Cantonese
proper noun
- Cantonese language, - variety of Yue Chinese spoken in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /kæn.təˈniːz/ / /kæn.təˈniz/
adj
Etymology: Etymology tree English Canton Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese English Cantonese From Canton + -ese.
- Relating to the city of Guangzhou (Canton) or the province of Guangdong.
- Relating to Cantonese people.
- Relating to Cantonese language.
- Relating to Cantonese food/cuisine.
noun
Etymology: Etymology tree English Canton Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese English Cantonese From Canton + -ese.
- A Sinitic language mainly spoken in the south-eastern part of Mainland China, Guangdong (Canton), Hong Kong, Macau, by the Chinese minorities in Southeast Asia and by many overseas Chinese worldwide.
“As a mainland China national, the counter for our trial was fluent in English, Putonghua, and the Sichuan dialect, and was familiar with a number of other major Chinese languages such as Cantonese and Hakka.”
“Each written word when spoken is mutually incomprehensible between a Mandarin speaker in Beijing and a Cantonese speaker in Hong Kong. If you think that’s odd, consider our number system: the symbol “9” is universally recognized but it’s pronounced “nine” in English and “devet” in Slovenian.”
- A dialect of the Yue language, spoken in Guangzhou (Canton), Hong Kong, Macau, and treated as the standard dialect of the Yue language.
- An inhabitant of Canton; a person of Canton descent.
“The alliance was headed by a mustached Cantonese with a broad face, piercing eyes, and a great sympathy for the poor and downtrodden, a man who reveled in "action at all costs and whatever the risks." This was Sun Yat-sen, a visionary who lacked practical political skills but nonetheless became the hallowed "Father of the Republic" upon his death.”