Hokkien

Lore & Background

Hokkien originated in southern Fujian, a center for trade and migration, and spread to Taiwan during Dutch rule, Ming loyalist rule, Qing rule, and Japanese rule. The Taiwanese dialect mostly derives from Tung'an, Quanzhou, and Zhangzhou variants. The Amoy (Xiamen) dialect became the modern prestige representative in China, heavily resembling the Tung'an dialect spoken around Tainan in Taiwan. In the late 1800s, Amoy attracted Western attention as a treaty port, and its dialect was frequently learned by Westerners.

Reader's Guide

Hokkien's significance lies in its role as a historical lingua franca for overseas Chinese in maritime Southeast Asia, a status it still holds in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Brunei. Its loanwords appear in nearby languages such as English, Tai languages, and other Chinese varieties. Mixed languages like Kelantan Peranakan Hokkien and Hokaglish have Hokkien as the base lexifier. The term 'Hokkien' was first used in Walter Henry Medhurst's 1832 dictionary, and later standardized by John Macgowan in 1869. Historically also called 'Amoy', the language is now recognized as a national language of Taiwan and is widely spoken across the global diaspora.

Did You Know?

• Hokkien is also known as Quanzhang, named after the cities of Quanzhou and Zhangzhou.
• The earliest known Western use of the term 'Hokkien' is in Walter Henry Medhurst's 1832 dictionary.
• Hokkien historically served as the lingua franca among overseas Chinese in maritime Southeast Asia due to Hokkien sailors in Nanyang trade networks.
• Mixed languages such as Kelantan Peranakan Hokkien and Hokaglish have Hokkien as the base lexifier.