chinese - ten linguistic facts

8/18/2019 Chinese - Ten linguistic Facts

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Philoglosse!

by M. N. G. Einstein∗

Sonntag, 3. Januar 2016

Sunday, 3. January 2016

星星星期期期日日日, 第第第三三三一一一月月月2016

Für die Sprachen dieser Welt, Jackie Chan and Shamein Tan, eine

Freundin am anderen Ende der Welt.

For the languages of this Earth, Jackie Chan and Shamein Tan, a

friend, across half the World.

為為為语语语种种种为为为是是是世世世界界界, 成成成龍龍龍和和和 Shamein 谈谈谈†, 一一一好好好朋朋朋友友友对对对过过过半半半天天天下下下‡

Wéi Yǔ Zhǒng Wèi Shì Shìjiè, Chéng Lóng Hé Shamein Tan, Yī Hǎo

Péngyǒu Duìguò Bàn Tiānxià

∗Any usage of the document is only allowed with my full name and my written agreement.All rights reserved. The pdf is free to /for share!

†Sorry Shamein, but I did not know the signs for your name. Thus, I wrote it with ouralphabet.

‡The funny thing about the three translations is, they all have the same meaning, but theyare saying completely different things. While the German translates to: “a friend at the far endof the World “, the Chinese translates to: “a friend across the land under heaven“.

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Part One

Chinesich − Chinese − Chinois − −

中中中文文文 [Zhōng Wén] −中中中国国国語語語 [Chuugokugo]

Number Ten − 10 −十十十号号号 [Shí Hào] −数数数10 [Sū Tō] :

The high Chinese, which is popularly known as ’Mandarin’, originates back, asmany more things in the fields of culture and science in China, to a single (verysuccessful) dynasty, called the Han Dynasty. The founder was the later EmperorLiú Bāng. Due to the success of this dynasty the Chinese call their language them-

selves汉汉汉语语语 [hàn yǔ], which means as much as Han language. Also, most peoplenow living in China are part of this ethnic group, which accounts for more than91 percent of the total population.

Number Nine − 9 −九九九号号号 [Jiŭ Hào] −数数数9 [SūKokonotsu] :

Mandarin is one of only eight twigs, that make up the Sinitic languages, which onthe other hand is part of only two branches of the Sino−Tibetan language familywith about 340 different languages in total. All other languages (> 330) belongto that second branch, which are combined/summerised to the Tibeto−Burmanlanguages.

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Number Eight − 8 −八八八号号号 [Bā Hào] −数数数8 [SūYattsu] :

There are about one billion native Mandarin speakers. The circulating figures inpublic of more than eight hundred million, are wrong or have to be considered onlyas a lower limit, as a simple calculation already shows. If one starts by assumingthe population of China is about 1.3 billion people, and furthermore, the HanChinese account for ninety percent, this results automatically in a significantlyhigher number than nine hundred million. What is often left out in such numbersgames, is the fact, that the Mandarin for Chinese people is extremely important(this can be seen in the cultural and historical background). This means, that eventhe Chinese that are abroad or have grown/are growing up outside their original

country, always speak natively Mandarin as a first language.

Number Seven − 7 −七七七号号号 [Qī Hào] −数数数7 [SūNanatsu] :

The distribution of the speakers of the Chinese languages (on one of the primarybranches of the Sino−Tibetan language family) is highly unequal. While about onebillion are omitted on Mandarin, all the other seven branches have together “only“about 345 million, which are spread also extremely geographically. This is related

to the urban density on the east coast of China, because Mandarin originates fromthere. Thus, it is therefore not surprising, that most speakers are from this region.

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Number Six − 6 −六六六号号号 [Liù Hào] −数数数6 [SūMuttsu] :

In China there is no unity pronunciation (this has not to be confused with astandardised intonation)! While there is a single “Alphabet“, which means here,that each character in the chinese writing, as it is with our own font, is usedin (a sort of) an alphabet (the correct term is Logogram), but the pronunciati-on is different from region to region, from city to city, from dialect to dialect.Though, the government has with the beginning of the 20th century, and duringits development, carried out several font reforms, in which, firstly the decision of a common language was formed and implemented, then the pronunciation wasstandardised and in the last step a simplification of the spelling was performed.

There is nevertheless a plurality of dialects. One should not let oneself be fooledby the major/main−dialects. These are bound regionally and blur increasingly inthe outer regions of the own sphere of influence, where they mix, especially at theedges or much traversed traffic junctions (one should always remember, that thetraffic agglomeration in China is incredible vast).

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Number Five − 5 −五五五号号号 [Wǔ Hào] −数数数5 [SūItsutsu] :

The Chinese characters are at least three thousand years old, and (contrary topopular beliefs that say they all) have (only) a lot of the logograms have anorigin−meaning−history. For example:

看看看 [kàn]which means to look and is made up of:

手手手 [shǒu]for hand and:

目目目 [mù]for eye. One can imagine how someone looks out under his hand. Or:

林林林 [lín]means the forest and consists of:

木木木 [mù]wood, tree (the similarity of the sign with a tree is obvious). Many trees equalforest. My absolute favorite is however:

好好好 [hǎo]which means good, well. The left side of the sign:

女女女 [nǚ]is a woman and the right side:

子子子 [ži]is her child. This stems from the spelling three thousand years ago. At that time,the character was drawn differently.

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6/18

Half −time for a story.

My favorite quote is:

指指指鹿鹿鹿為為為馬馬馬 [zȟi lù wéi mǎ]meaning: making a deer out to be a horse/point on a deer and call it a horse. It

comes from 赵赵赵高高高 [Zhao Gao], the chief consultant of the second Qin−Emperor,who tried to get the full control of the government and therefore he tested theloyalty of the officials at the court by letting bring a deer forward, which he thenmarked as a horse. Thereafter, the public servants were presented. Those whorefused to call the deer a horse were executed.

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Number Four − 4 −四四四号号号 [Sì Hào] −数数数4 [SūYottsu] :

The People do not know that the Chinese characters are used far beyond Chi-na itself. In Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, where a part of the emigratedminority lives and the Cantonese is employed, the Chinese characters are utilisedas well as in Japan, where they even take a special role in their writing system andare called Kanji. They are also included in the South Korean font, were they areactually called Hanja. In Hong Kong, until 1997 a British colony, and Macau, aPortuguese colony even until 1999, it is also employed. Of course the characters areas well used in Taiwan. But they are all utilising different ’Chinese’ languages andhave of course a partly (or complete) different pronunciation, as one sees, whereby

the pattern is as follows:

美美美女女女 (Hi)měi nǚ

← Mandarin, Chinese language,汉汉汉语语语

měi neui← Kantonesisch, Cantonese language,广广广东东东话话话

with this∗:

美美美女女女 (Hi)měi nǚměi neui

偷偷偷心心心眼眼眼神神神在在在噴噴噴 (Having Fun)tōu x̄in yǎn shén zài pēntau sam ngaan san joi pan

∗in order to listen to the text, follow this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toEPNVgj7tA

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toEPNVgj7tAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toEPNVgj7tA


8/18

織織織出出出快快快樂樂樂迷迷迷陣陣陣 (Yes)zh̄i chū kuài lè mí zhèn jik cheut faai lok mai jan

迫迫迫我我我做做做城城城市市市獵獵獵人人人 (Oh City Hunter)pò wǒ zuò chéng shì liè rén

baak ngo jou sing si lip yan

美美美女女女 (Hello)měi nǚ

měi neui

Red Hot 眼眼眼神神神在在在吻吻吻 (Red Hot)Red Hot yǎn shén zài wěnRed Hot ngaan san joi man

燒燒燒出出出美美美麗麗麗濃濃濃艷艷艷 (ah o)shāo chū měi lì nóng yànsiu cheut mei lai nung yim

熔熔熔化化化掉掉掉城城城市市市獵獵獵人人人 (Oh City Hunter)róng huà diào chéng shì liè rényung fa diu sing si lip yan

每每每次次次見見見你你你 (City Hunter)měi cì jiàn ňimui chi gin nei

我我我都都都想想想嗌嗌嗌命命命運運運命命命運運運 (City Hunter)wǒ dōu xiǎng ài mìng yùn mìng yùnngo dou seung aai meng wan meng wan

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我我我感感感覺覺覺得得得到到到wǒ gǎn jué dé dàongo gam gaau dak dou

靈靈靈魂魂魂靈靈靈魂魂魂接接接近近近líng hún líng hún jiē jìnling wan ling wan jip gan

美美美女女女 (Hello)měi nǚ

měi neui

一一一眨眨眨眼眼眼人人人又又又近近近 (Having Fun)ȳi zhǎ yǎn rén yòu jìn

yat jaap ngaan yan yau gan

只只只好好好繼繼繼續續續做做做 (ai)zh̄i hǎo jì xù zuò ji hou gai juk jou

狂狂狂放放放城城城市市市獵獵獵人人人 (Oh City Hunter)kuáng fàng chéng shì liè rén

kawong fong sing si lip yan

City Hunter,I am the city hunter,Everybody wants to be a city hunter,City hunter . . .

美美美女女女 (Hello)měi nǚměi neui

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10/18

偷偷偷心心心眼眼眼神神神在在在噴噴噴 (Having Fun)tōu x̄in yǎn shén zài pēntau sam ngaan san joi pan

織織織出出出快快快樂樂樂迷迷迷陣陣陣 (Yes)zh̄i chū kuài lè mí zhèn jik cheut faai lok mai jan

迫迫迫我我我做做做城城城市市市獵獵獵人人人 (Oh City Hunter)pò wǒ zuò chéng shì liè rén

baak ngo jou sing si lip yan


Red Hot 眼眼眼神神神在在在吻吻吻 (Red Hot)Red Hot yǎn shén zài wěnRed Hot ngaan san joi man

燒燒燒出出出美美美麗麗麗濃濃濃艷艷艷 (ah o)shāo chū měi lì nóng yànsiu cheut mei lai nung yim

熔熔熔化化化掉掉掉城城城市市市獵獵獵人人人 (Oh City Hunter)róng huà diào chéng shì liè rényung fa diu sing si lip yan

每每每次次次見見見你你你 (City Hunter)měi cì jiàn ňimui chi gin nei

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11/18

我我我都都都想想想嗌嗌嗌命命命運運運命命命運運運 (City Hunter)wǒ dōu xiǎng ài mìng yùn mìng yùnngo dou seung aai meng wan meng wan

我我我感感感覺覺覺得得得到到到wǒ gǎn jué dé dàongo gam gaau dak dou

靈靈靈魂魂魂靈靈靈魂魂魂接接接近近近líng hún líng hún jiē jìn

ling wan ling wan jip gan


一一一眨眨眨眼眼眼人人人又又又近近近 (Having Fun)ȳi zhǎ yǎn rén yòu jìn

yat jaap ngaan yan yau gan

只只只好好好繼繼繼續續續做做做 (ai)zh̄i hǎo jì xù zuò ji hou gai juk jou

狂狂狂放放放城城城市市市獵獵獵人人人 (Oh City Hunter)kuáng fàng chéng shì liè rén

kawong fong sing si lip yan

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12/18

Number Three − 3 −三三三号号号 [Sān Hào] −数数数3 [SūMittsu] :

One reason, as digress as it may sound, for the modern “copyculture“ of the Chi-nese people lies within the language. What initially is dismissed as absurd, becomesoverwhelmingly apparent, if someone takes a closer look at the development−historyof Mandarin. At the beginning there were the Five Classics. Those became laterthe Four Books of Confucianism, which, with the aid of Mengzi, extended to thestate religion of the Han Dynasty; and here lies the crux of the matter. Because inChina, politicians and officials, had until the 20th century to be (very) good litera-ti, if they wanted to gain great influence and get into conducting (senior) positions(against the Western model, where it is still today so, to take a great interest in

rhetoricians!). This coheres with the fact, that texts, written in the classical litera-ry language and which have distanced itself completely from the spoken language,had the highest prestige in society. Thus, for centuries the education policy wasdifferent, which consisted firstly to internalise the knowledge of the wise, beforesomeone would zoom on something new.

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13/18

Number Two − 2 −二二二号号号 [Èr Hào] −数数数2 [SūFutatsu] :

One reason why Chinese have difficulties to speak or learn Indo−European lan-guages, is the same, why it is for us so hard to learn any of the Sino−Tibetanlanguages: on the one hand the phonetics is widely different, on the other handthe language structure is essentially not comparable. The pronunciation stems froma divergent “Alphabet“, which one notices especially (even as a non linguist) at thefrequent usage of the X. Furthermore, there are of course syllables/letter combina-tions that do not exist in our language, whereby ZH would probably be the mostprominent example; and finally there are the so−called tones, which are indicatedby dashes and dots (same tone − xi ān, falling tone − wàng, rising tone − nián,

changing tone − gǎn). These determine the pronunciation of a word, which, dueto the missing vowel E (it is actually more a swallowing), leads particularly toa friction with the Indo−European languages, in particular with French, Italian,English and German (since E is the most used letter in those). The other point isthe structure of the language. The essential feature is, that there exist no flection of verbs. There is no inflection. For us, this is fascinating, but for Mandarin speakersthis is confusing; in addition to that, we have also a very precise spelling. Thereis also no such thing in the Chinese languages. This means, that Chinese peoplehave to learn many things that do not exist in their own grammatic system: casesensitivity, case, person, number, tense, gender . . . Therefore, you should alwaysshow some understanding for the fellow Chinese speaking citizens, at least more

than usual.

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14/18

Number One − 1 −一一一号号号 [Yī Hào] −数数数1 [SūHitotsu] :

The Chinese government promotes linguistic diversity (in modest extent thoseof minorities as well, because no language should disappear), whereby the highlanguage was chosen for the education and as the lingua franca. This century oldsetting of support (or at least the peaceful coexistence) has, in contrast to Europeand the American continent, where the languages of the conquered nations/tribeshave partly been banned, fought, disfigured or were even persecuted, led to a ma-nifold of diversity, that we in Europe can hardly or not at all imagine. Though thegovernment has passed in 1982 a law, that dictates the spreading of the generallanguage, in which, as a consequence, Mandarin establishes itself more and more

in many parts of −, there are still dozens of dialects around the hubs in China.

Finally一一一顆顆顆糖糖糖果果果 [Yī Kē Tángguǒ] − a bonbon, a treasure of uni-maginable size. My absolute favourite chinese song is from最最最好好好和和和王王王大大大成成成龍龍龍 [Zuì Hǎo Hé Wáng Dà Shī Chéng Lóng] − the Best GrandmasterJackie Chan. It can be found under this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtA_xiISKRo

(if someone wants to practice Karaoke). The text is as follows:

只只只会会会流流流汗汗汗不不不会会会流流流泪泪泪Zhi Hui Liu Han Bu Hui Liu Lei

不不不懂懂懂后后后退退退只只只会会会奉奉奉陪陪陪Bu Dong Hou Tui Zhi Hui Feng Pei

只只只想想想尝尝尝到到到挑挑挑战战战的的的滋滋滋味味味Zhi Xiang Chang Dao Tiao Zhan De Zi Wei

吃吃吃一一一点点点亏亏亏已已已无无无所所所谓谓谓Chi Yi Dian Kui Yi Wu Suo Wei

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtA_xiISKRohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtA_xiISKRo


15/18

受受受一一一点点点苦苦苦也也也无无无所所所谓谓谓Shou Yi Dian Ku Ye Wu Suo Wei

一一一身身身伤伤伤痕痕痕换换换一一一分分分体体体会会会Yi Shen Shang Hen Huan Yi Fen Ti Hui

怎怎怎么么么能能能够够够将将将白白白变变变黑黑黑Zen Me Neng Gou Jiang Bai Bian Hei

怎怎怎么么么能能能够够够将将将是是是变变变非非非Zen Me Neng Gou Jiang Shi Bian Fei

怎怎怎么么么能能能够够够眼眼眼睁睁睁睁睁睁看看看着着着世世世界界界Zen Me Neng Gou Yan Zheng Zheng Kan Zhe Shi Jie

不不不分分分真真真伪伪伪Bu Fen Zhen Wei

做做做到到到问问问心心心无无无愧愧愧代代代价价价不不不菲菲菲Zuo Dao Wen Xin Wu Kui Dai Jin Bu Fei

只只只要要要做做做的的的对对对就就就是是是最最最大大大的的的安安安慰慰慰Zhi Yao Zuo De Dui Jiu Shi Zui Da De An Wei

不不不管管管是是是谁谁谁只只只活活活一一一回回回Bu Guan Shi Shui Zhi Huo Yi Hui

对对对得得得起起起自自自己己己也也也就就就不不不必必必说说说后后后悔悔悔Dui De Qi Zi Ji Yo Jiu Bu Bi Shuo Huo Hui

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16/18

问问问天天天问问问地地地问问问心心心无无无愧愧愧Wen Tian Wen Di Wen Xin Wu Kui

只只只要要要做做做的的的对对对不不不管管管有有有没没没有有有人人人陪陪陪Zhi Yao Zuo De Dui Bu Guan You Mei You Ren Pei


对对对得得得起起起自自自己己己永永永远远远不不不问问问Dui De Qi Zi Ji Yong Yuan Bu Wen

痛痛痛不不不痛痛痛累累累不不不累累累Tong Bu Tong Lei Bu Lei

吃吃吃一一一点点点亏亏亏已已已无无无所所所谓谓谓Chi Yi Dian Kui Yi Wu Suo Wei

受受受一一一点点点苦苦苦也也也无无无所所所谓谓谓Shou Yi Dian Ku Ye Wu Suo Wei

一一一身身身伤伤伤痕痕痕换换换一一一分分分体体体会会会Yi Shen Shang Hen Huan Yi Fen Ti Hui

怎怎怎么么么能能能够够够将将将白白白变变变黑黑黑Zen Me Neng Gou Jiang Bai Bian Hei

怎怎怎么么么能能能够够够将将将是是是变变变非非非Zen Me Neng Gou Jiang Shi Bian Fei

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怎怎怎么么么能能能够够够眼眼眼睁睁睁睁睁睁看看看着着着世世世界界界Zen Me Neng Gou Yan Zheng Zheng Kan Zhe Shi Jie

不不不分分分真真真伪伪伪Bu Fen Zhen Wei









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chinese - ten linguistic facts

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