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From: cteckcho@trantor.dso.gov.sg (Benedict Chong Teck Choy)
Subject: Re: Original Chinese Language
Message-ID: <1994Dec28.123417.26002@trantor.dso.gov.sg>
Organization: DSO
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References: <D1Fnq7.55K@cuug.ab.ca>
Date: Wed, 28 Dec 1994 12:34:17 GMT
Lines: 29

Kwok Fung 268-1854 (fungk@cuug.ab.ca) wrote:
: 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.)

Well, depending on what type of hakka you are, you may either
call it tae or cha. Cantonese can also call it either Cha or tae.

: 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.


