The Duke Who Didn't: Glossary : Courtney Milan

The Duke Who Didn’t: Glossary & Pronunciation Guide

Welcome to the glossary & pronunciation guide! I have links to two separate pronunciations.

Links to forvo go to forvo.com, an online pronunciation guide. Forvo won't have all the names in the book, and also, will give you an idea of what speakers everywhere might say, and given the dispersal and drift within dialect across geography, speakers

I also talked to Michelle, who has a fantastic YouTube channel that includes Hakka lessons, recipes, general food content, and cultural discussion.

Michelle has provided spoken pronunciations for all the words in this glossary, including separate pronunciations in Hakka / Cantonese (and sometimes Mandarin), so you can get an idea of the differences between dialects. If this book piqued your interest in Hakka... go check out her channel!

Words

Ah (阿) - used in Hakka, Cantonese, and other Chinese dialects -affectionate prefix added to names / relationships.

Michelle pronouncing Ah (阿)

Ah Ba (阿爸) - used in both Hakka and Cantonese - father (affectionate)

Michelle pronouncing Ah Ba (阿爸) (pronunciation on forvo)

Ah Gung (阿公) - Cantonese - maternal grandfather

Michelle pronouncing Ah Gung (阿公) (pronunciation on forvo)

Ah Ma (阿媽) - Cantonese - mother (affectionate)

Michelle pronouncing Ah Ma (阿媽) (pronunciation on forvo)

Ah Me (阿姆) - Hakka - mother (affectionate)

note: The usage of Ah Me versus Ah Ma varies substantially in Hakka. Several people have told me they use Ah Ma rather than Ah Me (including Michelle!). So don't take this as a definitive guide.

Michelle pronouncing Ah Me (阿姆)(pronunciation on forvo)

Ah Poh (阿婆) - Cantonese - maternal grandmother

Michelle pronouncing Ah Poh (阿婆) (pronunciation on forvo)

Baba (爸爸) - (widely used in Chinese dialects, but the tones differ) - father

Michelle pronouncing Baba (爸爸) (pronunciation on forvo)

bao (包) - Cantonese - a bun filled with something. Usually cooked by steaming. See the pork bao entry in my food glossary.

Michelle pronouncing bao (包) - (pronunciation on forvo)

Hakka (客家) - translates literally as “guest people,” refers to an ethnic/cultural subgroup that migrated to Southern China somewhere between the 2nd and the 10th century.

Michelle pronouncing Hakka (客家) (pronunciation on forvo)

hiong (香) - Hakka - joss stick / incense.

Michelle pronouncing hiong (香) (pronunciation on forvo)

jook (粥) - Cantonese - a porridge/gruel made from cooking a grain in a lot of water for a long time.

Michelle pronouncing jook (粥) (pronunciation on forvo)

kuk (麴) - Cantonese - a class of yeast inoculants used to ferment (among other things) soy sauce, vinegar, and several kinds of wine. See qu.

Michelle pronouncing kuk (麴) (pronunciation on forvo)

lau tai (老弟) - Hakka - little brother.

Michelle pronouncing lau tai (老弟)(pronunciation on forvo)

lui cha fan (擂茶飯) - Hakka - translates literally as “thunder tea rice,” a dish made by frying herbs and tea leaves, pounding these in a mortar and pestle (hence the “thunder” in the name), and pouring the resulting green soup/tea over cooked vegetables and rice. See the lui cha fan entry in my food glossary.

Michelle pronouncing lui cha fan (擂茶飯)

nyong tofu (釀豆腐) - literally, stuffed tofu. Tofu triangles with a bit removed from the center, filled, stuffed and then braised. See my yong tofu entry in my food glossary.

Michelle pronouncing nyong tofu (釀豆腐) (pronunciation on forvo)

pai (拜) - Hakka - pay respect or worship.

Michelle pronouncing pai (拜) (pronunciation on forvo) -

qu (麴) - Mandarin - a class of yeast inoculants used to ferment (among other things) soy sauce, vinegar, and several kinds of wine. See kuk.

(pronunciation on forvo)

Taiping Tianguo (太平天國) - literally, “Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace.” Refers to the rebel kingdom formed by Hong Xiuquan in Southern China between 1851-1864.