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Pu–Xian Min
莆仙語/莆仙話/興化話 Pó-sing-gṳ̂/Pó-sing-uā/Hing-hua̍-uā
Native to	China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan (Wuqiu)
Region	Fujian (Putian, parts of Fuzhou and Quanzhou)
Ethnicity	Putianese (Han Chinese)
Native speakers	3.15 million (2022)
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Sinitic Chinese Min Coastal Min Pu–Xian Min
Early forms	Proto-Sino-Tibetan Old Chinese Proto-Min
Dialects	Putian Xianyou
Writing system	Simplified Han characters Traditional Han characters Hinghwa Romanized (Hing-hua̍ Báⁿ-uā-ci̍)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	cpx
Glottolog	puxi1243
Linguasphere	79-AAA-id
Pu-Xian Min
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Pu–Xian Min (Hinghwa Romanized: Pó-sing-gṳ̂; traditional Chinese: 莆仙話; simplified Chinese: 莆仙话; pinyin: Púxiānhuà), also known as Putian–Xianyou Min, Puxian Min, Pu–Xian Chinese, Xinghua, Henghua, Hinghua or Hinghwa (Hing-hua̍-gṳ̂; traditional Chinese: 興化語; simplified Chinese: 兴化语; pinyin: Xīnghuàyǔ), is a Chinese language that forms a branch of Min Chinese. Pu-Xian is a transitional variety of Coastal Min which shares characteristics with both Eastern Min and Southern Min, although it is closer to the latter.

The native language of Putian people, Pu-Xian is spoken mostly in Fujian province, particularly in Putian city and Xianyou County (after which it is named), parts of Fuzhou, and parts of Quanzhou. It is also widely used as the mother tongue in Wuqiu Township, Kinmen County, Fujian Province, Republic of China (Taiwan). More than 2,000 people in Shacheng, Fuding in northern Fujian also speak Pu-Xian. There are minor differences between the dialects of Putian and Xianyou.

Overseas populations of Pu-Xian speakers exist in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Speakers of Pu-Xian are also known as Henghua, Hinghua, or Xinghua.

History

Before the year 979 AD, the Pu-Xian region was part of Quanzhou county and hence people there spoke a form of Southern Min.

In 979 AD, during the Song dynasty, the region was administratively separated from Quanzhou and the Chinese spoken there developed separately from the rest of Southern Min. Due to its proximity with Fuzhou, it absorbed some elements of Eastern Min, such as morphophonemic alternations in initial consonants, but its basic linguistic characteristics, i.e. grammar and most of its lexicon, are based on Southern Min. It also shares denasalization of historical nasal consonants and vocalic nasalization with Southern Min varieties.

Pu–Xian Min has been shown to be 62% cognate with Quanzhou dialect (Southern Min) and only 39% cognate with the Fuzhou dialect (Eastern Min).

Characteristics

Differences with Southern Min dialects

Pu-Xian differs from most Southern Min varieties in several ways:

• The vowel 'a' is replaced by /ɒ/ (o̤) in most cases, e.g. 腳 ko̤ "leg".
• The vowel 'ư' /ɯ/ is replaced by /y/ ('ṳ'), e.g. 魚 hṳ "fish".
• In Putian 'ng' has changed to /uŋ/ except after zero initial and h- (notation: ng), e.g. 湯 tung "soup".
• The vowel /e/ is often replaced by /ɒ/ o̤, e.g. 馬 bo̤ "horse".
• Where Quanzhou has 'ĩ' and Zhangzhou has 'ẽ', the corresponding Putian vowel is 'ã', e.g. 病 baⁿ "sick", where ⁿ indicates a nasalized vowel.
• The vowel 'io' is replaced by 'iau' (notation: a̤u), e.g. 笑 ciao "laugh". This also holds for nasalized vowels, e.g. 張 da̤uⁿ corresponding to Zhangzhou tioⁿ.
• Nasals 'm' sometimes occur in place of voiced stops 'b', e.g. 夢 mang vs. Quanzhou bang.
• Initial consonant 'ng' replaces 'g' e.g. 五 'ngo' vs. Quanzhou 'go'.
• There is a loss of distinction between voiced and unvoiced stops, e.g. the sounds /b/ and /p/ both correspond to the same phoneme and occur in free variation.

Borrowings from Eastern Min

• Wife 老媽 (Lau Ma)

Phonology

Pu-Xian has 15 consonants, including the zero onset, the same as most other Min varieties. Pu-Xian is distinctive for having a lateral fricative instead of the in other Min varieties, similar to Taishanese.

Pu-Xian has 53 finals and 6 phonemic tones.

Initials

• β (only appears in connected speech. It's a result of consonant mutation of )

Finals

Pu–Xian Min has 53 finals (including nasalised finals)

Tone

Register

Assimilation

新婦房　ɬiŋ pu paŋ　→　ɬiŋ mu βaŋ

青草 tsʰɔŋ tsʰau　→　tsʰɔŋ nau

Comparison between Putian Min and Quanzhou Min Nan

Sentence-final particles

• ah (啊): used to express exclamation.
• lah (啦): used to stress or for adding emotional effect to your words.
• neh (呢): used for questioning.
• nɔ (唔): used to express emotion.
• yɔu (哟): used to denote obviousness or contention.

Romanization

Hing-hua̍ báⁿ-uā-ci̍ (興化平話字) is the Romanization system for Pu–Xian Min. It has 23 letters: a a̤ b c ch d e e̤ g h i k l m n ng o o̤ p s t u ṳ.

The Romanization only needs five tone marks for seven tones:

• 陰平 Ing-báⁿ　(unmarked)
• 陰上 Ing-siō̤ng　ˆ (â)
• 陰去 Ing-kṳ̍　ˈ (a̍)
• 陰入 Ing-ci̍h (unmarked)
• 陽平 Ió̤ng-báⁿ　́ (á)
• 陽去 Ió̤ng-kṳ̍　– (ā)
• 陽入 Ió̤ng-ci̍h　ˈh (a̍h)　

Notes

1. Min is believed to have split from Old Chinese, rather than Middle Chinese like other varieties of Chinese.

References

1. Pu–Xian Min at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)
2. Mei, Tsu-lin (1970), "Tones and prosody in Middle Chinese and the origin of the rising tone", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, 30: 86–110, doi:10.2307/2718766, JSTOR 2718766
3. Pulleyblank, Edwin G. (1984), Middle Chinese: A study in Historical Phonology, Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, p. 3, ISBN 978-0-7748-0192-8
4. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian (2023-07-10). "Glottolog 4.8 - Min". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7398962. Archived from the original on 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
5. Cai, Guo-mei 蔡国妹 (2013). "Fúdǐng Àoyāo Púxiān fāngyán dǎo zài diàochá" 福鼎澳腰莆仙方言岛再调查 [A Further Study on Pu-Xian Dialect Zone in Aoyao Village, Fuding]. Lóngyán Xuéyuàn xuébào / Journal of Longyan University (in Chinese). 2013 (1): 38–43. doi:10.16813/j.cnki.cn35-1286/g4.2013.01.008 – via en.cnki.com.cn.
6. "Shìjiè shàng gēnběn wú Mǐnnányǔ ~ Wáng Huánán" 世界上根本無閩南語 ~ 王華南 [There is no Hokkien in the World ~ Wang Huanan]. Táiwān wǎng lù jiàohuì 台灣網路教會 (in Chinese). 2011-05-27.
7. "Cháozhōuhuà" 潮州话 [Teochew Dialect]. 8944.net (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2015-06-21. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
8. Lien, Chinfa (August 17–19, 1998). "Denasalization, Vocalic Nasalization and Related Issues in Southern Min: A Dialectal and Comparative Perspective". International Symposium on Linguistic Change and the Chinese Dialects.
9. Li, Rulong 李如龍; Chen, Zhangtai 陳章太 (1991). Lùn Mǐn fāngyán nèibù de zhǔyào chāyì 論閩方言內部的主要差異 – 閩語硏究 [On the Main Differences in Min Dialects] (in Chinese). Beijing: Yuwen Chubanshe. pp. 58–138.

External links

• Motoki Makajima, Conversational Texts in Two Min Dialects, 1979
• Pu-Xian Min at Omniglot

v t e Sino-Tibetan branches
Western Himalayas (Himachal, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim)	West Himalayish Tamangic Newaric Newar Baram–Thangmi Kiranti Dhimalish Dhimal Toto Lhokpu Lepcha Greater Magaric Magaric Magar Kham Chepangic Chepang Bhujel Raji–Raute Dura–Tandrange
Eastern Himalayas (Tibet, Bhutan, Arunachal)	Bodish Tibetic East Bodish Tshangla Basum Nam? Gongduk ʼOle Tani Chamdo
Myanmar and Indo- Burmese border	Karbi Kuki-Chin Mruic Mru Hkongso Pyu Taman "Naga" Ao Angami–Pochuri Meitei Tangkhulic Zeme Sal Boro–Garo Konyak Jingpho–Luish
East and Southeast Asia	Sinitic Bai Tujia Nungish Karenic Gong Kathu Cai–Long Caijia Longjia Luren Burmo-Qiangic Qiangic Gyalrongic Ersuic Naic Lolo-Burmese Mondzish Burmish Loloish
Dubious (possible isolates) (Arunachal)	Hrusish Hruso Mijiic Kho-Bwa Puroik Miju–Meyor Songlin Greater Siangic Siangic Koro Milang Idu–Taraon
Proposed groupings	Central Tibeto-Burman Kuki-Chin–Naga Macro-Bai Mahakiranti Rung Tibeto-Burman Tibeto-Kanauri
Proto-languages	Proto-Sino-Tibetan Proto-Tibeto-Burman Proto-Loloish Proto-Karenic Proto-Min Proto-Hakka
Italics indicates single languages that are also considered to be separate branches.

v t e Min Chinese
Languages Eastern Min Houguan Fuzhou dialect Fuqing dialect Changle dialect Gutian dialect Matsu dialect Funing Xiapu dialect Fu'an dialect Ningde dialect Others Manjiang dialect Zhongshan Min Longdu dialect Nanlang dialect Southern Min Teochew Min Swatow dialect Hokkien Amoy dialect Quanzhou dialects Hui'an dialect Yongchun dialect Zhangzhou dialects Chawan dialect Longyan dialect Taiwanese Banana colloquial speech Northern Malacca Straits Hokkien Penang Hokkien Medan Hokkien Kelantan Peranakan Hokkien Philippine Hokkien Southern Malacca Straits Hokkien Southern Peninsular Malaysian Hokkien Singaporean Hokkien Others Datian Min Houlu dialect Haklau Min Zhenan Min Zhongshan Min Sanxiang dialect Pu–Xian Min (Hinghwa) Putian dialect Xianyou dialect Northern Min Jian'ou dialect Jianyang dialect Shao–Jiang Min Shaowu dialect Jiangle dialect Central Min Sanming dialect Shaxian dialect Yong'an dialect Leizhou Min Zhanjiang dialect Hainanese Haikou dialect Wenchang dialect
Writing system Logographic Chinese characters Alphabetic Pe̍h-ōe-jī Pe̍h-ūe-jī Hainan Romanized Foochow Romanized Hinghwa Romanized Kienning Colloquial Romanized Taiwanese Romanization System Taiwanese Language Phonetic Alphabet Daighi tongiong pingim Bbánlám pìngyīm Peng'im Fuzhou Transliteration Scheme Hainanese Transliteration Scheme Mixed Hàn-lô
Research Proto-languages Proto-Min Rime dictionaries Qi Lin Bayin Jianzhou Ba Yin

v t e Chinese language
Sinitic languages
Major groups	Mandarin Northeastern Changchun Harbin Shenyang Taz Beijing Beijing Taiwan Jilu Tianjin Jinan Jiaoliao Dalian Qingdao Weihai Central Plains Dongping Gangou Guanzhong Xi'an Luoyang Xuzhou Dungan Xinjiang Southwestern Sichuanese Chengdu–Chongqing Minjiang Leshan Renshou–Fushun Zigong Kunming Nanping Wuhan Gui–Liu Wuming Jianghuai Nanjing Nantong Nanping Lanyin Lanzhou dialect [zh] Urumqi dialect [zh] Xinjiang Other Junjiahua Qinjiang Gyami Jin Zhangjiakou–Hohhot Zhi–Yan Wu Taihu Shanghai Suzhou Wuxi Changzhou Hangzhou (?) Shaoxing Ningbo Jinxiang Jiangyin Shadi Taizhou Wu Taizhou Tiantai Oujiang Wenzhou Rui'an Wencheng Wuzhou Jinhua Chu–Qu Quzhou Jiangshan Qingtian Xuanzhou Xuancheng Huizhou Ji-She [zh] Xiu-Yi [zh] Qi-De [zh] Yanzhou [zh] Jing-Zhan [zh] Gan Chang–Du Nanchang Yi–Liu Ying–Yi Da–Tong Xiang Changyi Changsha Loushao Shuangfeng Xiangxiang Wugang Ji–Xu Yong–Quan Qiyang Min Eastern Houguan Fuzhou Fuqing Changle Gutian Matsu Fu–Ning Ningde Fu'an Other Manjiang Zhongshan Longdu Nanlang Southern Hokkien Quanzhou Zhangzhou Amoy Chawan Taiwan Philippine Pedan Penang Singapore Malaysian Teochew Swatow Haklau Zhongshan Sanxiang Other Zhenan Longyan Other Northern Jian'ou Jianyang Central Pu–Xian Shao–Jiang Leizhou Zhanjiang Hainan Wenchang Haikou Banqiao Hakka Meixian Wuhua Huizhou Tingzhou Changting Taiwanese Sixian Hailu Raoping Yue Yuehai Guangzhou Hong Kong Malaysia Xiguan Jiujiang Shiqi Weitou Dapeng Siyi Taishan Xinhui Other Gao–Yang Goulou Wu–Hua Yong–Xun Luo–Guang Qin–Lian Pinghua Northern Tongdao Younian Southern Yongjiang Guandao Rongjiang Unclassified Shaozhou Tuhua Xiangnan Tuhua Badong Yao Danzhou Mai Shehua Waxiang Yeheni Huizhou Bai Cai-Long Caijia Longjia Luren Laobeizi
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