Minnan
/ˈmɪn.nɑːn/noun
A branch of Sinitic languages spoken chiefly in southern Fujian, Taiwan, and parts of Southeast Asia.
Did you know?The word “Min” comes from 閩, an ancient name for the Fujian region whose ultimate origin is uncertain and may predate the arrival of written Chinese there.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Qin period
Early Chinese
閩 (Mǐn)
“An ancient name for the Fujian region and its peoples; the word’s deeper origin is uncertain.”
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
南 (nán)
“South or southern.”
Medieval Chinese
Middle Chinese
閩南 (Mǐn-nán)
“Southern Min, referring to the southern part of the Min-speaking region.”
19th Century
English
Minnan
“An English-language form used in linguistic and geographical descriptions of Southern Min speech.”
Modern English
English
Minnan
“A Sinitic language branch including varieties such as Hokkien and Taiwanese.”