Hokkien
The existence of literary and colloquial readings (Wen Bai Yi Du ), called thak-im (Du Yin ), is a prominent feature of some Hokkien dialects and indeed in many Sinitic varieties in the south. The bulk of literary readings (Wen Du , bun-thak), based on pronunciations of the vernacular during the Tang Dynasty, are mainly used in formal phrases and written language (e.g. philosophical concepts, surnames, and some place names), while the colloquial (or vernacular) ones (Bai Du , peh-thak) are basically used in spoken language and vulgar phrases. Literary readings are more similar to the pronunciations of the Tang standard of Middle Chinese than their colloquial equivalents.
What are literary and colloquial readings called?
thak-im
The existence of literary and colloquial readings (Wen Bai Yi Du ), called thak-im (Du Yin ), is a prominent feature of some Hokkien dialects and indeed in many Sinitic varieties in the south.
literary and colloquial readings