Cantonese
nounEtymology From Canton + -ese.
1
A Sinitic language mainly spoken in the south-eastern part of Mainland China, Guangdong (Canton), Hong Kong, Macau, by the Chinese minorities in Southeast Asia and by many overseas Chinese worldwide.
- As a mainland China national, the counter for our trial was fluent in English, Putonghua, and the Sichuan dialect, and was familiar with a number of other major Chinese languages such as Cantonese and Hakka.2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, →DOI, page 10:
- Each written word when spoken is mutually incomprehensible between a Mandarin speaker in Beijing and a Cantonese speaker in Hong Kong. If you think that’s odd, consider our number system: the symbol “9” is universally recognized but it’s pronounced “nine” in English and “devet” in Slovenian.2021 April 25, John Malathronas, “Which languages are easiest – and most difficult – for native English speakers to learn?”, in CNN, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2022:
2
A dialect of the Yue language, spoken in Guangzhou (Canton), Hong Kong, Macau, and treated as the standard dialect of the Yue language.
3
In plural An inhabitant of Canton; a person of Canton descent.
- The alliance was headed by a mustached Cantonese with a broad face, piercing eyes, and a great sympathy for the poor and downtrodden, a man who reveled in "action at all costs and whatever the risks." This was Sun Yat-sen, a visionary who lacked practical political skills but nonetheless became the hallowed "Father of the Republic" upon his death.2000, Stella Dong, Shanghai The Rise and Fall of a Decadent City, HarperCollins, page 85:
- Synonyms
- Yue Chinese, Yue, Cantonese language, Cantonese dialect
- Related terms
- Wiktionary’s coverage of Cantonese terms, Guangdong, Guangzhou, Guangzhouese, Guangzhounese
- Hyponyms
- Cantonese dialect, Hoisanese/Toisanese/Taishanese, Hong Kong Cantonese