Hokkien
/ˈhɒk.i.ən/noun
A variety of Southern Min Chinese spoken mainly in Fujian, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and other overseas Chinese communities.
Did you know?“Hokkien” is not the language’s original native name: it is an English rendering of Southern Min speakers’ pronunciation of 福建, the Chinese name for Fujian.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient China
Chinese
福建
“The written name of Fujian, a southeastern Chinese province; the characters literally suggest “blessing” and “establish,” but this is not a reliable translation of the place-name’s historical origin.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
Fuk-kèn
“A historical pronunciation of 福建, from which later Southern Min forms developed.”
Early Modern Chinese
Southern Min
Hok-kiàn
“The Southern Min pronunciation of 福建.”
19th Century
English
Hokkien
“An English rendering used for the Southern Min language and, by extension, its speakers and cultural communities.”
Modern English
English
Hokkien
“A major Southern Min variety, commonly referring especially to forms associated with southern Fujian, Taiwan, and Southeast Asian Chinese communities.”