Chinese, Hakka

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A language of China

ISO 639-3
hak
Alternate Names
Hakka, Hokka, Ke, Kechia, Kejia, Majiahua, Tu Guangdonghua, Xinminhua
Population

25,700,000 in China (1984). Population total all countries: 30,082,810.

Location

Widespread with other dialects. Greatest concentration in east and northeast Guangdong Province; also in west and southwest Fujian, south Jiangxi, Guangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, and Hainan provinces. Also in Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Panama, Singapore, South Africa, Suriname, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
Dialects

Changting, Hailu, Huayang, Huizhou, Ning-Long (Longnan), Pingdong, Tingzhou (Min-Ke), Tonggu, Yuebei, Yue-Tai (Meixian, Raoping, Taiwan Kejia), Yuezhong, Yugui. Yue-Tai (Meixian) is standard dialect. Lexical similarity: with Gan Chinese [gan].

Typology

SVO; tonal

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 91% (2000 census, Han nationality). Highly literate in Chinese and they use that literature. Radio programs. Bible: 1916.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Chinese, Hakka
Writing
Latin script, used in Taiwan.
Other Comments

Majority officially classified within Han nationality.

Also spoken in:

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