Fukien language
- noun
- Archaic
- The Fukien language has several mutually unintelligible dialects within Fujian province.
Examples
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She grew up speaking Fukien language before learning Mandarin in school.
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Many people in Taiwan speak the Fukien language.
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Many overseas Chinese communities speak the Fukien language at home.
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The Fukien language has many dialects.
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Many overseas Chinese communities speak the Fukien language at home.
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She grew up speaking Fukien language before learning Mandarin in school.
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The Fukien language has several mutually unintelligible dialects within Fujian province.
Synonyms
1
7.9
A Chinese language spoken in Taiwan and parts of southern China
1
9.9
A Chinese language spoken in Fujian province and by many overseas communities, also called Hokkien
A form of Chinese people speak in Fujian province and nearby areas, also called Hokkien or Min Nan
A form of Chinese spoken in Fujian province and by people who moved to other countries
A group of Chinese dialects spoken mainly in Fujian province and by Chinese abroad, also called Hokkien or Minnan
A Chinese dialect spoken in Fujian province and by Chinese people abroad
A Chinese language spoken mainly in Taiwan and Fujian, also called Hokkien or Minnan
A group of Chinese dialects spoken mainly in Fujian, like Hokkien and Teochew
A group of Chinese dialects spoken in Fujian and southeast China
A group of Chinese languages spoken mainly in Fujian province and nearby parts of southeast China
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning (languages spoken in Fujian) is directly compositional: a place-name 'Fukien' + the noun 'language' yields 'the language of Fukien.' The place-name + language pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Fukien language comes from an older spelling of the Chinese province 'Fujian' that foreign writers used long ago. So Fukien and language together mean the local speech or dialects people speak in that province today.