Zhenan Min
Encyclopedia
Zhenan Min is a variety of Min Nan
Chinese spoken in the Wenzhou region
of the southern Chinese
province of Zhejiang
. The Zhenan Min people had settled in areas such as Cangnan County
, Pingyang County
, Yuhuan County
and Dongtou County
from Fujian Province as early as the Tang dynasty
period (618
–907
) and new waves of immigrants continued during the Southern Song dynasty, Ming Dynasty
and the Qing dynasty
periods . Zhenan Min has in the past been influenced by the Eastern Min language and the Northern Min language due to its close geographical proximity with those areas. As a result, Zhenan Min has developed into four main dialects: Longhai dialect (龍海話), Zhangpu dialect (漳浦話), Anxi dialect (安溪話), Hui'an dialect
(惠安話), and the Tong'an dialect (同安話). It has limited intelligilbity with other Min Nan
dialects, such as Teochew and Hokkien–Taiwanese. Zhenan Min, in proximity to Wenzhou dialect
and Jinxiang dialect
, has also borrowed some influences from Wu Chinese, such as voiced initials (z
) and noun suffixes unique to Wu Chinese (such as 头).
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
Chinese spoken in the Wenzhou region
Wenzhou
Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. The area under its jurisdiction, which includes two satellite cities and six counties, had a population of 9,122,100 as of 2010....
of the southern Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
province of Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
. The Zhenan Min people had settled in areas such as Cangnan County
Cangnan County
Cangnan County is a county in the prefecture-level city of Wenzhou cangnanCangnan County is in the South of Zhejiang.Area code:330327Zip code:325800The county government is in Lingxi,which is a big town....
, Pingyang County
Pingyang County
Pingyang County is a county in the prefecture-level city of Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.In Pingyang, there are two main cities with many surrounding villages. The two main cities are called AoJiang and KunYang...
, Yuhuan County
Yuhuan County
Yuhuan County is located in Taizhou, at the midsection along the coast of southeastern Zhejiang Province of China.Yuhuan, with total area of 2279 square kilometers including land area of 378 square kilometers, has a total population of 392,800 containing a permanent population of 93,000 from other...
and Dongtou County
Dongtou County
Dongtou County is a county in the prefecture-level city of Wenzhou...
from Fujian Province as early as the Tang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
period (618
618
Year 618 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 618 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* The Sui Dynasty ends and the Tang Dynasty...
–907
907
Year 907 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Oleg leads the Kievan Rus' in a campaign against Constantinople ....
) and new waves of immigrants continued during the Southern Song dynasty, Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and the Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
periods . Zhenan Min has in the past been influenced by the Eastern Min language and the Northern Min language due to its close geographical proximity with those areas. As a result, Zhenan Min has developed into four main dialects: Longhai dialect (龍海話), Zhangpu dialect (漳浦話), Anxi dialect (安溪話), Hui'an dialect
Hui'an dialect
The Hui'an dialect, is a dialect mostly spoken in Hui'an in Fujian Province, China. It is a sub-dialect of Min Nan Chinese, and a sub-dialect of Zhenan Min.-See also:*List of Chinese dialects...
(惠安話), and the Tong'an dialect (同安話). It has limited intelligilbity with other Min Nan
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
dialects, such as Teochew and Hokkien–Taiwanese. Zhenan Min, in proximity to Wenzhou dialect
Wenzhou dialect
Wenzhounese or Oujiang is the speech of Wenzhou, the southern prefecture of Zhejiang Province, China. It is the most divergent division of Wu Chinese, and is sometimes considered a separate language. It features noticeable elements of Min, which borders it to the south...
and Jinxiang dialect
Jinxiang dialect
Jinxiang dialect , is a Taihu Wu dialect, or a Northern Wu dialect, spoken in Cangnan county of Wenzhou prefecture-level city. It is considered to be a Taihu Wu linguistic exclave within the mostly Min Nan speaking part of Southern Zhejiang....
, has also borrowed some influences from Wu Chinese, such as voiced initials (z
Voiced alveolar fricative
The voiced alveolar fricatives are consonantal sounds. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents these sounds depends on whether a sibilant or non-sibilant fricative is being described....
) and noun suffixes unique to Wu Chinese (such as 头).
See also
- List of Chinese dialects