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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > China > Chinese, Min Nan

Chinese, Min Nan

A language of China

ISO 639-3: nan

Population	25,700,000 in China (1984). 2.5% of the population, including 1,000,000 Xiamen dialect (1988 census), 6,000,000 Quanzhou dialect (Quanzhoushi Fangyan Zhi). Population total all countries: 47,265,100.
Region	South Fujian, Guangdong, south Hainan Island, south Zhejiang, south Jiangxi provinces. Xiamen in south Fujian, Jiangxi, and Taiwan; Hainan in Hainan; Leizhou on Leizhou peninsula of southwest Guangdong; Chao-Shan in far east corner of Guangdong in Chaozhou-Shantou area; Longdu is a dialect island around Zhongshan City and Shaxi in Guangdong south of Guangzhou; Zhenan Min in southeast Zhejiang Province around Pingyang and Cangnan and on Zhoushan archipelago of northeast Zhejiang. Also in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia (Java and Bali), Malaysia (Peninsular), Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United States.
Language map	Southern China
Alternate names	Minnan, Southern Min
Dialects	Xiamen (Amoy), Leizhou (Lei Hua, Li Hua), Chao-Shan (Choushan, Chaozhou), Hainan (Hainanese, Qiongwen Hua, Wenchang), Longdu, Zhenan Min. Xiamen has subdialects Amoy, Fujian (Fukien, Hokkian, Taiwanese). Amoy is the prestige dialect. Amoy and Taiwanese are easily mutually intelligible. Chao-Shan subdialects: Chaoshou (Chaochow, Chaochow, Teochow, Teochew), Shantou (Swatow). Chao-Shan, including Swatow, has very difficult intelligibility with Amoy; Sanjiang somewhat difficult for other dialect speakers; Hainan quite different from other dialects; Min Nan most widely distributed and influential Min variety. 2 subdialects in Taiwan: Sanso and Chaenzo. Most Min Nan speakers in Thailand use Chaoshou dialect.
Classification	Sino-Tibetan, Chinese A member of macrolanguage Chinese [zho] (China).
Language use	Other speakers use it for commerce. Most domains. All ages. Positive attitude. Chao-shan speakers may also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn], Yue Chinese [yue], or English.
Language development	Literacy rate in L2: 91%. Poetry. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1884–1933.
Writing system	Latin script, used in Taiwan.
Comments	Classified as Han nationality. Traditional Chinese religion, Buddhist, Christian, Daoist.

Also spoken in:

Brunei

Language name	Chinese, Min Nan
Population	13,100 in Brunei (2006).
Alternate names	Min Nan, Minnan
Dialects	Chaochow (Tiuchiu, Teochow), Hainan, Fujian (Hokkien).

Indonesia (Java and Bali)

Language name	Chinese, Min Nan
Population	700,000 in Indonesia (1982).
Region	Pontianak (West Borneo) and elsewhere.
Alternate names	Min Nan, Minnan
Dialects	Fujian (Hokkien), Chaochow (Tiu Chiu).

Malaysia (Peninsular)

Language name	Chinese, Min Nan
Population	2,660,000 in Malaysia (2000). 497,280 Teochew, 141,045 Hainanese, 2,020,868 Hokkien (2000).
Alternate names	Min Nan, Minnan
Dialects	Fukienese (Amoy, Fujianese, Hokkien), Hainanese, Chaochow (Teochow, Teochew).

Philippines

Language name	Chinese, Min Nan
Population	592,000 in Philippines. 98.7% of Chinese population in the Philippines (1982).
Alternate names	Min Nan

Singapore

Language name	Chinese, Min Nan
Population	1,170,000 in Singapore (1985). 736,000 speakers of Hokkien, 28.8% of the population (1993), 360,000 of Teochew (1985), 14.2% of the population (1993); 74,000 of Hainanese (1985), 2.9% of the population (1993). Ethnic population: 1,482,000 (1993) including 884,000 Hokkien (1993), 452,000 Teochew (1985), 146,000 Hainanese (1993).
Alternate names	Min Nam, Southern Min
Dialects	Hokkien (Fukienese, Fujian, Amoy, Xiamen), Teochew (Chaochow, Chaozhou, Taechew), Hainanese.
Language use	Trade language. Hokkien dialect is the most widely understood in Singapore (1979 Kuo). Also use Mandarin [cmn], English, or other Chinese varieties.

Taiwan

Language name	Chinese, Min Nan
Population	15,000,000 in Taiwan (1997 A. Chang).
Region	Tainan, Penghu Archipelago, cities on east coast, western plain.
Language map	Taiwan
Alternate names	Min Nan, Minnan
Dialects	Amoy (Taiwanese).
Language use	Also use Mandarin [cmn]. Adults over 60 also use Japanese.
Comments	Taiwanese people are called Hoklo or Holo. Chinese traditional religion, Buddhist, Christian, secular.

Thailand

Language name	Chinese, Min Nan
Population	1,080,000 in Thailand. 1,058,400 Chaochow (18%), 17,640 Fujian (.3%), 5,880 Hainanese (.1%) (1984).
Region	Cities.
Alternate names	Min Nan, Minnan
Dialects	Chaozhou (Chaochow, Tiuchiu, Teochow, Techu), Shantou (Swatow), Hainan, Fujian (Fukien, Hokkien).
Comments	Commerce; industrialists; clerks; sales; service; agriculturalists; professionals. Buddhist, Chinese folk religion, secular, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

BUCKWALTER, Jan K.; YI-HSUAN, Gloria Lo, authors. 2002. "Emergent biliteracy in Chinese and English."

CHAN-YAP, Gloria, author. 1977. "Hokkien Chinese loanwords in Tagalog."  

LIM, Hermanto; MEAD, David, authors. 2011. "Chinese in Indonesia: A Background Study."  

MATISOFF, James A., author. 1988. "Proto-Hlai initials and tones: a first approximation."

PITCHANEE, Sotthiyothin, author. 2006. "Chinese auspicious signs: Tiaofu and Duilian."