| Population |
52,000,000 in China (1984). 498,000 in Macau. Population total all countries: 55,541,660. |
| Region |
Guangdong (except Hakka speaking areas northeast, Min Nan-speaking areas east, Hainan Island); Guangxi. Hong Kong and Macau. Also in Australia, Brunei, Canada, Costa Rica, Honduras, Indonesia (Java and Bali), Malaysia (Peninsular), Mauritius, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam. |
| Language map |
Southern China
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| Alternate names |
Cantonese, Gwong Dung Waa, Yue, Yueh, Yuet Yue, Yueyu |
| Dialects |
Yuehai (Guangfu, Hong Kong Cantonese, Macau Cantonese, Shatou, Shiqi, Wancheng), Siyi (Seiyap, Taishan, Toisan, Hoisan, Schleiyip), Gaolei (Gaoyang), Qinlian, Guinan, Ping. The Guangzhou variety is considered the standard. Varieties of Yuehai are Xiangshan, spoken around Zhongshan and Shuhai, and Wanbao around Dong Guan City and Bao’an County. |
| Classification |
Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
A member of macrolanguage Chinese [zho] (China). |
| Language use |
Second only to Mandarin in scope of use. Some also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn]. |
| Language development |
Fully developed. Bible: 1894–1981. |
| Writing system |
Han script, Simplified variant, used in Viet Nam. Han script, Traditional variant, used in Viet Nam. |
| Comments |
Classified as Han nationality. Outside of mainland China, many characters specific to Cantonese are used in the writing system. SVO; prepositions; genitives, relatives before noun heads; articles, adjectives, numerals before noun heads; word order mainly distinguishes subjects, objectives, indirect objects; passives usually indicated by adding a word in front of the verb; tonal. |
| Language name |
Chinese, Yue |
| Population |
862,000 in Viet Nam (1999 census). |
| Region |
Soc Trang, Can Tho, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Dong Nai, Kieng Giang provinces; Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, and Haiphong cities; north Viet Nam-China border regions. |
| Alternate names |
Chinese Nung, Ha Xa Phang, Hai Nam, Han, Hoa, Kién, Liem Chau, Lowland Nung, Minh Huong, Nung, Phúc, Quang Dong, Samg Phang, Suòng Phóng, Trièu Chau |
| Comments |
Renowned fighters. Came from Canton, China as railroad workers and soldiers several decades ago. Distinct from Nung in the Tai family or Tibeto-Burman Nung (Nu) of China and Myanmar. Daoist, Christian. |
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