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Traditional Chinese - any difference between Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking users?
Thread poster: Thomas Johansson
Thomas Johansson
Thomas Johansson  Identity Verified
Peru
Local time: 13:15
English to Swedish
+ ...
Apr 29

I am trying to understand the nature of Cantonese writing.

When Cantonese-speaking people (e.g. in Hong Kong) write, they usually do so in Traditional Chinese script.

Also, when Mandarin-speaking Taiwanese people write they also usually do so in Traditional Chinese script.

However, will they write Traditional Chinese in the same way or will they be using the Traditional Chinese script in different ways and, if so, to what extent?
 
Alex Ossa
Alex Ossa  Identity Verified
Chile
Local time: 14:15
Member (2017)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Supposedly the same script but it varies Apr 30

The basis for both is the same, but because of dialectical particularities, Cantonese has added some Cantonese-only characters and has also used some characters to add meanings that do not exist elsewhere. Also, Hong Kong Cantonese is like an internationalised version of Cantonese, not identical to it, and so introduces some more character modifications. The lower registers tend to favour written Cantonese even more.
Then, for Hong-Kong, add the years of English influence which has again ... See more
The basis for both is the same, but because of dialectical particularities, Cantonese has added some Cantonese-only characters and has also used some characters to add meanings that do not exist elsewhere. Also, Hong Kong Cantonese is like an internationalised version of Cantonese, not identical to it, and so introduces some more character modifications. The lower registers tend to favour written Cantonese even more.
Then, for Hong-Kong, add the years of English influence which has again modified the meanings of some words and expressions, behind simple Cantonese evolution or adaptation...
Taiwan must have its own set of circumstances that also diverge the meaning of its traditional script from Hong Kong's, but their high registers are still very much the same.

For HK, I've seen estimates of about 3-5% divergence vs traditional script (high register) and up to about 30-35% divergence in lower (but not low) registers (eg, newspapers) still using traditional script. This in an analysis by someone from the University of HK (on UHK's website) who notes the differences continue to grow over the decades.

In summary, they are more or less the same script in formal writing but can diverge a lot in the less formal registers.

[Edited at 2024-04-30 01:02 GMT]

[Edited at 2024-04-30 01:05 GMT]

[Edited at 2024-04-30 01:06 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 


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Traditional Chinese - any difference between Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking users?






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