ||cumshaw (grateful thanks, from Amoy)
| [[kafmsia]] {{sound|kafmsia}} || 感謝 || {{wt|cumshaw}} (grateful thanks, from Amoy)
|-
|-
| [[sampafn'ar]]||舢舨仔||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)
|-
|-
| [[Jidpurn]]||日本||Japan/Nippon
| [[Jidpurn]] {{sound|Jidpurn}} || 日本 || Japan/Nippon
|-
|-
| [[Sekkhiaf]] ||釋迦 ||sweetsop (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  
|}
|}


==How to Count==
===How to Count===
There are two sets of [[sorji|numbers]] in Taiwanese, colloquial and literary. Use the colloquial style to count objects. Listen to the machine: {{tts|cit,  nng,  svaf,  six,  go,  lak,  chid,  peq,  kao, zap}}
There are two sets of numbers in Taiwanese, colloquial and literary. The colloquial style is used for counting. See [[Hokkien numerals]].
 
{{HokkienLiteraryColloquial-Num}}
== Further study ==
* [[A Beginner's Guide to Taiwanese]]
*{{w|Taiwanese Hokkien}}


[[Category: Getting started]]
[[Category: Getting started]]
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