Hong Kong Cantonese: A Two-Hundred-Year Exploration of Transformation / By Cheung Hung-nin

**Cantonese in Hong Kong, much like a living organism, possesses its own vibrant vitality and is in constant flux. Language is not as rigid or static as one might imagine.** In the 1990s, Professor Cheung Hung-nin, then a visitor at the East Asian Library of Berkeley, happened upon an old book about Cantonese on the shelf. Driven by a moment of curiosity, he casually pulled it down. Standing under the dim chandeliers, he leafed through it briefly, then sat on the library floor and read for the entire afternoon. This chance encounter opened up a new research path for him over the subsequent two to three decades. "Hong Kong Cantonese: A Two-Hundred-Year Exploration of Transformation" selects a series of linguistic articles written by Professor Cheung Hung-nin over the years, detailing the various linguistic phenomena of early Cantonese and explaining the numerous changes in Hong Kong Cantonese from the 19th to the 21st century. Early Cantonese in Hong Kong originated from Guangzhou. After the mid-20th century, it gradually diverged from Guangzhou dialect, evolving into a distinct linguistic form. Today, the vast majority of Hong Kong's population speaks Cantonese as their mother tongue, and Cantonese serves as the primary language of communication in most social activities. Hong Kong Cantonese incorporates a large number of loanwords, some of which have become integral parts of the local lexicon, and numerous new changes have occurred at phonetic and grammatical levels. However, how exactly did these changes occur, and when? How extensive were their impacts, and are their trajectories traceable? Can we find similar developments in other languages? These questions are crucial starting points for anyone interested in the history of language evolution to confront and seek answers. The author hopes to reconstruct the developmental trajectory of Cantonese during this era of transition from a wealth of linguistic data, for the reference and discussion of future generations. ISBN:978-988-237-193-4 Binding: Paperback Language: Traditional Chinese Pages: 428 Dimensions: 229 x 152 x 26 mm **About the Author** Cheung Hung-nin is a Professor Emeritus at the Chinese Language and Literature Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of California, Berkeley. His publications include "A Study of Hong Kong Cantonese Grammar" (first edition 1972, revised edition 2007), A Practical Chinese Grammar (1994), and "It All Starts With Language" (2017). https://youtu.be/d19Gm8G7uR8