Fuzhounese
/fuːˈdʒoʊniːz/noun
A variety of Chinese spoken in and around Fuzhou, or a person from Fuzhou.
Did you know?The Fuzhounese language, also called Eastern Min or Min Dong, preserves distinctions and pronunciations that differ dramatically from Mandarin—even speakers of other Chinese varieties may not understand it.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
福
“Good fortune, blessing, or prosperity; pronounced fú in Mandarin.”
Medieval Chinese
Chinese
州
“A prefecture or administrative district; pronounced zhōu in Mandarin.”
Ancient–Medieval China
Chinese
福州
“Fuzhou, literally “fortunate prefecture,” a place-name in present-day Fujian.”
19th Century
English
Fuchow / Foochow
“Older English spellings of Fuzhou, reflecting historical Chinese romanization systems.”
19th–20th Century
English
Fuzhounese
“An English formation combining Fuzhou with the demonym and language suffix -ese.”
Modern English
English
Fuzhounese
“The Eastern Min language of Fuzhou and surrounding areas, or a person associated with Fuzhou.”
Explore more surprising origins