Cantonese - Names

Names

In English, the term "Cantonese" is ambiguous. Cantonese proper is the language native to the city of Canton, which is the traditional English name of Guangzhou, and later brought to Hong Kong and Macau; this narrow sense may be specified as "Canton language" or "Guangzhou language" in English.

However, "Cantonese" may also refer to the primary branch of Cantonese which contains Cantonese proper as well as Taishanese and Gaoyang; this broader usage may be specified as "Yue" (粤). In this article, "Cantonese" is used for Cantonese proper.

Customarily, speakers call their language "Guangzhou speech" (Guǎngzhōu huà, 广州话 or 廣州話). In Guangdong province people also call it "Provincial Capital speech". In Hong Kong and Macau, people usually call it "Guangdong speech" (廣東話), or just "Chinese" (中文 zung1 man2). In Guangdong, people also call it "Baak6 Waa2" (plain speech) (白話)..

Due to its status as a prestige dialect, it is often called "Standard Cantonese" (simplified Chinese: 标准粤语; traditional Chinese: 標準粵語; Jyutping: biu1zeon2 jyut6jyu5; Guangdong Romanization:Biu1 zên2 yud6 yu5). (With simplified tone markers: biu zeon/ jyut_ jyu= / biu zên/ yud_ yu=).

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