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If the reason for Chinese having compound words is the fact that it's reluctant to add new characters, then how do you explain EVERY OTHER LANGUAGE that has compound words?
Why are potatoes "apples of the earth" in French? Why even schadenfreude? https://twitter.com/xiranjayzhao/status/1316076159315005442
Why are potatoes "apples of the earth" in French? Why even schadenfreude? https://twitter.com/xiranjayzhao/status/1316076159315005442
Yes, the etymology and literal meaning of Chinese composite terms are fascinating and fun and I also love that shit. I go around making jokes about the horological revolution all the time.
But this isn't magically unique to chinese. Every language glues old words into new ones.
But this isn't magically unique to chinese. Every language glues old words into new ones.
Take PENGUIN in English. It looks like a brand new word unrelated to anything! And certainly the etymology is debated, but it probably means:
WHITE HEAD (pen-gwyn from welsh)
FAT GOOSE (pinguis in Latin, paralleling Fettgans, also fat goose in German)
WHITE HEAD (pen-gwyn from welsh)
FAT GOOSE (pinguis in Latin, paralleling Fettgans, also fat goose in German)
Chinese has indeed added/created new characters in the last few hundred years.
Cantonese, Hokkien, Shanghaiese, etc are often dismissed as merely dialects of Chinese but they have added new characters to the lexicon to write their own unique words.
Cantonese, Hokkien, Shanghaiese, etc are often dismissed as merely dialects of Chinese but they have added new characters to the lexicon to write their own unique words.
When modern chemistry became a thing in 18th and 19thC, it was decided that the elements all must have mono-character names, so as recently as 2017 people were adding new characters to Chinese for the new elements.
New characters are made as art, as silly doodles, as part of marketing campaigns (Oatly tried to introduce one that meant plant milk) as well as protest. https://twitter.com/maryhui/status/1164057109983404032
Whilst undoubtedly there's something very cool and powerful about us modern Chinese readers being able to read ancient texts because the writing system is still very recognisable, this really doesn't mean the written language hasn't changed at all.
I was told growing up that it's impossible for chinese to be written only phonetically because we have too many homophones.
But this is just untrue.
It overlooks Dungan which is written in Cyrillic. Not to mention historic examples like ʼPhags-pa script.
But this is just untrue.
It overlooks Dungan which is written in Cyrillic. Not to mention historic examples like ʼPhags-pa script.
And this matters because how we think of "Chinese", what is and isn't essential, what is and isn't to be dismissed as merely regional dialects and silly scribbles... this all feeds into how we perceive the fight over the active destruction of local languages by the CCP.
The fight over the validity of these often dismissed languages, cut out of "real" history, this is all still ongoing. https://twitter.com/reuters/status/1306174740273541120
Here's a collection of protest art on a mirror of UwU's old threads: https://cwylo.github.io/hkprotestart/thread28.html
"But HKers have embraced our complicated language & weaponised it as a protest tool. [...] It is our way of proudly announcing we have a distinct voice, a distinct identity."
"But HKers have embraced our complicated language & weaponised it as a protest tool. [...] It is our way of proudly announcing we have a distinct voice, a distinct identity."
You can have fun with old etymologies & literal translations without claiming that this is unique to chinese!
Though a gentle reminder that chinese is also riddled with folk etymologies, often made up by people who cannot fathom that we might have loanwords.
Though a gentle reminder that chinese is also riddled with folk etymologies, often made up by people who cannot fathom that we might have loanwords.
The classic is 馒头 which doesn't actually mean "head of a southern barbarian".
It's a loan word that was written phonetically and then later assigned a neat little story. https://twitter.com/jeannette_ng/status/1263135692227588097
It's a loan word that was written phonetically and then later assigned a neat little story. https://twitter.com/jeannette_ng/status/1263135692227588097
It's also worth noting that calques (ie. loan translations) were quite common. So things like the hippopotamus ("water horse" in Greek) becomes 河马 "river horse" and octopus ("eight foot") becomes 八爪鱼 "eight claw fish".
I'm not asking you to love English or any other given language, but if you under the impression that all languages other than Chinese have boring words that are created ex nihilo, then can I at least recommend the ever delightful @HaggardHawks to follow? https://twitter.com/haggardhawks/status/1315954881115627520
Yes! Quite a few of Chinese's calques are taken from Japanese kanji.
革命 originally meant "dynastic change", then used in Japan to mean "revolution/coup" and then was borrowed back again.
Other examples include 寫眞 (write-truth, portrait), 電話 (electric speech, telephone). https://twitter.com/ca101325/status/1316180616010854401
革命 originally meant "dynastic change", then used in Japan to mean "revolution/coup" and then was borrowed back again.
Other examples include 寫眞 (write-truth, portrait), 電話 (electric speech, telephone). https://twitter.com/ca101325/status/1316180616010854401
Many of these were created by Japanese scholars during the Meiji era to translate foreign terms. They drew specifically on ancient chinese texts to create etymologies that make sense.
These terms were then borrowed back into Chinese during the early 20th century.
These terms were then borrowed back into Chinese during the early 20th century.
And yes! This can't be stressed enough.
Because the written is what survives, book-sniffers like me have a bad habit to think that that is the bit of language that matters. But it really isn't. https://twitter.com/tylikcat/status/1316196138924609538
Because the written is what survives, book-sniffers like me have a bad habit to think that that is the bit of language that matters. But it really isn't. https://twitter.com/tylikcat/status/1316196138924609538
Whilst some compounds and their evolution offer snapshots of the culture that thought of them, a lot of compounds in Chinese are fairly unremarkable and don’t necessarily contain SEKRIT INSITE into the culture or people.
Many are just duplicates for the purpose of clarification.
Many are just duplicates for the purpose of clarification.
So for example, 星 already means star, but most people will be saying 星星, 星仔 or 天星.
Same for the moon being 月 but almost everyone will be saying 月亮, 月光, 月娘 (etc).
Same for the moon being 月 but almost everyone will be saying 月亮, 月光, 月娘 (etc).
People are sharing their favourite compounds from different languages and yes, please tell me more!
PS: if you’re wanting more on Mandarin and its myriad compounds and layers of meaning, I recommend checking out the PutongWords hashtag https://twitter.com/ourobororoboruo/status/1204967096750239746
