Justin R. Leung 梁路明
@justinrleung.bsky.social
Christ follower, PhDing @uoftlinguistics.bsky.social (heritage languages, LVC, morphosyntax, Cantonese), editing and admining @enwiktionary.bsky.social, learning (about) languages. Prov. 3:5–6.
效基督、學語言、語言學。箴三5–6。
🇨🇦🇭🇰😅
效基督、學語言、語言學。箴三5–6。
🇨🇦🇭🇰😅
Hi friends, I'm looking for participants for my research! Please help me share this widely!
大家好，我嘅研究需要您嘅參與！請大家幫手分享出去！
Link to the registration form 報名表格: forms.office.com/r/sVQfiPYUhD
#Cantonese #廣東話 #Toronto #多倫多
大家好，我嘅研究需要您嘅參與！請大家幫手分享出去！
Link to the registration form 報名表格: forms.office.com/r/sVQfiPYUhD
#Cantonese #廣東話 #Toronto #多倫多
November 14, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Hi friends, I'm looking for participants for my research! Please help me share this widely!
大家好，我嘅研究需要您嘅參與！請大家幫手分享出去！
Link to the registration form 報名表格: forms.office.com/r/sVQfiPYUhD
#Cantonese #廣東話 #Toronto #多倫多
大家好，我嘅研究需要您嘅參與！請大家幫手分享出去！
Link to the registration form 報名表格: forms.office.com/r/sVQfiPYUhD
#Cantonese #廣東話 #Toronto #多倫多
Cool post I stumbled upon explaining why 豬腸 became 豬番 in Teochew... but it just irks me a bit when people say things "rhyme" when they are *homophones*... They're technically not wrong but what about the maxim of quantity 🤓
September 26, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Cool post I stumbled upon explaining why 豬腸 became 豬番 in Teochew... but it just irks me a bit when people say things "rhyme" when they are *homophones*... They're technically not wrong but what about the maxim of quantity 🤓
September 19, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Interesting way of writing taat1 'tart' sighted in LA Chinatown ❤️: <⿰米達> with a 米 'rice' radical instead of the usual <撻>, a phonetic borrowing.
This character is already under the radar of the Ideographic Research Group, so hopefully this will be encoded soon 😊 hc.jsecs.org/irg/ws2024/a...
This character is already under the radar of the Ideographic Research Group, so hopefully this will be encoded soon 😊 hc.jsecs.org/irg/ws2024/a...
March 26, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Interesting way of writing taat1 'tart' sighted in LA Chinatown ❤️: <⿰米達> with a 米 'rice' radical instead of the usual <撻>, a phonetic borrowing.
This character is already under the radar of the Ideographic Research Group, so hopefully this will be encoded soon 😊 hc.jsecs.org/irg/ws2024/a...
This character is already under the radar of the Ideographic Research Group, so hopefully this will be encoded soon 😊 hc.jsecs.org/irg/ws2024/a...
Finally received a copy of Chinese Characters Across Asia by @zevhandel.bsky.social ! Looking forward to reading it!
March 24, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Finally received a copy of Chinese Characters Across Asia by @zevhandel.bsky.social ! Looking forward to reading it!
Some other names, many of which reflect the slithering and length of the snake, or analogy to similar creatures.
One exception among these is 虺, which is the rare retention of the ancient (probably Sino-Tibetan) word for snake in Waxiang! /4
One exception among these is 虺, which is the rare retention of the ancient (probably Sino-Tibetan) word for snake in Waxiang! /4
January 29, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Some other names, many of which reflect the slithering and length of the snake, or analogy to similar creatures.
One exception among these is 虺, which is the rare retention of the ancient (probably Sino-Tibetan) word for snake in Waxiang! /4
One exception among these is 虺, which is the rare retention of the ancient (probably Sino-Tibetan) word for snake in Waxiang! /4
In some Chinese languages, some morpheme showing "respectful familiarity towards harmful creatures" (Jerry Norman 1988) may be in the name, e.g. 老蛇 in some southern Mandarin dialects, Eastern Min and Puxian Min, the same 老 'old, venerable' as in 老虎 🐯 and 老鼠 🐭. /3
January 29, 2025 at 4:52 PM
In some Chinese languages, some morpheme showing "respectful familiarity towards harmful creatures" (Jerry Norman 1988) may be in the name, e.g. 老蛇 in some southern Mandarin dialects, Eastern Min and Puxian Min, the same 老 'old, venerable' as in 老虎 🐯 and 老鼠 🐭. /3
A colloquial term for the snake, most common in northern China, is 長蟲 'long worm'. /2
January 29, 2025 at 4:51 PM
A colloquial term for the snake, most common in northern China, is 長蟲 'long worm'. /2
蛇年大吉！Happy Year of the Snake!
Here are different ways the Chinese languages have landed on naming the slithery creature 🧵
The most common name is 蛇, attested in the oracle bones as 它. (The etymology of this word is uncertain; see en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%9B%87) /1
Here are different ways the Chinese languages have landed on naming the slithery creature 🧵
The most common name is 蛇, attested in the oracle bones as 它. (The etymology of this word is uncertain; see en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%9B%87) /1
January 29, 2025 at 4:50 PM
蛇年大吉！Happy Year of the Snake!
Here are different ways the Chinese languages have landed on naming the slithery creature 🧵
The most common name is 蛇, attested in the oracle bones as 它. (The etymology of this word is uncertain; see en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%9B%87) /1
Here are different ways the Chinese languages have landed on naming the slithery creature 🧵
The most common name is 蛇, attested in the oracle bones as 它. (The etymology of this word is uncertain; see en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%9B%87) /1
2) Still on wh-words, you'll notice that 為乜(事) wai6 mat1 (si6) (lit. 'for what') is used for 'why' on page 4. While this is still in use, to me, the more usual way to ask 'why' now is 點解 dim2 gaai2 (literally 'how to explain'). (See alt-text of the image for some more observations.)
6/
6/
December 25, 2024 at 10:29 PM
2) Still on wh-words, you'll notice that 為乜(事) wai6 mat1 (si6) (lit. 'for what') is used for 'why' on page 4. While this is still in use, to me, the more usual way to ask 'why' now is 點解 dim2 gaai2 (literally 'how to explain'). (See alt-text of the image for some more observations.)
6/
6/
Now on to some fun linguistic facts about 19th c. Canto:
1) 乜誰 mat1 seoi4(-2) 'who' (found on page 2) was used neutrally in questions back then. Nowadays, this term has a negative connotation, and the neutral term has become 邊個 bin1 go3.
5/
1) 乜誰 mat1 seoi4(-2) 'who' (found on page 2) was used neutrally in questions back then. Nowadays, this term has a negative connotation, and the neutral term has become 邊個 bin1 go3.
5/
![From 片岡新 [Shin Kataoka] and 李燕萍 [Yin-Ping Cream Lee], 2022, 晚清民初歐美傳教士書寫的廣東話文獻精選 [Selected Cantonese Publications by Western Missionaries in China (1828-1927)], p. 122, https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/ics/clrc/kataoka/3.3.pdf
乜誰: 我們翻閱晚清時期的廣東話文獻，發現當時的廣東話表示「誰」的時候幾乎都用「乜誰」，不用現代廣東話最常用的「邊個」。Mary《述史淺譯》中寫着「耶穌係乜誰」。由此可見，當時的「乜誰」是中性詞，不帶褒貶。現代廣東話也說「乜水」，但是「乜水」偏向貶義，經常小看別人的時候使用。其實「乜」表示「甚麼」，而「水」（seoi2）則是「誰」（seoi4）的變調。也就是說，「乜水」原本應該寫成「乜誰」。](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:w32anip3cbsr3b5v6cz7vglm/bafkreicj22wiwggwcr3x2xozyulefzrnizf7liqrmjvhpmdyfprjds55bu@jpeg)
December 25, 2024 at 10:04 PM
Now on to some fun linguistic facts about 19th c. Canto:
1) 乜誰 mat1 seoi4(-2) 'who' (found on page 2) was used neutrally in questions back then. Nowadays, this term has a negative connotation, and the neutral term has become 邊個 bin1 go3.
5/
1) 乜誰 mat1 seoi4(-2) 'who' (found on page 2) was used neutrally in questions back then. Nowadays, this term has a negative connotation, and the neutral term has become 邊個 bin1 go3.
5/
Second half of the chapter... 3/
December 25, 2024 at 9:47 PM
Second half of the chapter... 3/
First half of the chapter... 2/
December 25, 2024 at 9:44 PM
First half of the chapter... 2/
Merry #Christmas! For the final showcase of texts about the birth of Christ in Chinese varieties, we will look at a chapter from Bible History for the Least and the Lowest, translated into Cantonese as 述史淺譯 by Mary Lucy French (花波氏) in 1866. 1/
December 25, 2024 at 9:40 PM
Merry #Christmas! For the final showcase of texts about the birth of Christ in Chinese varieties, we will look at a chapter from Bible History for the Least and the Lowest, translated into Cantonese as 述史淺譯 by Mary Lucy French (花波氏) in 1866. 1/
Here's the story, based on Luke 2:1–7!
(Some of the illustrations are from Good News Productions, International.)
(Some of the illustrations are from Good News Productions, International.)
December 25, 2024 at 2:30 AM
Here's the story, based on Luke 2:1–7!
(Some of the illustrations are from Good News Productions, International.)
(Some of the illustrations are from Good News Productions, International.)
Part 2 of works about the birth of Christ in different Chinese varieties: a retelling of the birth of Christ in #Dungan "Ба Эрса сын‑ёнхали" (把爾撒生養下了), from Шын Җинди гўсы (聖經的故事, Biblical Stories), published in 2015! #Christmas
![Title page:
Ба Эрса сын‑ёнхали
把爾撒生養下了
Dungan from Шын Җинди гўсы《聖經的故事》
(2015, Institute for Bible Translation)
[Chinese characters added by Justin Leung]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:w32anip3cbsr3b5v6cz7vglm/bafkreieqgxbwenh4ponbon2xgmq2pkqwxqj5ehs6ffvv5o6fllu6ush36i@jpeg)
December 25, 2024 at 2:22 AM
Part 2 of works about the birth of Christ in different Chinese varieties: a retelling of the birth of Christ in #Dungan "Ба Эрса сын‑ёнхали" (把爾撒生養下了), from Шын Җинди гўсы (聖經的故事, Biblical Stories), published in 2015! #Christmas
I just noticed a formatting error on the title page! Fixed!
![Title page:
Fröhlich sol mein herze springen
German: Praxis pietatis melica, 5th edn. (1653, Paul Gerhardt)
A Song of Joy at Dawn
English: Lyra Germanica, 2nd series (1858, transl. Catherine Winkworth)
Sèng-tàn siōng 聖誕頌
Taiwanese: Tâi-oân Kàu-hōe Kong-pò 台灣教會公報
(1950, transl. Kó͘-lâu chú-lâng 古樓主人)
[Chinese characters based on the characters recommended by the Taiwanese Ministry of Education]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:w32anip3cbsr3b5v6cz7vglm/bafkreibt5ow5nko3fgbuux5kugyqj7lfgvol4xuue5c4wvz5ay2hytogzu@jpeg)
December 24, 2024 at 2:56 AM
I just noticed a formatting error on the title page! Fixed!
Over these last few days before #Christmas, I'll be showcasing works about the birth of Christ in different Chinese varieties. We'll start with "Sèng-tàn siōng" (聖誕頌), a Taiwanese translation of "A Song of Joy at Dawn", itself a translation of the German hymn "Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen"!
![Title page:
Fröhlich sol mein herze springen
German: Praxis pietatis melica, 5th edn. (1653, Paul Gerhardt)
A Song of Joy at Dawn
English: Lyra Germanica, 2nd series (1858, transl. Catherine Winkworth)
Sèng-tàn siōng 聖誕頌
Taiwanese: Tâi-oân Kàu-hōe Kong-pò 台灣教會公報
(1950, transl. Kó͘-lâu chú-lâng 古樓主人)
[Chinese characters based on the characters recommended by the Taiwanese Ministry of Education]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:w32anip3cbsr3b5v6cz7vglm/bafkreif55llp5stmqgsi5677ezeeo5l52wepmv2tvumwqgfxs74hjgkvdm@jpeg)
December 24, 2024 at 2:27 AM
Over these last few days before #Christmas, I'll be showcasing works about the birth of Christ in different Chinese varieties. We'll start with "Sèng-tàn siōng" (聖誕頌), a Taiwanese translation of "A Song of Joy at Dawn", itself a translation of the German hymn "Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen"!
Thanks for this background info! There seems to be a progression with Church characters away from Mandarin logic if we compare the 1964 edn of 聖詩 with the 2009 edn, for example:
pháiⁿ-lâng 惡人 > 歹人
m̄ 不 > 呣
mî-jı̍t 冥日 > 暝日
pháiⁿ-lâng 惡人 > 歹人
m̄ 不 > 呣
mî-jı̍t 冥日 > 暝日
November 26, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Thanks for this background info! There seems to be a progression with Church characters away from Mandarin logic if we compare the 1964 edn of 聖詩 with the 2009 edn, for example:
pháiⁿ-lâng 惡人 > 歹人
m̄ 不 > 呣
mî-jı̍t 冥日 > 暝日
pháiⁿ-lâng 惡人 > 歹人
m̄ 不 > 呣
mî-jı̍t 冥日 > 暝日
Yes, it's pronounced as "I". Here's an example from the Taiwanese version of "This Is My Father's World"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tntR...
I suspect ⿰礻尹 is not used because 1) there is a tendency to use 訓讀 over creating new characters and 2) there is no Unicode support.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tntR...
I suspect ⿰礻尹 is not used because 1) there is a tendency to use 訓讀 over creating new characters and 2) there is no Unicode support.
November 25, 2024 at 8:45 PM
Yes, it's pronounced as "I". Here's an example from the Taiwanese version of "This Is My Father's World"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tntR...
I suspect ⿰礻尹 is not used because 1) there is a tendency to use 訓讀 over creating new characters and 2) there is no Unicode support.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tntR...
I suspect ⿰礻尹 is not used because 1) there is a tendency to use 訓讀 over creating new characters and 2) there is no Unicode support.
Yes, it's definitely analogizing Mandarin 他~她. In fact, some Hakka-speaking Christians from Taiwan use 𥘹 (⿰礻巨) for God, by analogy with Mandarin 祂. I've never seen Cantonese speakers do this, probably because in usual church settings, the colloquial 佢 is not used in writing; 祂 would be used instead.
November 25, 2024 at 8:37 PM
Yes, it's definitely analogizing Mandarin 他~她. In fact, some Hakka-speaking Christians from Taiwan use 𥘹 (⿰礻巨) for God, by analogy with Mandarin 祂. I've never seen Cantonese speakers do this, probably because in usual church settings, the colloquial 佢 is not used in writing; 祂 would be used instead.
While it is quite rare, the female 姖 is attested for Chinese varieties that use 佢 as the 3rd-person pronoun, such as Cantonese and Hakka. Here are some examples:
November 25, 2024 at 6:38 AM
While it is quite rare, the female 姖 is attested for Chinese varieties that use 佢 as the 3rd-person pronoun, such as Cantonese and Hakka. Here are some examples:
Never have I ever thought I’d time-travel and read a thesis in microform… until this morning when I picked up an interlibrary loan with three microfiches tucked in a sleeve 😱
November 22, 2024 at 11:43 PM
Never have I ever thought I’d time-travel and read a thesis in microform… until this morning when I picked up an interlibrary loan with three microfiches tucked in a sleeve 😱
#Cantonese #translationese part 3: @bsky.app recently updated the translation for "follow" in several places, but what caught my eye here is the interesting "alternation" of aspect markers used to translate "following": 住 zyu6 vs. 緊 gan2 🧵 1/
November 21, 2024 at 6:01 PM
#Cantonese #translationese part 3: @bsky.app recently updated the translation for "follow" in several places, but what caught my eye here is the interesting "alternation" of aspect markers used to translate "following": 住 zyu6 vs. 緊 gan2 🧵 1/