Wow, those myriads of words above, I have learnt a lot. Tks :)
And regarding the article on dialects, I can pretty much imagine
how youngsters meet their relatives during CNY and they can't
communicate with the elderly because they don't know dialects. It's
a trend which will not reverse anytime soon. Govt policies do not
help too. This article can only do so much despite its heartfelt
imploration.
Such a pity but what to do? That's life here.
Today was just asked by a chinese friend from guangxi why I have
two names: the chinese and cantonese one. Haha....she found it
baffling because she has the same surname as me but only one
chinese name. Funny the chinese don't have names in dialects?
Ya Life here. Bo pian.
That's why we do our part. Just use dialect everywhere,
everytime on our part.
I have mentioned it in a conversation with Clivebenss in the
past, here's some dialogue:
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206133
Regarding
continuation and preservation of dialects, a lot of people agree
and so and so and .... but all talk but no action
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206140
We must walk
our talk.
Example, I myself speak dialect anywhere, everywhere,
and a lot of times I can be the dialect initiator so that
whenever people see me, they start to speak to me only in
dialect.
Or perhaps create the environment conducive to dialect.
Furthermore, I do not subscribe to the preconception that people
like school teachers, principals, doctors, lawyers, or maybe media
people, you must speak English or Mandarin to them. I
don't care who are they, when I meet these people, I
converse to them in dialect and whether they choose to
reply in dialect or not is their matter.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206142
Worst, many
view that dialects are for those uneducated.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206146
Most of the
time, I create the environment conducive for dialect
speaking.
Whereas, I think, most people wait for the environment to
appear.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206147
Because
dialects has always been stigmatised.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206148
For me ,
I can SMS to people in Cantonese or
Hokkien. (for those who have a command in those
languages). This is a way for people to get to know
how written Cantonese or written Hokkien is like, so they
will not think they are unwritten languages, thus
uneducated.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206162
many times
speak dialects as native tongue give a good connection but this is
slipping away.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206166
The thing is
, let's say yourself, how many times have you seen
someone on the road and without hesitation
just speak dialect first ? If wrong dialect then
switch dialect la, but a lot of people scared use wrong
dialect so must use English first ?? What
fucked up preconceived notion is that?
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206171
Do we speak
dialect to the librarian at the National Library ? Do
we speak dialect to the last GP doctor that treated us ? Do
we speak dialect when we step into a musical and the usher is
asking where's our seat ?? This is what we must think
back again and again.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206175
I speak
dialect and as an elderly their reply is always in dialect or if
they really dun know they will try to speak to me in
Mandarin.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206178
So maintain
your poise, continue speaking and answer in dialect no
matter what language other people is speaking to you so they
have no choice but to continue converse and may be forced to
listen to some dialects.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206181
Even when you
have chance to be interviewed on TV, use DIALECT. Some
people have the fucked-up preconceived notion that must speak
Mandarin when interviewed on TV.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206183
you will be
surprise many youngsters got completely cut off from dialects so
their next best is try to speak with their horrible Mandarin for
some.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206184
Speak dialect
to the next POPULAR bookstore cashier.
Speak dialect to the next COLD STORAGE cashier.
Speak dialect to the next ROBINSONS cashier.
Speak dialect in any restaurant.
Speak dialect in any bookshop.
Speak dialect in any art gallery.
Speak dialect in any school.
http://sgforums.com/forums/3545/topics/419181?page=45#post_10206185
Speak dialect
even in airport counter if the staff is Chinese.
Conclusion:
To Singaporeans in general. Stop waiting for
other people to start speaking dialect to us. We shall start
speaking our real mother tongue first.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guangxi which part? Not all Guangxi people are Cantonese
u know right? There are 3 main topolectal classifications in
Guangxi, namely Kwongsai Cantonese (under 粵語,
usually called 白話 Paak-Wa), PingHua
(under 平話, split into north group and south group, which are
mutually unintelligible. Some unclassified 土話 is subsumed under the
PingHua classification for simplistic purposes) and
South-western Mandarin (under 官話).
The greatest Cantonese Linguist Mr. 詹伯慧, has expounded
this in a number of papers.