Linguistic DNA: The 'Malay & Indonesian Loanwords' in Xiamen Dialect
Introduction: The Cultural Fingerprint in Speech For overseas Chinese descendants living in Singapore, Malaysia, or Indonesia—particularly within the Peranakan (Baba Nyonya) community—the Hokkien spoken at home often carries a distinct “hybrid” feel. Younger generations may wonder: why do elders refer to a “market” as Pasat and “soap” as Sap-bun? These are not mere dialectal variations; they are “Nanyang genes” etched into the Xiamen dialect. As digital humanities experts, by analyzing historical records such as the Xiamen Dialect Gazetteer, we can see that these loanwords are living proof of the Minnan pioneers’ journey between the “South Seas” and their ancestral homeland. ...