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Fuzhou dialect

The Fuzhou language (simplified Chinese: 福州话; traditional Chinese: 福州話; pinyin: Fúzhōuhuà, FR: Hók-ciŭ-uâ IPA: [huʔ˨˩ tsiu˥˧ ua˨˦˨]), also Foochow, Hokchew, Hok-chiu, or Fuzhounese, is the prestige variety of the Eastern Min branch of Min Chinese spoken mainly in the Mindong region of Eastern Fujian Province. As it is mutually unintelligible to neighbouring varieties (e.g. Hokkien) in the province, under a technical linguistic definition Fuzhou is a language and not a dialect (conferring the variety a 'dialect' status is more socio-politically motivated than linguistic). Thus, while Fuzhou may be commonly referred to as a 'dialect' by laypersons, this is colloquial usage and not recognised in academic linguistics. Like many other varieties of Chinese, the Fuzhou dialect is dominated by monosyllabic morphemes that carry lexical tones,[8] and has a mainly analytic syntax. While the Eastern Min branch it belongs to is relatively closer to other branches of Min such as Southern Min or Pu-Xian Min than to other Sinitic branches such as Mandarin, Wu Chinese or Hakka, they are still not mutually intelligible.

Fuzhounese

[huʔ˨˩ tsju˥˧ uɑ˨˦˨]

(10 million cited 1994)[1]

Matsu Islands, Taiwan (as local language[5])[6]

one of the statutory languages for public transport announcements in the Matsu Islands[7]

fzho

79-AAA-ice

Fúzhōuhuà

Fúzhōuhuà

fuk1 zau1 waa2

Hok-chiu-oē

Hók-ciŭ-uâ
(huʔ˨˩ tsiu˥˧ ua˨˦˨)

Fúzhōuyǔ

Fúzhōuyǔ

fuk1 zau1 jyu5

Hok-chiu-gí

Hók-ciŭ-ngṳ̄
(huʔ˨˩ tsiu˥˧ ŋy˧)

Píng huà

Píng huà

ping4 waa2

Bàng-uâ
(paŋ˨˩ wa˨˦˨)

Centered in Fuzhou City, the Fuzhou dialect covers 11 cities and counties in China: Fuzhou City Proper, Pingnan, Gutian, Luoyuan, Minqing, Lianjiang, Minhou, Changle, Yongtai, Fuqing and Pingtan; and Lienchiang County (the Matsu Islands), in Taiwan (the ROC). It is also the second local language in many northern and middle Fujian cities and counties such as Nanping, Shaowu, Shunchang, Sanming and Youxi.[9]


The Fuzhou dialect is also widely spoken in some regions abroad, especially in Southeastern Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. The Malaysian city of Sibu is called "New Fuzhou" due to the influx of immigrants there in the late 19th century and early 1900s. Many Fuzhou people have also emigrated to Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Name[edit]

In Chinese, it is generally termed in simplified Chinese: 福州话; traditional Chinese: 福州話; pinyin: Fúzhōuhuà, which in the native language (using the romanization Foochow Romanized) is: Hók-ciŭ-uâ IPA: [huʔ˨˩ tsiu˥˧ ua˨˦˨]. It is also sometimes called 福州語 (Hók-ciŭ-ngṳ̄; pinyin: Fúzhōuyǔ), using a different term for 'speech'. Native speakers also call it Bàng-uâ (平話), meaning "the everyday language."


In English, the term "Fuzhou dialect" dominates, although "Fuzhounese" is also frequently attested. In older works written in English, the variety is called "Foochow dialect", based on the Chinese postal romanization of Fuzhou.


In Indonesia (especially in Surabaya of East Java), it is known locally as "Hokchia". Meanwhile in Malaysia and Singapore, it is often called "Hokchiu" ([hɔk̚˥t͡ɕiu˦]), which is the pronunciation of Fuzhou in the Southern Min Hokkien language or "Huchiu" ([hu˨˩t͡ɕiu˥]), which is the pronunciation of Fuzhou in the Eastern Min language of Fuzhou itself. Eastern Min and Southern Min are both spoken in the same Fujian Province, but the name Hokkien, while etymologically derived from the same characters as Fujian (福建), is used in Southeast Asia and the English press to refer specifically to Southern Min, which has a larger number of speakers both within Fujian and in the Chinese diaspora of Southeast Asia.

kŏk, [kʰouʔ˥], , meaning "an article of dress", is from the word "coat";

noun

nă̤h, [neʔ˥], noun, meaning "a meshwork barrier in tennis or badminton", is from the word "net";

pèng, [pʰeiŋ˥˧], noun, meaning "oil paint", is from the word "paint";

pĕng-giāng, [pʰeiŋ˥˧ ŋjaŋ˧], noun, meaning "a small sum of money", is from the word "penny";

tă̤h, [tʰeʔ˥], noun, meaning "money", is from the word "take";

sò̤, [so˥˧], , meaning "to shoot (a basket)", is from the word "shoot";

verb

ă-gì, [a˥ ki˥˧], verb, meaning "to pause (usually a game)", is from the word "again".

Mā-lăk-gă, [ma˨˩ laʔ˥ ka˥], meaning "Southeastern Asian (esp. and Malaysia)", is from the word "Malacca".

Singapore

Fuzhou dialect: 福州話 Hók-ciŭ-uâ

[huʔ˨˩ tsiu˥˧ wa˨˦˨]

Hello: 汝好 [ny˧ ho˧]

Nṳ̄ hō̤

Good-bye: 再見 [tsai˥˧ kjeŋ˨˩˧]

Cái-giéng

Please: [tsʰjaŋ˧]; 起動 Kī-dâe̤ng [kʰi˥ lɔyŋ˨˦˨]

Chiāng

Thank you: 謝謝 [sja˥˧ lja˨˦˨]; 起動 Kī-dâe̤ng [kʰi˥ lɔyŋ˨˦˨]

Siâ-siâ

Sorry: 對不住 [tøy˨˩ puʔ˥ tsøy˨˦˨]

Dó̤i-bók-cê̤ṳ

This: [tsui˥˧]; Ciā [tsja˧]; [tsi˧]

Cuòi

That: [hui˥˧]; Hiā [hja˧]; 許 [hi˧]

Huòi

How much?: (niŏh-uâi) [nwai˨˦˨] ([nwoʔ˨˩ wai˨˦˨])

Nuâi

Yes: 正是 [tsjaŋ˥˧ nɛi˨˦˨]; 無綻 Mò̤ dâng [mo˨˩ laŋ˨˦˨]; Diŏh (Duŏh) [tɥoʔ˥] ([twoʔ˥])

Ciáng-sê

No: 伓是 [ŋ˥˧ nɛi˨˦˨]; Dâng [taŋ˨˦˨]; 賣著 Mâ̤ diŏh (Mâ̤ duŏh) [me˥ tɥoʔ˥] ([me˥ twoʔ˥])

Ng-sê

I don't understand: 我賣會意 [ŋwai˧ me˨˩ hui˥˧ ɛi˨˩˧]

Nguāi mâ̤ huôi-é

What's his name?: 伊名什乇? [i˥ mjaŋ˥˧ sje˨˩ nɔʔ˨˦]

Ĭ miàng sié-nó̤h?

Where's the hotel?: 賓館洽底所? [piŋ˥˧ kwaŋ˧ kaʔ˥ tje˨˦ nø˧]

Bĭng-guāng găk diē-nē̤?

How can I go to the school?: 去學校怎樣行? [kʰo˥˧ haʔ˨˩ hau˨˦˨ tswoŋ˥ ɥoŋ˨˦˨ kjaŋ˥˧]

Kó̤ hăk-hâu cuōng-iông giàng?

Do you speak the Fuzhou dialect?: 汝會講福州話賣? [ny˧ e˥˧ kouŋ˧ huʔ˨˩ tsiu˥˧ wa˨˦˨ ma˨˦˨]

Nṳ̄ â̤ gōng Hók-ciŭ-uâ mâ̤?

Do you speak English?: 汝會講英語賣? [ny˧ e˥˧ kouŋ˧ iŋ˥˧ ŋy˧ ma˨˦˨]

Nṳ̄ â̤ gōng Ĭng-ngṳ̄ mâ̤?

Some common phrases in the Fuzhou dialect:

Fuzhou

Fuzhou people

Fuqing dialect

Chinatown, Brooklyn

Chinatown, Flushing

Chinatown, Manhattan

Manhattan's Little Fuzhou

(1856). "The Chinese Language Spoken at Fuh Chau". The Methodist Review. 38: 352–381.

White, M.C.

; Baldwin, C.C. (1870). An alphabetic dictionary of the Chinese language in the Foochow dialect. Foochow: Methodist Episcopal Mission Press.

Maclay, R.S.

Baldwin, C.C. (1871). . Foochow: Methodist Episcopal Mission Press.

A manual of the Foochow dialect

Maclay, R.S.; Baldwin, C.C.; Leger, S.H. (1929). Dictionary of the Foochow dialect. Shanghai: Presbyterian Mission Press.

: Elementary school textbook in Matsu.

Fuzhou Dialect Textbook

by James Campbell.

Fuzhou dialect phonology

Five Languages Translator

Fuzhou Dialect Resources

: Globalrecordings.net. Eastern Min Chinese (Speech variety #113)

Eastern Min Chinese (Speech variety #113)

: OLAC. OLAC resources in and about the Eastern Min Chinese language

OLAC resources in and about the Eastern Min Chinese language