New Holo dictionary launched by Tainan retiree

2015-02-25

A Holo-Mandarin dictionary hailed as the most comprehensive lexicon of the language since the end of World War II was unveiled Jan. 20 in Tainan City, southern Taiwan.

Authored by 88-year-old lexicologist Cheng Dun-yuan, the 2,000-page volume was compiled over 20 years. It encompasses detailed information on the subtleties between classical and vernacular Holo.

“Most Holo terms come in two distinct phonetic variants,” Cheng said. “The classical pronunciation survives mostly in literary texts and can be dated back to the Shang dynasty [1765-1122 B.C.], while the vernacular sound is heard in everyday conversation.”

According to Cheng, phonological changes occur with words at the end of sentences or preceding other neutral-tone words.

“Most dictionaries provide only the basic tone of a word but not the fusional transformation, which is often lost in modern speech,” he said. “I seek to address this issue by incorporating both in my work.”

Complete with Mandarin and Romanized phonetic notations, the dictionary is expected to facilitate education of Holo in Taiwan, as well as highlight the beauty of the sophisticated language.

A graduate of National Tainan Commercial Vocational School, Cheng taught himself linguistics in addition to acquiring a Taiwan law officer qualification. He also worked for Tainan City-headquartered Taiyen Biotech Co. Ltd. until retiring in 1991.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=227658&CtNode=413)