Cantonese etymology

Etymology and Origin

The name "Cantonese" is derived from the word "Guangzhou" (Canton), the capital of Guangdong Province in Southern China. The language is primarily spoken in Guangdong and the surrounding areas, including Hong Kong and Macau.

Meaning and Historical Development

The term "Cantonese" has multiple meanings and historical connotations:

• Yue Dialect (粵語/粤语): Cantonese is a subdialect of the Yue dialect group of Chinese. It is the most widely spoken variety of Yue and is often referred to as "Guangzhouhua" (廣州話/广州话) or "Yueyu" (粵語/粤语) in Chinese.
• Lingnan Language (嶺南語/岭南语): The region where Cantonese is spoken is known as Lingnan (literally "South of the Mountains"), which includes Guangdong, Guangxi, and parts of Hunan and Fujian provinces. Cantonese is therefore sometimes referred to as "Lingnanese" (嶺南語/岭南语).
• Guangdong Dialect (廣東話/广东话): Due to its widespread use in Guangdong, Cantonese is also called "Guangdong Dialect" (廣東話/广东话).
• Hong Kong Cantonese (香港粵語/香港粤语): Cantonese is the official language of Hong Kong and is commonly referred to as "Hong Kong Cantonese" (香港粵語/香港粤语).

Other Related Dialects

Cantonese is closely related to other Yue dialects spoken in Southern China, such as Taishanese, Siyi, and Wuhua. These dialects share many similarities in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

Cantonese relate terms

• canton

  Etymology The word canton originates from the Old French term canton which itself d

• cant

  Etymology From Middle English canten ultimately from Old French chantere to sing

• chopstick

• tangram

  Etymology The word tangram is a combination of the Chinese words tan 七 meaning

• chow

  Etymology The word chow has several different etymologies From the Chinese word cha

• typhoon

  Etymology The word typhoon originates from the Greek word typhōn which refers to t

• Chinese

  Etymology The word Chinese is derived from the Sanskrit word Cina which was first u

• dialect

  Etymology Dialect comes from the Greek διάλεκτος dialektos meaning convers

• dialect

  Etymology Dialect comes from the Greek διάλεκτος dialektos meaning convers

• forgive

  Etymology The word forgive originates from the Old English word forgifan which mean

• theology

  Etymology and Origin The word theology is derived from two Greek roots Theos Meanin

• police

  Etymology The word police originates from the Old French term police which is itse