cantonese
/ˌkæn.təˈniz/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.07 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "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."
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.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌkæn.təˈniz/
- British English: /ˌkæn.təˈniːz/
Usage
Phrases
Wiktionary’s coverage of Cantonese terms