Comments on: Pinyin in Taiwan

By: amida

amida — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:36:36 +0000

Wade-Giles is used in Taiwan—just incorrectly (without apostrophes, etc.). Using it (correctly) would surely be a better choice than Tongyong, and it might be politically palatable to both the KMT and the DPP as well. Of course, Hanyu Pinyin has become the international standard and is therefore probably the most preferable, but I don’t think WG should be dismissed out-of-hand, what with made-up nonsense like Tongyong around and being taken seriously by some people….

By: Jade Oc

Jade Oc — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:22:24 +0000

WG is not that good either, and those apostrophes are silly. For all its apparent quirks (Cixi, the dowager Empress’s name, is nothing like it would be in ‘English’ sounds) it is generally consistent and easy once you get to know it.

“People should be free to write personal names as they wish”
So says the artist formerly known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince….

“there is no particular reason that the Romanized spelling of Mandarin words should be based on English”

There is probably a better reason for English than any other European language, however. How much business is done between Taiwan and Spain vs Taiwan and the Anglosphere?

By: Roy Berman

Roy Berman — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:25:34 +0000

Both of Dawei’s points are very good. Every language uses the Roman alphabet in a very different way and there is no particular reason that the Romanized spelling of Mandarin words should be based on English.

As for point 2, perhaps a system like that used in Japan would make sense? In Japan one’s legal name consists of two parts- the main line that represents the official way of writing the name-usually in kanji, but sometimes in hiragana and/or katakana or even roman letters, in the case of a foreigner from a non-kanji country, as well as the “furigana” line, expressing the pronunciation in katakana. Perhaps Taiwan, considering their linguistic situation, could allow both a kanji line and a roman alphabet line (using the romanization system of ones choice) on official identity documents.

I suppose Wade-Giles could be used, but what’s the point? Wade-Giles is utterly dead, and no one teaches it or learns it except for deciphering the romanization in old English language books about China.

By: amida

amida — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:57:10 +0000

There is also another option no one seems to consider—the proper use of Wade-Giles, apostrophes and all. I suppose it is too difficult.

By: Dawei

Dawei — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:05:57 +0000

A couple of points:

1. Why should the pinyin system be formulated especially with the concerns of ENGLISH speakers in mind? X’s and q’s make look exotic, but the humble letter j has a different sound in English, Spanish, and German. No system can avoid such problems.

2. Aborigines—but no other citizens—are legally allowed to use romanized names as their legal names. Why should this privilege not be extended to others? Foreigners in particular might appreciate being able to do so (for example, when they produce a child who is a Taiwan citizen).

By: Joe Jones

Joe Jones — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:43:50 +0000

Japan is pretty easygoing when it comes to choosing one’s “official” romanization—when you apply for a Japanese passport, you can basically alter the default Hepburn rendering of your name however you want to (within reason).

Examples: http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/osirase/02/2315/hihebonrei.html