As part of my overall strategy to centralize and consolidate all blogging operations, this site is being discontinued.
Additionally, the new blog will widen the focus from pan-Asian onomatology to other related topics such as linguistics, influence of the Chinese characters on Asian history and cultures, and more.
Find the new home for the Sinosphere blog at http://sinosphereblog.blogspot.com (don’t forget the “blog” part).
Recently the General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP) 新闻出版总署 of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has issued a circular banning use of foreign words in Chinese-language publications.
While this sounds like a sign of some nationalistic surge to promote ethnic and cultural purity, as well as cultural exclusivism, the reality is that this will not only protect the Chinese language from corrupted by indiscriminate and unnecessary borrowing from foreign languages, but also will help Chinese people who learn English and other foreign languages by reducing confusions and misuses of words and phrases.
A good counter-example to this policy is Japan, where very few Japanese are fluent in English even after six years of mandatory English instructions in secondary schools (grades 7-12) and popularity of English lessons. Unlike in China, the Japanese language has never been closely regulated by a national academy, and indiscriminate importations of foreign words from multiple sources (Dutch, Portuguese, French, German and English) have created a confusing array of gairaigo words used in manners inconsistent with the original usage or grammar in their originating languages. This has led to a proliferation of Engrish or Japrish words, made (in)famous back in the 1990s through T-shirts produced by a company named Hikousen. While English-sounding words and Latin alphabets proliferate in Japanese cities Japrish has done injustice not only to the Japanese language but also to the English language. China’s policy decision comes at a time when many borrowed foreign words are becoming part of common Chinese people’s speech, whereas certain words are completely misused.
Train stations in South Korea have signs in Korean alphabet (Hangul), Chinese letters (note: This is not to be confused with the Chinese language, but rather Korean words written with Chinese characters. For instance the sign above is Dorasan Yeog 도라산역, whereas the word Yeog is Korean, while the Chinese for the same is Zhan 都罗山站.) and English (Dorasan Station, in the English language).
Recently there was a student rally in South Korea to promote hanmun gyoyuk 汉文教育 한문교육, teaching of Chinese characters and classic literature in schools.
Teaching Chinese characters in Korean schools have numerous benefits. First it helps students understand etymology of their own languages better. Second, it is a gateway to both learning Japanese and Chinese, the languages of their two neighbours and major business partners. As the exchanges between Korea and China grows South Korean businesses are increasingly expanding also to the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan alike, and knowing the letters is an important help in learning the Chinese language proper.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers’ involvement with the “Fatherland Liberation War” (aka Korean War). The Chinese army intervened when the U.S.-led coalition advanced northward very close to the Yalu/Amrok River 鸭绿江/암록강, putting the Communist China in a precarious position (this was when much of the world community did not see Beijing as a legitimate government, and the U.N. membership for China was still held by the KMT in Taipei). The Chinese troops participated in the war under the name of “Chinese People’s Volunteers” 中国人民志愿军 although they consisted entirely of the People’s Liberation Army 中国人民解放军 soldiers. This was primarily done to avoid over-provoking the U.S. by “officially” participating in the war. Hence it was packaged as though individual Chinese PLA soldiers voluntarily went to Korea and fought under the command of the Korean People’s Army (KPA). In reality, however, the CPV was operating as part of the PLA.
In commemoration of this event, North Korean media have been on lovefest with China during the past week. Much of the news programming on the Korean Central Television (KCTV) has been devoted on this topic, with special propaganda music videos extolling the DPRK-China relationship and a trailer of the latest movie Hyeongje eui jeong 형제 의 정 (The Brotherly Bond) that depicts the Chinese cooperation in the Korean War.
Today, the People’s Republic of China is perhaps the only major country that sides with the DPRK; and is the largest trading partner for North Korea.
조중친선 朝中親善 의 노래
(“Song of the Korean-Chinese friendship”)우리는 미더운 형제 (兄弟) 피로써 맺은 진우 (親友) 들 조중친선 (朝中親善) 뜨거운 정을 가슴마다 지녔다 공동 (共同) 의 목적 (目的) 을 위 (為) 해 손과 손을 잡고서 친선 (親善) 의 노래부르며 발결음 맞춰나간다
준엄한 싸움의 날도 우리는 함께 있었네 헤처갈 시련(試練) 의 날도 우리 함께 가리라 혁명(革命) 의 의리(義理) 를 지켜 반함없이 언제나 단결(団結) 의 노래부르며 발걸음 맞춰나간다
하나로 이어진 마음 세월(歳月) 이 갈수록 깊어라 굳게 뭉친 우리의 힘 폭풍도 가르지 못하리 두 나라 강산(江山) 에 꽃핀 조중 친선(朝中親善) 의 노래 연원(永遠) 히 높이 부르며 발걸음 맞춰나간다
두 나라 강산에 꽃핀 조중 친선의 노래 연원히 높이 부르며 발걸음 맞춰나간다
Speaking of Kim Jong Eun’s name, a Taiwanese TV program has already caught on and making fun of it.
In a recently posted news release on the General Association of Koreans in Japan 조선총련 (aka Chongryon or Chosen Soren), a quasi-official representative of the DPRK government in Japan, the names of the newly elevated generals of the Korean People’s Army are now written with Chinese characters that are different from what has been conventionally used by the Chinese-language media.
Kim Jong Eun 김정은 (son of the Great Leader Kim Jong Il) is now written as 金正恩.
Kim Kyong Hui 김경희 (aunt of the junior Kim) is now 金庆喜.
The choice of letters is not insignificant. 正恩 means true mercy (that the Leaders bestow upon the people of the DPRK), and 庆喜 means celebration of happiness (which the socialist paradise is supposed to be).
As reported widely, a rare general assembly of the Workers’ Party of Korea 朝鲜劳动党 조선로동당 met in Pyongyang and officially commissioned a number of key figures for leadership in the Korean People’s Army 朝鲜人民军 조선인민군. This includes, among others, is Kim Jong Eun 金正银 김정은, the son of the present leader Kim Jong Il 金正日 김정일.
It appears that the Chinese media have settled on the name of the son. In the past there have been at least two variations to his name — Kim Jong Un 金正云 김정운 or Kim Jong Eun 金正恩 김정은, but now it seems that the DPRK government uses Kim Jong Eun (Gim Jeong Eun) 金正银 김정은 (Eun as in silver).
Another newly appointed general, Kim Kyong Hee (Gim Gyeong Heui) 金敬姬 김경희 is a sister of the leader Kim Jong Il.
Perhaps as the first and so far the only U.S. president in history who has roots in Hawai’i and Asia, Barack Obama is more sensitive to how the Chinese-language media and government officials in Chinese-speaking areas write his name in Chinese.
According to the Xinhua 新华社 news report dated Nov. 19, 2009, the Obama administration objected how “Obama” was written in Chinese characters by the officials of the People’s Republic of China. The White House officials preferred that the Chinese government use 欧巴马 (ou ba ma), while the PRC officials (and by extension, state-controlled media such as Xinhua and People’s Daily 人民日报) has written 奥巴马 (ao ba ma).
The Chinese government officials, while admitting that “Aobama” sounds less closer to the original pronunciation, the use of the letter Ou 欧 presents several problems. First, the letter Ou also means Europe, which makes it less appropriate for a name of an American president. Second, the name Oubama 欧巴马 sounds and looks too much like Oubasang 欧巴桑 (derived from Japanese word for “aunt”, it has become a Chinese slang in recent years to mean an old unsophisticated woman), which could inadvertently cause the association of Obama with the imagery of an Oubasang.
On the related note, the Chinese word for the White House is Baigong 白宫, which literally means “white palace”. The Obama administration also objected to this, saying that there is no palace in the United States, and told the Chinese officials to call the White House “Baiwu” 白屋.
With the recent news that the economy of Japan has been eclipsed by the fast-growing China, there remains very little hope for Japan except through some kind of union with China, either politically or economically through free trade and free movement of people, capital and talents.
a mock proposed design of an emblem and a flag of Japan, China, by IrisCat Designs.
SVG version available here (Creative Commons Public License 3.0-by-nc-nd)
