Cantonese is one of several chief Chinese languages with a long history that began more than 200 centuries ago. Cantonese is also known as Yue and was intended to only be a dialect of Chinese and not a language, but since the differences are so remarkable Cantonese is recognized as its own language. The language is spoken in the Southern region of China and is one of the most popular languages of China.
Brief History of the Language
Cantonese has a rich history stemming over thousands of years. According to Cantonese.ca, Guangdong used to be the language epicentre for Cantonese. Guangdong used to be called Canton by the English; therefore, the word canton is the root word for Cantonese.
Regions in China and Asia where the language is spoken
Cantonese is spoken throughout the Southern regions of China and other parts of Asia such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and other countries. Cantonese is obviously spoken in other countries where there are Chinese communities.
Prevalence of the language
Cantonese is spoken by over 100 million people in the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and near by places such as Hong Kong, and Macao. Again, Cantonese is spoken among Chinese people in different regions of the world. The language Cantonese is the dominant language of the Chinese diaspora and it is spoken in China towns around the world and it is spoken among Chinese people living in different parts of the world such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, the Caribbean islands, and other countries and regions. As mentioned earlier, Guangdong used to be the cultural epicentre of Cantonese but now Hong Kong has that title.
The cultural meaning of Cantonese
Behind every language there is a cultural significance or meaning to the language. Cantonese has a long history lasting hundreds of centuries and even today the language is the most dominant and popular among the entire Chinese Asian diaspora. The Chinese government has made Mandarin the official language of the nation. Government communications such as documents media coverage and other forms of communication are in Mandarin. Despite efforts to promote Mandarin, Cantonese still remains a dominant language and as mentioned earlier Cantonese is frequently spoken in the Southern parts of China and throughout the Chinese diaspora. Cantonese which is considered a dominant language among the Chinese people is dominant as Mandarin in comparison is a relatively new language which originated less than one thousand years ago. It may be evident that the Chinese want to preserve their culture.
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