Huizhou dialect

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For the group of dialects spoken in the historical region of Huīzhōu (徽州), see Huizhou Chinese.
Huizhou dialect
惠州话 / 惠州話
Native toChina
RegionHuizhou, Guangdong
Native speakers
110,000 (2002)[1]
Sino-Tibetan
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
hak-hui Huizhou
Glottologhuiz1243  Huizhou
Linguasphere79-AAA-gai
79-AAA-gaj
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The Huizhou dialect (simplified Chinese: 惠州话; traditional Chinese: 惠州話; pinyin: Huìzhōuhuà) is a Chinese dialect spoken in and around Huicheng District, the traditional urban centre of Huizhou, Guangdong.[2] The locals also call the dialect Bendihua (simplified Chinese: 本地话; traditional Chinese: 本地話; pinyin: Běndìhuà; lit. 'local speech') and distinguish it from the dialect spoken in Meixian and , which they call Hakka (simplified Chinese: 客家话; traditional Chinese: 客家話; pinyin: Kèjiāhuà).[2][3]

Classification[]

The classification of the Huizhou dialect is disputed because it shows characteristics of both Yue and Hakka. Most scholars classify the Huizhou dialect as a dialect of Hakka, but some scholars, most notably Liu Shuxin, consider it to be a dialect of Yue.[2]

The first edition of the Language Atlas of China puts it into its own subgroup under Hakka known as the Huizhou subgroup (惠州片; Huìzhōu piàn).[4] In the second edition, it is still classified as a dialect of Hakka, but it is placed under the Mei–Hui cluster (梅惠小片; Méi-Huì xiǎopiàn) of the Yue–Tai subgroup (粤台片; 粵臺片; Yuè-Tái piàn).[5]

Liu Shuxin groups it together with other similar dialects spoken around the middle and upper reaches of the Dong River, including the , into the Hui–He branch (惠河系; Huì-Hé xì) of Yue.[6] Chang Song-hing and Zhuang Chusheng propose a similar grouping called the Hui–He subgroup (惠河片; Huì-Hé piàn), but they classify the group as Hakka.[7]

Phonology[]

Tones[]

The Huizhou dialect has seven tones:[8]

Tone name dark level
(阴平 / 陰平) 		light level
(阳平 / 陽平) 		rising
(上声 / 上聲) 		dark departing
(阴去 / 陰去) 		light departing
(阳去 / 陽去) 		dark entering
(阴入 / 陰入) 		light entering
(阳入 / 陽入)
Example 哥 人 许 / 許 气 / 氣 事 急 及
Tone letter ˧ (33)[A] ˨ (22)[B] ˧˥ (35) ˨˩˧ (213)[C] ˧˩ (31)[D] ˦˥ (45), ˥ (5) ˨˩ (21)[E]
  1. ^ Also recorded as ˦ (44)[9][10] or ˥ (55).[11]
  2. ^ Also recorded as ˩ (11)[12][10] or ˧ (33).[11]
  3. ^ Also recorded as ˩˧ (13).[11][12][9][10]
  4. ^ Also recorded as ˥˧ (53)[11] or ˨˩ (21).[12]
  5. ^ Also recorded as ˨ (2),[12][10] ˩ (1)[11] or ˧ (3).[9]

Other than these seven tones, ˥ (55) appears in some grammatical particles.[13]

Grammar[]

Verbal aspect[]

The Huizhou dialect has several aspectual markers that attach to the verb as suffixes:[14][15][16]

Aspect Marker
Progressive 紧 / 緊 /kin˧˥/, 稳 / 穩 /ũn˧˥/
Continuous 住 /tsʰy˧˩/
Perfective 抛 / 拋 /pʰau˧ ~ au˧ ~ ei˧/, 阿 /a˧/, □ /ei˥/
Experiential 过 / 過 /kɔ˨˩˧/

Pronouns[]

The Huizhou dialect has the following personal pronouns. The plural is formed by a tone change.[17]

Singular Plural
1st person 我 /ŋɔi˨˩˧/ 我 /ŋɔi˧˥/
2nd person 你 /ni˨˩˧/ 你 /ni˧˥/
3rd person 佢 /kʰy˨/ 佢 /kʰy˧˥/

Vocabulary[]

The Huizhou dialect has many cognates with Yue and/or Hakka (cognates with Huizhou are shaded in blue):[18]

English Huizhou Guangzhou (Yue) Meixian (Hakka) Putonghua
fly (insect) 乌蝇 / 烏蠅 /ũ˧ zən˨/ 乌蝇 / 烏蠅 wu1 jing1 乌蝇 / 烏蠅 vu1 yin2 苍蝇 / 蒼蠅 cāngyíng
house 屋 /ək˦˥/ 屋 uk1 屋 vug5 房子 fángzi
sleep
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