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Peking or Beijing?

I write

  • Total voters
    5
samiam5211 said:
Sure, but the fact that someone in the west calls it that is absolutely an artifact of colonialism.
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It's hard to say that imo, any more than it's true that "Beijing" is communist.

Both are in common use in China. So it may to us be a relic of colonialism, but in China it's just the capital's name in different languages.

Interesting note that the Chinese word for China is Zhongguo, which means Center Kingdom. That's a reflection of how they've always viewed themselves.
 
Allan said:
It's hard to say that imo, any more than it's true that "Beijing" is communist.

Both are in common use in China. So it may to us be a relic of colonialism, but in China it's just the capital's name in different languages.

Interesting note that the Chinese word for China is Zhongguo, which means Center Kingdom. That's a reflection of how they've always viewed themselves.
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In German …. Reich der Mitte ….
 
Why do you write sweden instead of sverige?
 
Rumpel said:
Do you say Taiwan or Formosa?
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Younger people today have never heard of the Portuguese "Formosa," or "beautiful." ("Hermosa" in Spanish.)

So I would always refer to "Taiwan." "Tai" is "terrace" in Mandarin + "wan" is "bay" in Mandarin.

The official name of Taiwan is the REPUBLIC OF CHINA. (The Communist mainland is the "People's Republic of China." If you ever visit China, always be sure to remember the word "People's," or they might think you are referring to Taiwan. And you will be in B-I-G trouble!!!)
 
TheParser said:
Younger people today have never heard of the Portuguese "Formosa," or "beautiful." ("Hermosa" in Spanish.)

So I would always refer to "Taiwan." "Tai" is "terrace" in Mandarin + "wan" is "bay" in Mandarin.

The official name of Taiwan is the REPUBLIC OF CHINA. (The Communist mainland is the "People's Republic of China." If you ever visit China, always be sure to remember the word "People's," or they might think you are referring to Taiwan. And you will be in B-I-G trouble!!!)
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I remember Formosa
 
Do you say Italia or Italy?
 
Do you say Burma or Myanmar?
 
Myanmar
 
Beijing. That is what I learned in early 80's in school, despite the fact that our textbooks still had Peking.
 
Boots said:
Beijing. That is what I learned in early 80's in school, despite the fact that our textbooks still had Peking.
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Long live glorious Peking!
 
TheDoctorWasIn said:
🤣

That's not true at all. China was never colonized.

"Peking" and "Bejing" are two different romanizations of the same Chinese word, spoken in different dialects.
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correct
 
TheDoctorWasIn said:
🤣

That's not true at all. China was never colonized.
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Well, one might say that it was but only in spots.

Like Macao, Hong Kong, Tsingtao.

And the "Eastern Dwarfs" had a pretty good run at it as well.
TheDoctorWasIn said:
"Peking" and "Bejing" are two different romanizations of the same Chinese word, spoken in different dialects.
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Agreed.(y)
 
TheDoctorWasIn said:
🤣

That's not true at all. China was never colonized.

"Peking" and "Bejing" are two different romanizations of the same Chinese word, spoken in different dialects.
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Yes, we pronounced it Peking because the British guy who heard it only spoke Cantonese so he heard the name from someone who smoke Cantonese, even though most of the people who lived in Beijing at the time spoke mandarin.

Peking is an attempt to pronounce Beijing by someone who didn't speak the language, which was heard by someone else who didn't speak the language, and then we used that mispronunciation for generations.
 
samiam5211 said:
Yes, we pronounced it Peking because the British guy who heard it only spoke Cantonese so he heard the name from someone who smoke Cantonese, even though most of the people who lived in Beijing at the time spoke mandarin.

Peking is an attempt to pronounce Beijing by someone who didn't speak the language, which was heard by someone else who didn't speak the language, and then we used that mispronunciation for generations.
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If I knew what it actually was, I might try smoking some Cantonese myself.:D
 
for me it is Peking and Nanking and Schanghai and Sezuan.

and Tsingtao or Kiautschou ….
 
Bert Brecht once wrote a drama ….. the good person of Sezuan

in German …. der gute Mensch von Sezuan
 
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