Today I tell a story of wandering in dialects.
We know that many words in English are "taken" from Chinese through transliteration and other methods. Such as mahjong (mahjong), ginseng (ginseng), tofu (tofu), wonton (wonton), dimsum (dips), etc.
But many people may not know that "tea" is also a typical representative of Chinese loan words.
This word has been in English for too long, has strong word formation ability, and has many derivative words. Teaspoon, teabag, high tea, low tea... makes you almost unable to see that it was originally a Chinese word.
What's more, the pronunciation of "tea" is far from the Chinese "tea" (chá).
In fact, the word "Tea" borrows the pronunciation of tea in Minnan language "dei". This Minnan word was passed down to the UK through the Netherlands and turned into tea.
The te form used in coastal-Chinese languages spread to Europe via the Dutch, who became the primary traders of tea between Europe and Asia in the 17th century, as explained in the World Atlas of Language Structures. The Dutch East India Company's expanded tea importation into Europe gave us the French thé, the German Tee, and the English tea.
According to the explanation of the "World Language Structure Map Atlas", the pronunciation of "te" was transmitted to Europe through the Netherlands. In the 17th century, the Netherlands was the first tea trader between Asia and Europe. The Netherlands East India Company imported tea to Europe, so we had the French “thé”, German “tee” and English “tea”.
This source is exactly in line with the Netherlands' earliest maritime overlord position at that time.
The coastal areas of Fujian have developed shipbuilding since ancient times.
With the prosperity of maritime trade, Quanzhou gradually surpassed Guangzhou and was known as the "No. 1 port in the East". In the early years, many "domestic products" were transported to all parts of the world through Quanzhou Port (known as "Tsutong Port").
Luoyang Bridge Ancient Quanzhou historical site, also known as "Turtung" in ancient Quanzhou
This is the ancient Maritime Silk Road . Quanzhou is the starting point of this "Maritime Silk Road" recognized by the United Nations.
As the big head of trade goods, Minnan vocabulary related to "tea" has entered English. For example, Wuyi tea (bohea), oolong tea (oolong), white hair (pekoe), tea (bing), etc.
But it should be noted that Minnan is not the same as Fujian dialect.
There are many local dialects in Bamin, and Hokkien is the most influential branch.
Traditionally speaking, Quanzhou dialect spoken in Quanzhou is the Traditional Standard Minnan, it is the dialect that is used in Liyuan Opera and Nanyin music. Being the Traditional Standard Minnan, Quanzhou dialect is considered to have the purest accent and the most conservative Minnan dialect.
Traditionally speaking, Quanzhou dialect is the most traditional and standard Minnan dialect. This is the dialect used in in southern Fujian region and Nanyin. Quanzhou dialect is considered to have the purest and traditional Minnan accent.
We have always underestimated the cultural radiation power of Minnan language.
This is largely because Minnan language is related to foreign languages compared to Mandarin. There are Southwest dialect internet celebrities represented by Maomaojie on Douyin, and there are also Cantonese broadcasters, but there is no popular Minnan language internet celebrity on a large scale.
The early Mayday "Zhiming and Chunjiao" was sung in southern Fujian. Dear friends from the north, you can understand one sentence and I lose.
But in fact, because of the right time and place of Fujian, Minnan language has experienced many relocations and drifts, which has greatly affected many neighboring countries, especially the Nanyang region, which is now Southeast Asia.
A village, a miniature dialect wandering history
In the late spring of this year, I came to a village called Wulin in Fujian, located in a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Quanzhou City, called Jinjiang .
Shuving through the vast southern Fujian houses and the "foreign" Fanzai Building , I noticed a string of English letters on the door: Chua Tek Leong. Locals say that this is the name of the homeowner Cai Deqin.
The surname Cai is not uncommon, but you can't think of its pinyin as "Chua". Some names that are more familiar to the public, such as Tsai Ing-wen, Jolin Tsai (Jolin Tsai), etc., are all "Tsai".
But in fact, many people surnamed Tsai do use "Chua" as the pinyin of their names, such as singer Tanya Chua, and Amy Chua, the "tiger mom" who makes Americans doubt their life about their educational methods.
Coincidentally, Mei Er’s ancestors were from Fujian and went to the Philippines by boat in the 1920s and 1930s. Tanya Chua is a Chinese from Singapore and is also a country that is deeply influenced by Minnan dialect .
Obviously, "Chua" is closer to the pronunciation of the word "Cai" in Minnan. In Singapore, many people also have the surname "Chua".
Behind this is the tradition of Minnan people hiding to Southeast Asia.
Wulin is a famous overseas Chinese village in Jinjiang. In this village with more than 1,800 residents, more than 15,000 overseas Chinese like Cai Deqian came out.
Fujian is not suitable for the development of farming. In the late Qing Dynasty, with the development of overseas transportation and trade, people began to live overseas in Wulin. The Minnan people who are very good at building ships and dare to win, come to Nanyang to make a living with their dialect.
The Minnan dialect also spread to the Nanyang region, including today's Philippines, Indonesia , Malaysia , Brunei, Singapore and other places.
Now, "seeking wealth and danger" has become a joke on the Internet, but with the navigation technology back then, it may really be like going to the sea without going back.
The Mazu worshipped in the Fujian Guild Hall in Southeast Asia, the local god in Fujian, is related to maritime merchants. Later, he was taken abroad with Fujian immigrants. Source: China National Geographic Network
The early expatriates did not have a good life.
Take the Philippines as an example. In the early 20th century, the big Filipino businesses were controlled by large companies in the UK, the United States, Spain and other countries. In addition to selling some local products and selling foreign goods, overseas Chinese can only open daily necessities or work as coolies, which is in a difficult situation.
The current popular bak kut teh in the Nanyang area is related to the early Fujian expatriates.
Now people think that Bak Kut Teh may be a luxury consumer product, but in fact, it used to be the soup of "coolis".
The early Chinese people had no capital and had low cultural level, so they mostly engaged in hard physical labor. In humid and hot ports or mines, many people suffer from rheumatism, and this medicinal bone soup came into being.
The origin of Bak-kut-teh is unclear, but it is believed to have been brought over from Fujian, China. The name literally translates from the Hokkien dialect as "meat bone tea".
The source of Bak-kut-teh is not clear, but it is generally believed that Bak-kut-teh was brought from Fujian. Its name is the transliteration of the Minnan word "Ba Kut Teh".
The dish is also claimed to have been invented in Port Klang for coolies working at the port to supplement their meagre diet and as a tonic to boost their health in the early 20th century.
There is a saying that Bak Kut Teh first appeared in Port Klang in Malaysia in the early 20th century. It was originally intended to give extra meals and replenish the body of the coolies at the port.
The emergence of this food is just a difficult side of the early expatriates' life.
An old Chinese living abroad later recalled that in the early days, Chinese people who were engaged in low-end cool labor in the local area were excluded, and even went home from get off work at night to get unreasonable investigation. The old Chinese had to ask a Japanese geisha to go on the road with him to avoid trouble, which shows how low the status of Chinese people who went to Southeast Asia were at that time.
After years of hard work, many outstanding people have gradually entered the middle and upper class of the local area, and many tycoons have emerged in the Southeast Asian countries where they live.
Returning to the countryside in glory is a local tradition. The expatriates built their homesickness into the local Fanzai Buildings.The term "Fanzi" was a derogatory term for the South Asians in southern Fujian in the past. Fanzilou refers to the house built by overseas Chinese in Nanyang in southern Fujian.
The success of local people is not only about fighting and daring to win, but also has a lot to do with grouping and mutual support.
The southern Fujian region emphasizes blood ties and clan traditions. "Cai" is a local surname. Wulin is a typical village where people live together with their clans and surnames. The "Cai" family in Wulin is a descendant of the Cai family in Jiyang.
I believe that few people can tell who their ancestors’ surname is the name of . But the Wulin people carved the origin of their ancestors on the door.
The "Jishui Qingfen" on the lintel refers to the local Cai family's Jiyang Yanshe
Until now, there are still many "clan associations" in southern Fujian.
Before and after the Revolution of 1911, they supported Mr. Sun Yat-sen's revolution; during the War of Resistance Against Japan, they raised overseas Chinese funds to support the domestic anti-Japanese war; after the founding of New China, they returned to their hometowns to spend their own money to set up schools and factories to improve the production and living conditions of their villagers.
This Cai Deqian is an example.
Cai Deqin's family was poor when he was young. At the age of sixteen, he traveled to the Philippines with his brother, and later established his own business and became a business tycoon. He generously donated money to alleviate the national crisis and donated the renovation funds prepared for the five-story house to purchase anti-Japanese war aircraft.
When he was young, Cai farmed with his father. While his family was poor, he was determined to run a big business. At the age of 16, he crossed the sea to the Philippines with his brother. Afterwards he established his own business and became a business tycoon. He helped in the aftermath of the national disaster and actively participated in the national relief effort, donating generally for the purchase of aircraft.
Now that the county economy in Jinjiang City is booming, overseas Chinese capital is a very important stimulus factor.
Returning to the hometown in glory is Gu Xiao’s family, and saving the country is Gu everyone. They never forget where they come from. This kind of power that connects them with their bloodline and sect is their homesick love, and it also brings great love for the motherland.
This made me think about the meaning of putting the words "home" and "country" together.
Although Wulin is small, it makes people know the "family and country feelings". Nostalgia is like a tree wrapping with vines and vines wrapping with trees, which is difficult to distinguish.
In this coastal village, the Western-style Fanzai Building and the ancient and classic Fujian ancient houses complement each other. Walking in the unclear late spring sunshine in the coastal areas, it seems like walking in a painting.
Traditional village of Wulin China Daily reporter Li Xueqing photographed
These foreign buildings in Wulin have a taste of the concession buildings in Tianjin and Shanghai, but these traditional Chinese and Western styles are intertwined, and have a unique style.
Because of the movie "Big Fish and Begonia", many people know about the traditional circular roof of Fujian. But most people don’t know that another traditional building in southern Fujian is “cuò” (cuò) .
Ancient houses in southern Fujian refer to traditional houses in southern Fujian. In southern Fujian, "house" is a house, and red brick houses are houses built with red bricks, and are also the most representative traditional building in southern Fujian.
As time goes by, the red bricks will not only not fade, but will become more reddish and bright as the rain washes.
This building is characterized by red brick and white stone walls and the dovetail ridges at both ends of the roof. Swallows are also birds that are often used to express nostalgia. I wonder if this has something to do with the local expatriate culture.
The interior decoration also has the style of overseas Chinese in Fujian.
In the "Motherland Building" built by Cai Huaifan and Cai Huaizi, I saw a never-before-seen marine creature carved on the partition, called horseshoe horseshoe (hòu).
The horseshoe crab carved on the partition fan China Daily reporter Li Xueqing photographed
The horseshoe crab is also called husband and wife fish.Adult horseshoe crabs, whether parading in the water or crawling on the beach, are female horseshoe crabs on their backs. If fishermen catch horseshoe crabs, they must catch a pair. If one of them is allowed to run away, the one they catch must be let go.
There is a saying among fishermen in Fujian: "Catching a lonely horseshoe crab, you will grow old."
It means that catching a single horseshoe crab will definitely be unlucky for the rest of your life, because the horseshoe crab couple is very loving. If you catch one, the other will be lonely. At the same time, you are wary of the world and breaking up the marriages of others, you will be unlucky for the rest of your life.
In the "Focus on the Motherland Building", in addition to the horseshoe crab, there are also pairs of fish, shrimp, turtles, crabs and other marine creatures in the "Focus on the Motherland Building".
This is related to overseas Chinese traveling across the ocean and is an embodiment of marine culture; in pairs, one male and one female, it means that the descendants are reproduced and endlessly. This is rare in other regions.
The ocean gives the food to the southern Fujian people on for survival, and also gives them the spirit of adventure.
It brings prosperity to maritime trade, allowing southern Fujian people to go out to sea to make a living, and also allowing dialects to begin drifting, echoing with continuous nostalgia.
The dialect that drifts with nostalgia.
As the local social status and influence of overseas Chinese have improved, more words have entered Singapore English.
For example, Ah Kong, who describes the old uncle, Ah Mm, who describes the old lady, Ah Pek, who describes the middle-aged man, Baba and Nyonya, who represent the descendants of early overseas Chinese and indigenous women in South China.
Many Nanyang countries have been influenced by the Minnan dialect. Take Malaysia as an example. There are more than 400 Minnan loan words included in the dictionary alone, accounting for as much as 80% of all Chinese loan words.
Culture has never been a one-way flow.
is a bit similar to "Hollywood" in Cantonese. There are also many words in Minnan that are borrowed from foreign languages.
For example, the "Olympics" that means "eliminate, bad" in Minnan is actually borrowed directly from "outside" in English.
Chomsky said: "Language issues are basically issues of power."
Through the mirror of Minnan language borrowing words in English, we see various social and cultural factors involved in the survival of overseas Chinese. Language is never just language, it is a direct reflection of social ideology.
A word is the drift of history.
[Editor: Lin Yanwan]
