Literary and colloquial readings of Chinese characters

rdf:langString Literary and colloquial readings of Chinese characters

rdf:langString bûn-pi̍k ī-tho̍k

rdf:langString man4-baak6 ji6-duk6

rdf:langString no

rdf:langString báidú

rdf:langString wénbái yìdú

rdf:langString wéndú

rdf:langString bûn-pe̍k ī-tho̍k

rdf:langString 文白异读

rdf:langString 文白異讀

rdf:langString wen2-pai2 yi4-du2

rdf:langString màhn-baahk yih-duhk

rdf:langString Differing literary and colloquial readings for certain Chinese characters are a common feature of many Chinese varieties, and the reading distinctions for these linguistic doublets often typify a dialect group. Literary readings (文讀/文读; wéndú) are usually used in loanwords, names (geographic and personal), literary works (like poetry), and in formal settings, while colloquial/vernacular readings (白讀/白读; báidú) are usually used in everyday vernacular speech. For example, in Mandarin, the character for the word "white" (白) is normally read with the colloquial pronunciation bái ([pǎɪ]), but as a name or in certain formal or historical settings it can be read with the literary pronunciation bó ([pwǒ]). This example is particularly well known due to its effect on the modern pronunciation of the names of the Tang dynasty (618–907) poets Bai Juyi and Li Bai (alternatively, "Bo Juyi" and "Li Bo"). The differing pronunciations led linguists to explore the linguistic strata. It is generally believed that the colloquial readings represent a substratum, while their literary counterparts a superstratum. Such differences reflect a history of dialect mixing and the influence of education and instruction on the area.