台山话

Taishanese

Speakers約400万人 (台山語・四邑片) RomanizationTaishanese Romanisation ReadingTaishanese (Toisan)

Taishanese — Siyi Yue variety of Taishan in the Pearl Delta, historically the dominant Chinese-American diaspora speech. Signature feature: voiceless lateral /ɬ/ where Cantonese has /s/, and a 5-tone system with low-falling marker tones.

Where it is spoken

Han character readings in Taishanese

Character Meaning Reading Form IPA
one yit2 /jit̚˥˥/
two ngei5 /ᵑɡei˧˨/
three lham1 /ɬam˧˧/
four lhei1 /ɬei˧˧/
five ng4 /ŋ˨˩/
six luuk5 /lɵk̚˧˨/
seven tit2 /tʰit̚˥˥/
eight bat2 /pat̚˥˥/
nine giu2 /kiu˥˥/
ten lhip5 /ɬɪp̚˧˨/
sun ngit5 /ᵑɡit̚˧˨/
moon ngut5 /ᵑɡut̚˧˨/
mountain san1 /san˧˧/
water lhui2 /ɬui˥˥/
fire fo2 /fᵘɔ˥˥/
tree muuk5 /ᵐbɵk̚˧˨/
soil hu2 /hu˥˥/
sky hen1 /hen˧˧/
ground ei5 /ei˧˨/
sea hoi2 /hᵘɔi˥˥/
dragon luung3 /lɵŋ˨˨/
tiger fu2 /fu˥˥/
dog hun2 /hun˥˥/
horse ma4 /ᵐba˨˩/
bird niau4 /ⁿdiau˨˩/
fish ngui3 /ᵑɡui˨˨/
ox ngeu3 /ᵑɡeu˨˨/
sheep yiang3 /jiaŋ˨˨/
cat miu2 /ᵐbiu˥˥/
person ngin3 /ᵑɡin˨˨/
hand siu2 /siu˥˥/
foot duuk2 /tɵk̚˥˥/
eye muuk5 /ᵐbɵk̚˧˨/
ear ngei2 /ᵑɡei˥˥/
mouth heu2 /heu˥˥/
head heu3 /heu˨˨/
heart lhim1 /ɬim˧˧/
blood hut2 /hut̚˥˥/
meat nguuk5 /ᵑɡɵk̚˧˨/
up 上面(locative) seung6 /sœŋ˨˨/
上去(directional verb) seung5 /sœŋ˨˧/
down ha5 /ha˧˨/
middle zuung1 /t͡sɵŋ˧˧/
hit zung1 /t͡sʊŋ˧˧/
center yang1 /jaŋ˧˧/
left do2 /tᵘɔ˥˥/
right yiu5 /jiu˧˨/
east uung1 /ɵŋ˧˧/
西 west lhai1 /ɬai˧˧/
south nam3 /ⁿdam˨˨/
north bak2 /pak̚˥˥/
go hang3 /haŋ˨˨/
row hong3 /hɔŋ˨˨/
come loi3 /lᵘɔi˨˨/
leave hui1 /hui˧˧/
see gen1 /ken˧˧/
hear mun3 /ᵐbun˨˨/
eat set5 /set̚˧˨/
drink ngim2 /ᵑɡim˥˥/
run deu2 /teu˥˥/
sit to1 /tʰᵘɔ˧˧/
stand lip5 /lip̚˧˨/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Yue, Sze Yap) languages

Meaning TaishaneseDongguan YueGaozhou YueNanning YuePenang HokkienZhongshan YueCantonese
Water /ɬui˧˧/ /sui˧˥/ /sɵi˧˥/ /ɬɵy˧˥/ /tsui˥˧/ /sɵy˧˥/ /sɵy˧˥/
Fire /fɔ˥˥/ /fɔ˧˥/ /fɔ˧˥/ /fɔ˧˥/ /hue˥˧/ /fɔ˧˥/ /fɔː˧˥/
Sun 日头 /ɲit˨˨hau˧˧/ 日头 /jɐt˨˨tʰɐu˨˩/ 日头 /jɐt˨tʰɐu˧˧/ 日头 /jɐt˨tʰɐu˨˩/ 日頭 /lit˥˥tʰau˨˨/ 日頭 /jɐt˨ tʰɐu˨˩/ 日頭 /jɐt˨ tʰɐu˨˩/
Moon 月光 /ɲut˧˧kwɔŋ˨˨/ 月光 /jyt˨kʷɔŋ˥˥/ 月光 /jyt˨kwɔŋ˥˥/ 月光 /ŋyt˨kʷɔŋ˥˥/ 月娘 /ɡueʔ˥˥niũ˨˦/ 月光 /jyt˨ kwɔŋ˥˧/ 月光 /jyːt˨ kʷɔːŋ˥/
Mother 阿妈 /a˧˧ma˥˥/ 阿妈 /a˧˧ma˥˥/ 妈妈 /maː˥˥maː˥˥/ 老妈 /lau˧˩ma˥˥/ 阿媽 /a˧˧ma˧˧/ 老母 /lou˩˧ mou˩˧/ 媽媽 /maː˥maː˥/
Father 阿爸 /a˧˧pa˥˥/ 阿爸 /a˧˧pa˥˥/ 爸爸 /paː˨˩paː˨˩/ 老窦 /lau˧˩tɐu˨˨/ 阿爸 /a˧˧pa˥˥/ 老豆 /lou˩˧ tɐu˨/ 爸爸 /paː˨˩paː˥/
Eat /ɬik˧˧/ /sɪk˨/ /sɪk˨˨/ /ɬɪk˨/ /tsiaʔ˥˥/ /sɪk˨/ /sɪk˨/
Drink /ɲim˧˧/ /jɐm˧˥/ /jɐm˧˥/ /jɐm˧˥/ /lim˧˧/ /jɐm˧˥/ /jɐm˧˥/
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Han readings compared

Character TaishaneseNanning YueZhongshan YueHailu HakkaHuiyang HakkaDongguan YueGaozhou Yue
yit2 /jit̚˥˥/ jat1 /jɐt̚˥˥/ jat1 /jɐt̚˥˥/ yit /jit̚˥/ yit /jit̚˩/ jat1 /jɐt̚˥/ jat1 /jɐt̚˥/
ngei5 /ᵑɡei˧˨/ ji6 /ji˨˨/ ji6 /ji˨˨/ ngì /ŋi˧˧/ ngì /ŋi˥˧/ ji6 /jiː˨˨/ ji6 /jiː˨˨/
lham1 /ɬam˧˧/ thaam1 /θaːm˥˥/ saam1 /saːm˥˥/ sâm /sam˥˧/ sâm /sam˧˧/ saam1 /saːm˥˥/ saam1 /saːm˥˥/
lhei1 /ɬei˧˧/ thei3 /θei˧˧/ sei3 /sei˧˧/ /si˩˩/ /si˥˧/ sei3 /sei˧˧/ sei3 /sei˧˧/
ng4 /ŋ˨˩/ ng5 /ŋ˩˧/ ng5 /ŋ˩˧/ ńg /ŋ̩˨˦/ ńg /ŋ̍˧˩/ ng5 /ŋ̍˩˧/ ng5 /ŋ̍˩˧/
luuk5 /lɵk̚˧˨/ luk6 /lʊk̚˨˨/ luk6 /lʊk̚˨˨/ liu̍k /liuk̚˨/ liu̍k /liuk̚˥/ luk6 /lʊk̚˨/ luk6 /lʊk̚˨/
tit2 /tʰit̚˥˥/ cat1 /tsʰɐt̚˥/ cat1 /tsʰɐt̚˥/ chhit /tsʰit̚˥/ chhit /tsʰit̚˩/ cat1 /tsʰɐt̚˥/ cat1 /tsʰɐt̚˥/
bat2 /pat̚˥˥/ baat3 /paːt̚˧/ baat3 /paːt̚˧/ pat /pat̚˥/ pat /pat̚˩/ baat3 /paːt̚˧/ baat3 /paːt̚˧/
giu2 /kiu˥˥/ gau2 /kɐu˧˥/ gau2 /kɐu˧˥/ kiú /kiu˨˦/ kiú /kiu˧˩/ gau2 /kɐu˧˥/ gau2 /kɐu˧˥/
lhip5 /ɬɪp̚˧˨/ slap6 /ɬɐp̚˨/ sap6 /sɐp̚˨/ shi̍p /ʃip̚˨/ si̍p /sip̚˥/ sap6 /sɐp̚˨/ sap6 /sɐp̚˨/
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