Shanghainese

Shanghainese (上海话; pinyin: Shànghǎihuà, lumanzi: Zanheireiwo, Shanghainese in IPA: {{IPA|}}), sometimes referred to as the Shanghai dialect, is a dialect of Wu Chinese spoken in the city of Shanghai. Wu has 87 million speakers as of 1991, and is the second most spoken form of Chinese after Mandarin (which has some 800 million speakers). Shanghainese is the representative dialect of Northern Wu; it contains vocabulary and expressions from the entire Northern Wu area (southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang). With nearly 14 million speakers, Shanghainese is also the largest single coherent form of Wu Chinese.

Related Topics:
Pinyin - Lumanzi - IPA - Wu Chinese - Shanghai - Mandarin - Jiangsu - Zhejiang

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Shanghainese is rich in consonants and pure vowels {{IPA|}}. Like other northern Wu dialects, the Shanghai dialect has voiced initials {{IPA|}}. Neither Mandarin nor Cantonese has voiced initials.

Related Topics:
Wu - Voiced initials - Cantonese

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Shanghainese is a register language, with only two live tonal constrasts (high and low). Compare this with 4 in Mandarin, and 6 in Cantonese. The Shanghainese tonal system is instead similar to African languages; different from other Chinese languages, Thai and Vietnamese. For more information on the tonal system, visit http://www.zanhei.com/pitch.html.

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Shanghainese is currently banned in schools and in newspapers, and the media are strongly discouraged from broadcasting in contemporary Shanghainese. However, Shanghainese can often be heard on the radio. Several television advertisements in Shanghainese have been removed shortly after airing. In 2004, a Tom and Jerry program dubbed with Shanghainese was blocked from broadcasting. The only form of Shanghainese currently allowed for public broadcast are Shanghainese Folk Opera and Orthodox Shanghainese (catering to farmers in the suburbs). Celebrities are put on billboards with slogans like "Be a modern Shanghaier, speak Mandarin."

Related Topics:
2004 - Tom and Jerry

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In August 2005, there were media coverages reporting that Shanghainese will be taught in high school. This introduced great controversy. Proponents argue that this will make the students know their hometown better and help preserve local culture. Opponents argue that this will encourage discrimination based on people's origin.

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