莆仙话

Pu-Xian Min

Sinitic (Pu-Xian Min)

FamilySinitic (Pu-Xian Min) Speakers~3M ScriptHan characters CountriesChina (Putian and Xianyou, Fujian) Official inNo Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3cpx

Pu-Xian Min (Henghua, 莆仙語) forms its own branch within Min Chinese, sister to Eastern Min and distinct from Southern Min. Spoken by ~3M in Putian and Xianyou counties of Fujian Province, plus diaspora communities in Singapore and Malaysia (where it is called Henghua). Distinguished by its conservative phonology preserving archaic features lost in neighboring Min varieties. Written in Han characters with romanizations such as Pe̍h-ōe-jī-style schemes for missionary use; the local Henghua opera (莆仙戲) is a 1500-year-old tradition.

Where it is spoken

20 core words in Pu-Xian Min

Water

/ɬui˦˩/

Fire

/hø˦˩/

Sun

日头

/lit˥˥tʰau˧˧/

Moon

/ɣueʔ˥˥/

Mother

老母

/lau˥˥bo˦˩/

Father

老父

/lau˥˥pe˥˧/

Eat

/siaʔ˥˥/

Drink

/lim˧˧/

Love

/tʰiã˨˩/

Heart

/ɬim˧˧/

Tree

/t͡sʰiu˥˧/

House

/t͡sʰu˨˩/

Dog

/kau˦˩/

Cat

/ŋiau˧˧/

Hand

/ɬiu˦˩/

Eye

目睭

/bak˥˥t͡siu˧˧/

Hello

你好

/ni˦˩ho˦˩/

Thank you

多谢

/to˧˧ɬia˥˧/

One

/it˥˥/

Good

/ho˦˩/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Pu-Xian Min) languages

Meaning Pu-Xian MinPenang HokkienQuanzhou HokkienTeochewHainaneseXiamen HokkienTaiwanese
Water /ɬui˦˩/ /tsui˥˧/ /t͡sui˧˥/ /t͡sui˥˧/ /zui˨˩˧/ /tsui˥˧/ /t͡sui˥˧/
Fire /hø˦˩/ /hue˥˧/ /hə˧˥/ /hue˥˧/ /hə˨˩˧/ /hue˥˧/ /hue˥˧/
Sun 日头 /lit˥˥tʰau˧˧/ 日頭 /lit˥˥tʰau˨˨/ 日頭 /d͡ʑit˨˨tʰau˨˦/ 日头 /ʒik˥˥tʰau˥˥/ 日头 /dit˨˨tʰau˨˦/ 日頭 /dzit̚˦ tʰau˨˦/ 日頭 /lit˦tʰau˧˥/
Moon /ɣueʔ˥˥/ 月娘 /ɡueʔ˥˥niũ˨˦/ /ɡəʔ˨˦/ 月娘 /ɡueʔ˥˥niũ˥˥/ /ŋet˨˨/ 月娘 /ɡueʔ̚˦ niũ˨˦/ 月娘 /ɡueʔ˦niũ˧˥/
Mother 老母 /lau˥˥bo˦˩/ 阿媽 /a˧˧ma˧˧/ 老母 /lau˦˩bo˧˧/ /ma˧˧/ /bo˨˩˧/ 老母 /lau˨˨ bu˥˧/ 媽媽 /ma˥ma/
Father 老父 /lau˥˥pe˥˧/ 阿爸 /a˧˧pa˥˥/ 老父 /lau˦˩pɛ˧˧/ /pa˧˧/ /ba˨˨/ 老爸 /lau˨˨ pe˨˨/ 爸爸 /pa˥pa/
Eat /siaʔ˥˥/ /tsiaʔ˥˥/ /t͡siaʔ˨˦/ /t͡siaʔ˥˥/ /tʰeʔ˥˥/ /tsiaʔ̚˦/ /t͡siaʔ̚˦/
Drink /lim˧˧/ /lim˧˧/ /lim˨˦/ /lim˧˧/ /lim˨˦/ /lim˦/ /lim˦/
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Han readings compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Min) languages

Character Pu-Xian MinMin BeiEastern MinMin Zhong (Yong'an)Thai TeochewHuiyang HakkaHui Chinese
白讀cik /tɬiʔ˥/文讀ik /iʔ˥/ 白讀ì /i˧˧/文讀ĭ /i˨˦/ 白讀sĭk /siɪʔ˥/文讀ék /ʔɛiʔ˥/ 白讀i /i˦˨/文讀ieʔ /iɛʔ˥/ 白讀zêg8 /t͡seʔ˥/文讀ig4 /ik̚˨/ yit /jit̚˩/ ie⁵ /iɛʔ˥/
白讀nō͘ /nɔ˧˩/文讀ñî /ɲi˧˩/ 白讀lâng /laŋ˧˧/文讀 /ni˨˦/ 白讀lâng /laŋ˨˦˨/文讀nê̤i /nei˨˦˨/ 文讀ni /ni˨˨/白讀laŋ /laŋ˨˨/ 白讀no6 /no˧˥/文讀ri6 /d͡zi˧˥/ ngì /ŋi˥˧/ n²² /n̩˨˨/
白讀 /sã˥˧/文讀sang /saŋ˥˧/ sáng /saŋ˥˦/ săng /saŋ˦˦/ saŋ /saŋ˥˦/ 白讀sã1 /sã˧/文讀sam1 /sam˧/ sâm /sam˧˧/ se³³ /sɛ˧˧/
lhì /ɬi˦˨/ /si˧˧/ /sei˨˩˧/ si /si˧˥/ si3 /si˨˩˧/ /si˥˧/ si³⁵ /sɿ˧˥/
白讀ngô͘ /ŋɔ˧˩/文讀ngū /ŋu˧˧/ 白讀ngǚ /ŋy˨˦/文讀ngǔ /ŋu˨˦/ 白讀ngô /ŋou˨˦˨/文讀ngū /ŋu˧˧/ ŋu /ŋu˨˨/ 白讀ngou6 /ŋou˧˥/文讀ngou2 /ŋou˧˥/ ńg /ŋ̍˧˩/ ng²¹ /ŋ̩˨˩/
白讀la̍k /laʔ˨˦/文讀lo̍k /lɔʔ˨˦/ 白讀lü̆ /ly˨˦/文讀liŭ /liu˨˦/ 白讀lĕ̤k /løyʔ˨˦/文讀liŏk /liɔuʔ˨˦/ lu /lu˦˨/ 白讀lag8 /lak̚˥/文讀liog8 /liɔk̚˥/ liu̍k /liuk̚˥/ lu²¹ /lu˨˩/
cheh⁵ /tsʰiʔ˥/ chĭ /tsʰi˨˦/ chék /tsʰeiʔ˨˦/ tsʰi /tsʰi˦˨/ cig4 /tsʰiʔ˨/ chhit /tsʰit̚˩/ chii⁵ /tsʰiɪʔ˥/
白讀poeh /pɔeʔ˥/文讀pat /pat̚˥/ păi /paiʔ˨˦/ báik /paiʔ˨˦/ pai /pai˦˨/ 白讀boih4 /poiʔ˨/文讀bag4 /pat̚˨/ pat /pat̚˩/ pa⁵ /paʔ˥/
白讀kâu /kau˧˩/文讀kiû /kiu˧˩/ giǔ /kiu˧˩/ 白讀gāu /kau˧˩/文讀giū /kiu˧˩/ kiu /kiu˧˩/ 白讀gao2 /kau˧˩/文讀giu2 /kiu˧˩/ kiú /kiu˧˩/ jiu³⁵ /tɕiu˧˥/
白讀sa̍p /saʔ˨˦/文讀si̍p /siʔ˨˦/ sĭp /siʔ˨˦/ 白讀sĕk /seiʔ˨˦/文讀sĭk /siʔ˥/ si /si˦˨/ 白讀zab8 /t͡sap̚˥/文讀sib8 /sip̚˥/ si̍p /sip̚˥/ sii²¹ /siɪʔ˨˩/
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