History of Hokkien Language in Penang

Hokkien is the lingua franca of the Chinese in Penang. The chronology below provides a rough idea how the language took hold.

• Three Kingdom Period (ca.220-280): Massive migration of northern Han Chinese into Fujian province. Native Baiyue speech subplanted with Old Chinese, which evolved to become Quanzhou Speech (Chinchew Hokkien).
• AD 667 - 885: Tang Dynasty emperors sent military to suppress rebellian in Fujian Province.
  AD 667 General Chen Zheng brought Middle Chinese phonology of northern China to Zhangzhou.
  AD 885 Warrior brothers Wang Chao and Wang Shenzhi also brought Middle Chinese to Zhangzhou. This evolved to become Zhangzhou Speech (Chiang-chew Hokkien)
• 9th -17th century evolution of Minnan Languages:
  
  
• 17th-20th centuries: Qing Dynasty rule (1644-1912)
  Hokkien people "voted with their feet", leave Fujian province in search of better life. They settled along the coast of Peninsula Malaysia in Kedah, Terengganu, Phuket, Trang and Medan, Sumatra. The Hokkien spoken bears the closest resemblance to that of the port city of Zhangzhou, so it can be suggested that the Hokkien of Penang is traces to villages in that surrounding area.
• 1786: Francis Light established British trading on in Penang. Chinese people cross over from Kedah and surroundings to start a life in Penang.
• 19th century: Immigration of Hokkien people, particularly from the port city of Amoy (Xiamen), which became a treaty port after the First Opium War (26 Aug 1841), settling in Singapore and later Klang. The Xiamen dialect of Hokkien subplanted the Chiangchew dialect of Hokkien in southern Peninsula Malaysia. The Hokkiens of northern Malaysia continues speaking the dialect which arrived earlier.

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Disclaimer

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

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About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.