tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846921797306345190.post1478249651777430420..comments2010-03-14T22:08:38.974+08:00Comments on Wide Angle: The Dialect DebateHuzir Sulaimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10269816157711448876noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846921797306345190.post-53959603430907077462008-10-31T22:31:00.000+08:002008-10-31T22:31:00.000+08:00The idea that Mandarin is THE Chinese language is ...The idea that Mandarin is THE Chinese language is terribly artificial. I read somewhere that at the turn of the 20th century, when the Kuomintang government chose the official language of China, Cantonese beat Mandarin by one vote.<BR/><BR/>I was trying to find a source for this and found a funny but highly relevant comment on <A HREF="http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=173981&st=60" REL="nofollow">a bulletin board</A>: "Finally there is only one real difference between a language and a dialect: An Army"<BR/><BR/>Then again...I'm a banana with a very limited grasp of both Mandarin and Cantonese. But people still respond better if you at least try a little bit, show some affinity with them.xenobiologistahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781983279242647376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846921797306345190.post-7989146175765015972008-10-08T17:22:00.000+08:002008-10-08T17:22:00.000+08:00Very interesting. I too find dialects very enrich...Very interesting. I too find dialects very enriching and it is a shame that they will soon be a thing of the past. Like your mother-in-law, I find it easy to strike up conversations with strangers in their dialects and it is amazing what you can learn from these. When my sisters and I go out they are no longer surprised to find me in earnest conversation with strangers. It is so easy to do. All you've got to do is smile, send out a greeting and voila! a conversation is underway.chapchaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00048180236421500719noreply@blogger.com