Page Type: languageChinese, Min Bei | Ethnologue

MNP ISO 639-3

Chinese, Min Bei

A language of China

ISO 639
mnp
Alternate Names
Min Pei, Northern Fujian, Northern Min
Population
11,100,000 in China (2018). Total users in all countries: 11,534,000.
Location:
Fujian province: 7 counties around Jian’ou; some in Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces.
Language Status
5 (Developing). Language of recognized nationality: Han.
Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
Dialects
Shaojiang Chinese (Shao-Jiang Min, Shaojiang), Northwestern Min Bei. The Chinese now divide Chinese Min into 5 major varieties: Min Nan [nan], Min Bei [mnp], Min Dong [cdo], Min Zhong [czo], and Pu-Xian [cpx]. Others say there are at least 9 varieties which are inherently mutually unintelligible. A member of macrolanguage Chinese [zho].
Typology
Tonal.
Language Use
Used by all. Also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 91% (2000 census, Han nationality). Highly literate in Chinese and they use that literature. NT: 1934.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Chinese, Min Bei
Writing
Latin script [Latn], from 1896 to some time after last publication in 1922.
Other Comments
Buddhist, Christian, Daoist.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Chinese, Min Bei
User Population
402,000 in Malaysia (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
Language Status
Unestablished
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Malaysia
Language Name
Chinese, Min Bei
User Population
18,000 in Singapore (2018 J. Leclerc).
Location
Districts 23 and 24, Bukit Batok area northwest; scattered elsewhere.
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Singapore
Language Name
Chinese, Min Bei
User Population
14,000 in Thailand (Leclerc 2019a). , based on ethnicity.
Language Status
5 (Developing)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Thailand

Map

Location: Fujian province: 7 counties around Jian’ou; some in Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces.