The Inheritance, Development and Value of Southern Min Dialect in Malaysia

Wang Xiaomei

Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning ›› 2025, Vol. 10 ›› Issue (2) : 15-22.

Welcome to visit Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning!
Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning ›› 2025, Vol. 10 ›› Issue (2) : 15-22. DOI: 10.19689/j.cnki.cn10-1361/h.20250202

The Inheritance, Development and Value of Southern Min Dialect in Malaysia

  • Wang Xiaomei
Author information +
History +

Abstract

As the Southern Min Dialect speakers are dominant among the Chinese in Malaysia, the dialect (locally known as Hokkien) has become one of the prevalent dialects in the Chinese community and has influenced mutual exchanges with Malay. The Min spoken by the Chinese native to Kelantan has become a creole that is so different from the mainstream Min that mutual intelligibility is lost. Baba Malay and Pasar Malay are mixed languages that are grammatically influenced by Min. The majority of the Chinese loanwords in Malay today originate from Min. Malaysian Mandarin contains many Southern Min dialect words, forming a regional variant of global Chinese distinct from other regions. Penang is a significant hub of Malaysia’s Min culture, with Penang Min exhibiting considerable vitality and serving as a symbol of the region’s intangible cultural heritage. The Southern Min dialect holds instrumental, resource-oriented and heritage-oriented values in Malaysia. Researching the contact between the Southern Min dialect and Malay is not only of linguistic significance, but also provides valuable insights for studying the history of Chinese immigration. Emphasizing the protection and inheritance of the Southern Min dialect and its culture in Malaysia is crucial for enhancing the connection between Malaysia and the broader Southern Min cultural circle, the Chinese cultural circle, and the associated economic activities.

Key words

Southern Min dialect / Malaysia / dialect inheritance

Cite this article

Download Citations
Wang Xiaomei. The Inheritance, Development and Value of Southern Min Dialect in Malaysia[J]. Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning. 2025, 10(2): 15-22 https://doi.org/10.19689/j.cnki.cn10-1361/h.20250202

Accesses

Citation

Detail

Sections
Recommended

/