Thank you for understanding. Hokkien has its limit.
That is why sometimes I hv prob using hokkien to
express.
Hokkien has its limit , Mandarin has its limits as well ;
it doesn't necessarily mean that whatever in Mandarin that
can be expressed, Hokkien cannot be used to express as well ; in
many respects, what Mandarin can be expressed, Hokkien has been
doing it much finer than Mandarin could go. As it shows, Hokkien is
far much richer than Mandarin in many other ways (since long
ago).
As my below examples shows, it is Mandarin which is
corrupting Hokkien nowadays and caused it to be more and more
"limited".
I have taken much time to collect and analyse them ; it
has been done in an older post already, so here I will do a repaste
for you and here we go :
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/473935?page=3#post_10946522
As Hokkien had been popularized as the intercommunal language, it
had to greatly reduce its complexity (in terms of its nuances and
its intricacies) to cater to communication.
To recognize and strengthen our awareness of the Hokkien Language
in order for preservation, our
first step is to be aware that many people have already mixed up
some of the original Hokkien usage over the
times (for
the better or for the worse, for you to decide).
--------------------
1)
Tsh'iaN 請 (Yin-Shang Hokkien Tone)
and Tsh'iaN 倩
(Yin-Qu Hokkien Tone). I have mentioned this in my post in front of
this thread. Even though the 2 words sound very similar, they
convey some difference in meaning in
Hokkien. Tsh'iaN 請 is
used for "invite" or "apply for" whereas Tsh'iaN 倩
is used for "to employ". Thus a potential employee can only
use Tsh'iaN 請
for his job application, while an employer can only
use Tsh'iaN 倩
to mean "hiring an employee".
In Singaporean Mandarin, 請 Qing is used
by both employee and employer to mean both "apply for" and "hiring
an employee". (Only some people use 僱 to mean "hiring")
Therefore
Hokkien has the ability to differentiate the fine difference that
Mandarin cannot convey.
But people
speaking the new "corrupted" Hokkien follows the Mandarin usage and
use Tsh'iaN 請
for both situations now.
--------------------
2) Tsh'in 凊
and KuaN 寒.
In Hokkien, there is a clear demarcation between usage for these 2
words. Tsh'in 凊
refers to "cold" atmosphere, temperature, things.
(飯凊了, 凊心, 凊水, 房間真凊 Pang
Keng Tsin Tsh'in). While KuaN 寒
refers to feeling "cold" in your body. (我真寒 Wa
Tsin KuaN).
In Singaporean Mandarin, 冷 Leng is used
to mean both "cold" temperature and feeling "cold".
Therefore
Hokkien can convey these nuances
accurately.
But people
speaking the new "corrupted" Hokkien follows the Mandarin usage and
use Leng 冷
for all situations now. (飯冷了, 心冷冷, 冷水, 房間真冷 Pang
Keng Tsin Leng, 我真冷 Wa
Tsin Leng)
Take note that even the Japanese
Language can differentiate between "cold" used for things and
"cold" used for persons. ("冷たい tsumetai"
VS "寒い samui")
--------------------
3) HiaN 燃
and Tsu 煮.
In Hokkien, HiaN 燃
should be used for "boiling", "heating up". (燃燒水, 燃綠豆湯).
While Tsu 煮
is used for "cooking". (煮飯, 煮食).
In Singaporean Mandarin, 煮 Zhu is used
to mean both "boiling" and "cooking".
Therefore
Hokkien as a standalone system can differentiate clearly in this
respect to Mandarin.
But people speaking
the new "corrupted" Hokkien follows the Mandarin usage and
use Tsu 煮
for all situations now. (煮燒水, 煮綠豆湯, 煮飯, 煮食)
--------------------
4) Lio 躼
and KuaiN 懸.
In Hokkien, Lio 躼
refers to "tall" in terms of measurements of persons.
(伊真躼 Yi
Tsin Lio).
While KuaiN 懸
refers to "tall" measurements of things and places.
(厝真懸 Tsh'u
Tsin KuaiN).
In Singaporean Mandarin, 高 Gao is used
to mean both "tall" person and "tall" things and places.
Therefore
Hokkien as the more evolved language, kept the
nuances.
But people
speaking the new "corrupted" Hokkien follows the Mandarin usage and
use KuaiN 懸
for all situations now. (伊真懸 Yi
Tsin KuaiN, 厝真懸 Tsh'u
Tsin KuaiN).
--------------------
5) Pun and Tsh'ue 吹.
In Hokkien, Pun is
used when living things act in terms of "blowing" into something or
towards something. (Pun氣球 Pun
Kh'i Kiu, Pun風 Pun
Hong, Pun哎啊 Pun
Ai A). While Tsh'ue 吹
is used when non-living things performs the action "blowing".
(大風吹 Tua
Hong Tsh'ue, 吹風扇 Tsh'ue
Hong SiN).
In Singaporean Mandarin, 吹 Chui is used
to mean both living things "to blow" and non-living things "to
blow".
Therefore
Hokkien IS a language with a different set of worldview from
Mandarin, in that Hokkien has separate vocabulary for living things
and non-living things (SEE ABOVE:
Living Things uses 寒 for "cold", Non-Living Things uses 凊 for
"cold" // Living Things uses 躼 for "tall", Non-Living Things uses 懸
for "tall" // Living Things uses Pun for "blow", Non-Living Things
uses 吹 for "blow)
But
some people speaking the new "corrupted" Hokkien follows the
Mandarin usage and use Tsh'ue 吹
for all circumstances. (吹氣球 Tsh'ue
Kh'i Kiu, 吹風 Tsh'ue
Hong)
--------------------
6) PuaN 搬
and WaN 換.
In Hokkien, PuaN
Tsh'ia 搬車 refers to "transfer bus"
while WaN
Tsh'ia 換車 refers to "changing a vehicle".
In Singaporean Mandarin, 換車 or 轉車 is
used to mean "transfer bus".
Therefore
people who speak the new "corrupted" Hokkien follows the Mandarin
usage and use WaN
Tsh'ia 換車
or Tsuan
Tsh'ia 轉車
to refer to "transfer bus".
--------------------
7) PuaN 搬
and Tso 做.
In Hokkien, PuaN
Hi 搬戲 refers to "acting out a show"
while Tso
Hi 做戲 refers to "making a show".
In Singaporean Mandarin, 做戲 or 演戲 is
used to mean "acting out a show".
Therefore people who speak the new "corrupted"
Hokkien follows the Mandarin usage and use Tso
Hi 做戲 to refer to "acting out a
show".
--------------------
8) Nih 囁
and Siam 閃.
In Hokkien, Nih 囁
is strictly used for lights "blinking" as well as eyes "blinking".
(囁車火 Nih
Tsh'ia He, 青紅火無囁 Tsh'iN
Ang He Bo Nih, 目珠直直囁 Bak
Tsiu Tit Tit Nih). Siam 閃
does not possess the meaning of "blinking".
In Singaporean Mandarin, 閃 Shan is used
to mean lights "blinking" while 眨 Zha is used to mean eyes
"blinking".
Therefore people who speak the new "corrupted"
Hokkien follows the Mandarin usage and use Siam 閃
or Tsah 眨
to refer to lights "blinking" or eyes "blinking".
(眨車火 Tsah
Tsh'ia He, 青紅火無閃 Tsh'iN
Ang He Bo Siam, 目珠直直眨 Bak
Tsiu Tit Tit Tsah).
--------------------
9) Kim 禁
and KuiN 關.
In Hokkien, Kim 禁
should be used for "turning off", "switching off".
(禁電視機 Kim
Tien Si Ki, 禁水龍頭 Kim
Tsui Leng Th'au, 禁手電Kim
Tsh'iu Tien, 禁電火 Kim
Tien He). While KuiN 關
should be used for "closing". (關門 KuiN
Mng, 關店 KuiN
Tiam).
In Singaporean Mandarin, 關 Guan is used
to mean both "turning off", "switching off" as well as the act of
"closing".
Therefore people who speak the new "corrupted"
Hokkien follows the Mandarin convention and use KuiN 關
for all situations now. (關電視機 KuiN
Tien Si Ki, 關水龍頭KuiN
Tsui Leng Th'au, 關燈 KuiN
Teng, 關門 KuiN
Mng, 關店 KuiN
Tiam).
--------------------
10) Ngiau 蟯
and TsiuN 癢.
In Hokkien, Ngiau 蟯
should be used for "ticklish". While TsiuN 癢
should be used for "itchy".
In Singaporean Mandarin, 癢 Yang is used
to mean both "ticklish" as well as "itchy".
Therefore people who speak the new "corrupted"
Hokkien follows the Mandarin convention and use TsiuN 癢
for all situations now.
Take note that even the Malay Language
can differentiate between "ticklish" and "itchy". ("miang" VS
"gatal")
--------------------
While some other notable ones include:
* * * * * * *
* * * *
* * * *
* * * *
* * * *
* * * * *
Clearly, Hokkien is a separate, standalone language by itself with
its own unique history and rich cultural heritage.
It does not have much to do with Mandarin, which is the external
foreign dialect which was brought in by the Northerners which
doesn't represent the mother tongue of the Hokkien people whether
in any place or at any time.
As a separate lineage of its own, we have to value the wealth of
the language. If not, Hokkien
will only survive. However, the wealth of the language won't
survive.
* * * * * * *
* * * *
* * * *
* * * *
* * * *
* * * * *
So far, still on my pending list, there are possibly up to 30
others in my list which I have yet to analyse and do it here.
That's why I would not choose to conclude that Hokkien is
"limited".
