Introduction
By the beginning of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127 AD), Fujian province had three cultural and linguistic centers which are Northern, Eastern and Southern and all modern Min languages descended from one of these three.This article talks about the origin and development of Northern Min languages in green borders below.
Proto-Wu language
The Han dynasty annexed Minyue kingdom in 110 BC and the whole Fujian region was a part of Kuai-Ji (會稽) commandery in Yangzhou (揚州) province. |
| Yangzhou province during Han dynasty |
The Mountain Yue people rebelled against the Han dynasty and general He Qi (賀齊) was sent to quell the rebellion in 203 AD. The city Nan-Ping (南平) in northern Fujian which literally means 'quell-south', was named after this event.
He Qi and his army spoke proto-Wu and came from Shaoxing in modern-day Zhejiang province which was also part of Kuai-Ji commandery during Han dynasty.
His army who was left behind to guard the region became the first significant wave of Han Chinese to northern Fujian.
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| He Qi temple |
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| Jian-An commandery (ancient Fujian) |
At this time, this commandery was sparsely populated with under 10,000 people who lived mainly along the Min River.
Proto-Jianzhou language
The second wave of Han Chinese to northern Fujian happened around 304-316 AD during the Western Jin dynasty. This wave of Han Chinese spoke the Luoyang (洛陽) language.The first wave speakers who spoke proto-Wu language and second wave speakers who spoke Luoyang language gradually mixed their languages to form proto-Jianzhou language.
The proto-Jianzhou speakers could be found mainly in Jianzhou (建州) prefecture in the Tang dynasty map below.
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| Three Min cultural centers and one Hakka center |
Jianzhou language
In 945 AD, Southern Tang dynasty conquered a large part of western Fujian which started the third wave of Han Chinese into north western Fujian and happened again during Song dynasty (960 - 1279 AD).
Minzhong (閩中) aka Central Min language developed out of ancient Nanjianzhou prefecture (南劍州) which was carved out of southern part of Jianzhou prefecture and surrounding areas during the Northern Song dynasty. It is spoken mainly in modern-day Sanming (三明) prefecture today. Its prestige dialect is Yong-An (永安).
During the Ming and Qing dynasty, Central Min language received considerable influence from both Southern Min and Gan languages which made it unintelligible to its parent language.
Shaojiang (邵將) language developed from military prefecture Shaowu (邵武) which was carved out of Jianzhou during Northern Song dynasty. It received considerable influence from Gan language which also made it unintelligible to its parent language. Its prestige dialect is Shaowu (邵武).
Different cognates for all the languages in each branch.
The Northern Min word for pig (豨) comes from the ancient Chinese Chu language whose living descendant language is Old Xiang language in Hunan.
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| Three Min cultural centers |
This wave consists of Gan (贛) speakers from neighbouring Jiangxi province in the west. Consequently, many Gan words were incorporated into Northern Min languages especially into Shaowu (邵武) and Jiangle (將樂) counties in western Jianzhou.
The proto-Jianzhou language spawned three partially intelligible Northern Min languages which are Jianzhou, Minzhong and Shaojiang as shown in the green border.
Jianzhou (建州) aka Minbei is the representative language of Northern Min and is spoken in modern-day Nanping (南平) prefecture. Its prestige dialect is Jian-Ou (建甌).
Northern Min language subfamily
Jian-Ou (建甌) city was the political, economical and cultural center of Northern Min.The proto-Jianzhou language spawned three partially intelligible Northern Min languages which are Jianzhou, Minzhong and Shaojiang as shown in the green border.
Minzhong (閩中) aka Central Min language developed out of ancient Nanjianzhou prefecture (南劍州) which was carved out of southern part of Jianzhou prefecture and surrounding areas during the Northern Song dynasty. It is spoken mainly in modern-day Sanming (三明) prefecture today. Its prestige dialect is Yong-An (永安).
During the Ming and Qing dynasty, Central Min language received considerable influence from both Southern Min and Gan languages which made it unintelligible to its parent language.
Shaojiang (邵將) language developed from military prefecture Shaowu (邵武) which was carved out of Jianzhou during Northern Song dynasty. It received considerable influence from Gan language which also made it unintelligible to its parent language. Its prestige dialect is Shaowu (邵武).
Three branches of Min languages
The most distinctive feature between the three branches of Min languages is the different prefix of calling names.
English
|
Southern Min
|
Eastern
Min
|
Northern
Min
|
Prefix
|
Ah (阿)
|
Ee (依)
|
Lau (老)
|
| name | Ah sing (成) | Ee sing | Lau sing |
| father | Ah pa (爸) | Ee tia (爹) | ? |
| brother | Ah hia (兄) | Ee ko (哥) | ? |
English
|
Southern Min
|
Eastern Min
|
Northern Min
|
| you | lu/lɯ (汝) | nü (汝) |
li (你)
|
| he/she | ee (伊) | ee (伊) | kü (佢) |
| pig | tu/tɯ (豬) | tü (豬) | khü (豨) |
The Northern Min word for pig (豨) comes from the ancient Chinese Chu language whose living descendant language is Old Xiang language in Hunan.
Besides different language characteristics, there are other cultural e.g. architectural, cuisine and deities differences between these three regions.
The languages are essentially a mixture of proto-Wu and Jin dynasty Luoyang. Different northern Min languages have different degrees of influence from Gan language. There are also a few ancient Minyue words that will be explored in 'Origin of Minyue' article.
The word 'Fujian' actually comes from a combination of two ancient prefectures Fuzhou and Jianzhou during the Tang dynasty. Fujian people was finally given their own province from 960 AD (Northern Song dynasty).
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2018/10/origin-of-wu-language.html
Origin of Fuzhou language (Eastern Min)
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2019/02/origin-of-fuzhou-language.html
Origin of Hokkien language (Southern Min)
Ethnic origin of Tanka (Minyue)
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2019/03/ethnic-origin-of-tanka.html
Conclusion
Northern Min languages were formed from the mixture of three waves of Han Chinese to north west Fujian.The languages are essentially a mixture of proto-Wu and Jin dynasty Luoyang. Different northern Min languages have different degrees of influence from Gan language. There are also a few ancient Minyue words that will be explored in 'Origin of Minyue' article.
The word 'Fujian' actually comes from a combination of two ancient prefectures Fuzhou and Jianzhou during the Tang dynasty. Fujian people was finally given their own province from 960 AD (Northern Song dynasty).
Related links
Origin of Wu languagehttp://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2018/10/origin-of-wu-language.html
Origin of Fuzhou language (Eastern Min)
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2019/02/origin-of-fuzhou-language.html
Origin of Hokkien language (Southern Min)
Ethnic origin of Tanka (Minyue)
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2019/03/ethnic-origin-of-tanka.html
Sources
- 《史記‧東越列傳》
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- The cult of the Wuyi mountains and its cultivation of the past: a topo-cultural perspective. https://www.persee.fr/doc/asie_0766-1177_1998_num_10_1_1135
- 侯精一主編，《現代漢語方言概論》，上海教育出版社2002年出版，208~209頁
- https://www.chiculture.net/index.php?file=topic_description&old_id=30068
- Song dynasty 太平寰宇記
- Li, Rulong 李如龍; Chen, Zhangtai 陳章太 (1991), "Lùn Mǐn fāngyán nèibù de zhǔyào chāyì" 論閩方言內部的主要差異 [On the main differences between Min dialects], in Chen, Zhangtai; Li, Rulong, Mǐnyǔ yánjiū 閩語硏究 [Studies on the Min dialects], Beijing: Yuwen Chubanshe, pp. 58–138, ISBN 978-7-80006-309-1.
- 福建古代經濟史
- 走遍中国 闽越风云录 CCTV video
- https://kknews.cc/history/kbzg54r.html
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