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Article published In:
Language Contact with Chinese
Edited by Zhiming Bao
[Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages 38:1] 2023
► pp. 151–169

Pún and tio̍h in Penang Hokkien

| National University of Singapore , Singapore

Penang Hokkien was spoken by the early Hokkien settlers as a heritage language in a Malay dominant environment before it became a lingua franca of the Chinese communities in present-day Penang and its neighboring states in Northern Malaysia. Over two centuries, Penang Hokkien has assimilated Malay words and structures. This article discusses the forms and functions of pún and tio̍h, which have assimilated Malay elements as response strategies to two key triggers for deviation from the baseline Southern Min dialect: ambiguity and complex structure. Through a detailed study of pún and tio̍h, this article contributes to a better understanding of the development of a Malay-dominant heritage language that is based on a Chinese dialect spoken in the Malay peninsula.

Keywords: heritage language, Penang Hokkien, Malay, Chinese dialects, Southern Min dialect, overseas Chinese
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Penang Hokkien as a heritage language
  • 3. Pún
    • Southern Min mā
    • Malay pun
    • Penang Hokkien pún
  • 4. Tio̍h
    • Southern Min tio̍h
    • Malay kena
    • Penang Hokkien tio̍h
  • 5.Summary
  • Notes
  • Glossary
  • References
Published online: 5 May 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jpcl.00108.hin
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