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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 12h

In 1722 黃叔璥 Huang Shujing, a Mandarin-speaking Qing official, arrived Taiwan where he spent 2 years. He recorded in 臺海使槎錄 “Records from the mission to Taiwan and its Strait” (1736) how the language spoken by Taiwanese was totally unintelligible—like barbarian gibberish and birds talking (鴃舌鳥語，全不可曉)

臺海使槎錄·卷一~卷二
by （清）黃叔璥
https://archive.org/details/06044602.cn/page/n127/mode/1up

Taiwanese Hokkien
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanese_Hokkien

臺灣話
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E8%87%BA%E7%81%A3%E8%A9%B1

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 12h

While 鳥語 "bird speech" is considered a derogatory term when referring to speech or language of foreign peoples and southern Sinetic languages, the idiom 鳥語花香* (birds are singing and flowers are fragrant) is used to describe beautiful scenery, especially in spring

*first used by Song poet 呂本中

成語：鳥語花香
典源：宋．呂本中〈庵居〉詩（據《東萊先生詩集》卷三引）
鳥語花香變夕陰，稍閑復恐病相尋。
正應獨有江山分，素自都無廊廟心。
堂上老親雙白髪，門前稚子舊青衿。
兒曹不會庵居意，古澗寒泉疑至今。
https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=78609&q=1&webMd=2&la=0

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 14h

In 1722 黃叔璥 Huang Shujing, a Mandarin-speaking Qing official, arrived Taiwan where he spent 2 years. He recorded in 臺海使槎錄 “Records from the mission to Taiwan and its Strait” (1736) how the language spoken by Taiwanese was totally unintelligible—like barbarian gibberish and birds talking (鴃舌鳥語，全不可曉)

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 1d

In Hokkien/Taiwanese, bô-siáⁿ-mih 無啥物 (not have what) is used to mean “it doesn’t matter; that’s all right; never mind” (synonymous with 沒什麼 or 沒關係 in Mandarin)

In Mandarin, méishénme 沒什麼 (have not what; nothing) can also be used to mean “don’t mention it; it’s a pleasure; you’re welcome”

無啥物 bô-siáⁿ-mih
(Hokkien) it doesn't matter; that's all right; never mind
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%84%A1%E5%95%A5%E7%89%A9

沒什麼 méishénme (Mandarin Pinyin)
Adverb
沒什麼
1. nothing
Interjection
沒什麼
1. it doesn't matter; that's all right; never mind
2. don't mention it; it's a pleasure; you're welcome
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%B2%92%E4%BB%80%E9%BA%BC

Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 6d

The “original” character (本字) for tháu in Hokkien/Taiwanese and tau2 in Cantonese is likely 㪗 which means “to open” (漢典/集韻：他口切，展也)

Interestingly, 㪗氣/敨氣 in Cantonese “tau2 hei3” means “to breathe” while in Hokkien “tháu-khuì” means “to to vent one's feelings; to get something off one’s chest”

廣州話正音字典
①呼吸；喘息：㪗氣（呼吸；喘息）．有氣冇掟㪗（連喘息的地方都沒有，比喻太忙）。②休息；歇：㪗下先（先歇一下）．早㪗（早點休息；晚安）．㪗工（工休）．㪗涼（乘涼）
P.249 #3410
①把包着或捲着的東西打開。②〈方〉同「唞」
https://jyut.net/query?q=%E3%AA%97

教育部台語常用辭典
敨氣 tháu-khuì
釋義：［動詞］情緒得以發洩。
https://sutian.moe.edu.tw/zh-hant/su/8446/

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 6d

Wait, I just learned 早唞 (zou2 tau2) in Cantonese, besides meaning good night or take an early rest, can also be used to tell someone who’s really annoying to piss off; drop dead; shut up; go away

Somehow I am not surprised 😅😆

粵典：「早抖 / 早唞」
https://words.hk/zidin/%E6%97%A9%E5%94%9E

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 6d

Tang poet Liu Yuxi 劉禹錫 (772–842) wrote in 秋詞 "Autumn Song"

自古逢秋悲寂寥
我言秋日勝春朝
晴空一鶴排雲上
便引詩情到碧霄

Since ancient times, autumns are met with sadness and loneliness
I say autumn days outshine spring morns
As a crane soars above the clouds in clear skies
My poetic sentiments are drawn to the azure heavens

劉禹錫《秋詞》
自古逢秋悲寂寥，我言秋日勝春朝。
晴空一鶴排雲上，便引詩情到碧霄。
Image source: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17FBNnhvnX/

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 8d

A meditation by W.S. Merwin on nature and the inevitability of change in life, as he speaks directly to the light of September:

you appear to be only
a name that tells of you

but they all know
that you have come

you
who fly with them

the whispering birds
the fallen blue plums

perfect in the dew

eileen chengyin chow @chowleen.bsky.social · 8d

you who are neither before nor after
you who arrive with blue plums
that have fallen through the night
perfect in the dew

-W.S. Merwin, To the Light of September"
#everynightapoem sharing Merwin on his birthday

TO THE LIGHT OF SEPTEMBER
When you are already here you appear to be only a name that tells of you whether you are present or not
and for now it seems as though
you are still summer
still the high familiar endless summer
yet with a glint
of bronze in the chill mornings and the late yellow petals of the mullein fluttering on the stalks that lean
over their broken
shadows across the cracked ground
but they all know that you have come
the seed heads of the sage the whispering birds with nowhere to hide you to keep you for later
you
who fly with them
you who are neither before nor after
you who arrive with blue plums
that have fallen through the night
perfect in the dew

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 9d

The three uses of 港 (káng) in Taiwanese, attested in the 1932 Taiwanese-Japanese dictionary 台日大辭典 by 小川尚義

(1)靠船ê所在。 (2)大川。 (3)孔縫抑是管(kóng)出來ê風或水。

例句：(3)一港水; 一港風。

台日大辭典 (1932) by 小川尚義
港 (káng)
https://taigi.fhl.net/dict/gm.php?fn=A/A0283.png

Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 9d

Interestingly, 港 (káng) in Taiwanese, besides meaning harbor (most common) or stream (dated), is also used as a classifier for fluids like water or wind which coincidentally is similar to how “stream” is used as a measure word in English (eg, a stream of tears)

Example
台語：電風捘(tsūn)較細港一下
華語：電風扇轉小一點

港 káng
華語釋義：提供給船舶停靠的地方。計算流體的單位。溪流。
https://sutian.moe.edu.tw/und-hani/tshiau/?lui=tai_su&tsha=%E6%B8%AF

港 káng
1. ［名詞］提供給船舶停靠的地方。
- 用例：高雄港。Ko-hiông-káng.（高雄港)
2. ［量詞］計算流體的單位。
- 用例：一港水真大港。Tsi̍t káng tsuí tsin tuā-káng.（一道很大、很強的水流）
- 用例：門口一港風真冷。Mn̂g-kháu tsi̍t káng hong tsin líng. (門口一道風很冷）
3. ［名詞］溪流。
- 用例：破船過港，嘛較贏泅。Phuà tsûn kuè káng, mā khah iânn siû. (乘坐破船渡過溪流，勝過游泳渡過溪流。)
https://sutian.moe.edu.tw/zh-hant/su/8544/

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 10d

Speaking of which, here is a sign in Hong Kong using the variant character 噐 (器 Jyutping: hei3)

港九電噐工程電業噐材職工會
H.K. & KLN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING & APPLIANCES TRADE WORKERS UNION

I love how 噐 is used here, perhaps to emphasize the workers 職工

港九電噐工程電業噐材職工會
H.K. & KLN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING & APPLIANCES TRADE WORKERS UNION

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 12d

Came across this Japanese version of 古今萬國綱鑑錄 by 模禮菘 (Morrison) published in 1874

模禮菘 is John Robert Morrison (aka 馬儒翰 1814-1843), son of Robert Morrison (馬禮遜 1782-1834) British missionary to Portuguese Macao and Qing Canton, who collaborated with Prussian/German missionary Karl Gützlaff (1803-1851)

古今万国綱鑑録
作者：英国・模礼菘著大槻東陽訓点柳沢信大校正
出版商：東生亀次郎等刊
出版年：明治七年(1874)
https://rinrokaku.co.jp/zh-hant/product/%E5%8F%A4%E4%BB%8A%E4%B8%87%E5%9B%BD%E7%B6%B1%E9%91%91%E9%8C%B2/

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 14d

Btw, "Taiwan" in Mongolian is written as Тайвань and pronounced as "Tay-van" which is essentially the same pronunciation for тайван (peace). The difference in the written forms: Тайвань (Taiwan) includes a soft sign (ь) which may slightly soften the ending in precise pronunciation

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 14d

TIL the Mongolian word тайван is a loan word from Chinese 太平 (tàipíng) and it means “peace,” “calmness,” and “tranquility”

Interestingly, in Bulgarian “Тайван” means Taiwan. These two words are unrelated and just happened to have the same spelling in Cyrillic

So in that spirit, тайван No. 1 😉

Mongolian: тайван (peace)
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD

Bulgarian: Тайван (Taiwan)
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 16d

Interestingly, in the 1849 publication 英漢歷 (Anglo-Chinese Calendar), the Oriental Bank (in Canton) was translated as 銀房 under the list of foreigners living in Canton (Guangzhou), China. The person in charge of the bank branch was Archibald Dunlop

英漢歷 Anglo Chinese Calendar 1849
https://archive.org/details/1849anglochinesecalendar/page/75/mode/1up?view=theater

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 16d

The first foreign bank to enter China was Oriental Bank, a British imperial bank first founded in India as Bank of Western India (1842) which opened branches in Hong Kong (1845), Canton (1845) & Shanghai (1847), etc, and later used the Chinese names 東藩滙理銀行 (HK) & 麗如銀行 (China)

HK banknote (c. 1866)

One of the early Hong Kong banknotes (c. 1866) issued by the Oriental Bank Corporation 東藩滙理銀行
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Five_Dollar_Banknote_issued_by_the_Oriental_Bank_Corporation.jpg

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 16d

In Taiwan we say 化妝粉 (cosmetic powder). I’m not sure anyone in sinosphere say 面粉 for face powder. What probably happened was that they translated face powder in English into simplified Chinese 面粉 and then converted 面粉 into traditional Chinese 麵粉

Btw 阿烏*拉麵*粉 is a mistranslation for Aura Face Powder😅

https://www.shopcosmeria.com/zh/products/pearl-precious-aura-face-powder?srsltid=AfmBOoqVw0eknBpuRtuOyjqSSjcwOgDp25mQs454gm8KzhybpZ53EH7_&ls=en

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 17d

Love these ideographic compound variant characters for "Buddha" 佛(仏)

西域哲人 Sage of the Western Region
自覺 Self-awakening or enlightenment
西國人 Person of the Western Kingdom
西天人 Person of the Western Heaven
天國人 Person of the Heavenly Kingdom

😇

Image from: 白玉庵 account on Twitter @Hakugyokuan

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 24d

Austronesian Language Introduction - Saisiyat Tribe - Taiwan

“During the 2020 National Indigenous Speech Competition in Nantou County, Taiwan, we interviewed a student from the Saisiyat tribe, who agreed to share a little of her native language.”

youtu.be/9IDqfpibVoA?...

Austronesian Language Introduction - Saisiyat Tribe - Taiwan

YouTube video by Indigenous Bridges

youtu.be

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 24d

Saisiyat (賽夏語): ma'alo' = thanks (謝謝)

Root word 'alo' = blessings (祝福)

Source: 台灣原住民族語言線上辭典 e-dictionary.ilrdf.org.tw/home

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 24d

Okay, hear me out. In Hawaiian, Mahalo means thanks. In Taiwan’s indigenous Saisiyat (賽夏), ma'alo' means thanks and it comes from the root word 'alo' meaning blessing. In Hawaiian, it’s Aloha (good wishes)

📷 Austronesian Languages (Cognation & Comparison) FB

Photo credit: Austronesian Languages (Cognation & Comparison)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9fKJVNtp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 25d

A wild Rose of Sharon at the trail

I learned today the Rose of Sharon is native to southern China, Taiwan, and India. It was introduced to Europe in the 16th century. The name “rose of Sharon” first appeared in the Song of Solomon 2:1 (KJV, 1611)

#沙崙玫瑰

1611 King James Version of Song of Solomon (Song of Solomon) Chapter 2
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Song-of-Solomon_2_1611/

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 28d

The name 映日果 iòng-ji̍t-kó is from Middle Chinese, 'angX nyit kwaX, a transliteration of Persian انجیر (anjir, “fig”) plus Middle Chinese 果 (kwaX, “fruit”). It's thought that figs were introduced to China from Iran possibly via India around 1000 years ago

映日果 etymology: From Persian انجیر (anjir, “fig”) + 果 (guǒ, fruit)
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%98%A0%E6%97%A5%E6%9E%9C

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 28d

In Taiwanese, figs are called 無花果 bû-hua-kó. Some people in Taiwan also call them 映日果 iòng-ji̍t-kó or 文仙果 bûn-sian-kó

Both 無花果 and 映日果 were attested in the Taiwanese-Japanese dictionary 臺日大辭典 (1932) by 小川尚義

台日大辭典 (1932) by 小川尚義
無花果 bû-hua-kó
https://taigi.fhl.net/dict/gm.php?fn=B/B0769.png

台日大辭典 (1932) by 小川尚義
映日果 iòng-ji̍t-kó
https://taigi.fhl.net/dict/gm.php?fn=A/A0140.png

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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 28d

Friend brought over some figs grown in their backyard. They are so good! 😊

#無花果台語：bû-hua-kó

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