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From: fungk@cuug.ab.ca (Kwok Fung 268-1854)
Subject: Re: Original Chinese Language
Message-ID: <D1Fnq7.55K@cuug.ab.ca>
Organization: Calgary UNIX User's Group
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References: <3c3dgu$fba@agate.berkeley.edu> <>> <3cggb9$817@usenet.rpi.edu> <CLAUDE.94Dec26172308@tokyo.trc.mew.co.jp>
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 1994 19:32:14 GMT
Lines: 22

Claude Huss (claude@trc.mew.co.jp) wrote:

: What sounds weird, though. Spanish and Portuguese people brought
: Tea from the same place, but in Spanish is called "Te'" and in Portuguese
: is called "Cha'".

That's easy.  Portuguese and Spanish didn't got it from exactly the same
place.  They were close, but not the same. 
Portuguese got tea from Macau or there about, and it was
(and is) called 'cha'.  (I am from Macau.) Spanish got it may be
a hundred mile to the east of Macau, and they pronounce it 'dae'.

Actually, Southern China has very complex language distribution.
The Hakas, Hoklo's are scattered in various locations. They,
and people around the Swatow, Xiamun area pronounce it 'Tae', or 'Dae'.
The people from Canton City or areas around it pronounce it 'Cha',
(except the Hakas and Hoklos amongst them, of course.)
and various villages and in the province have many variations
in the pronounciation.  You can literally walk a quarter mile
to another village and hear a different dialect.  And the 
fishermans (Dangka) have a different dialect too, even if they
live in the same location as everybody else.
