Hainanese

English

Etymology

From Hainan +‎ -ese. Doublet of Hainamese and Hailamese.

Adjective

Hainanese (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to the island of Hainan, its people and their diaspora.
   • 1977, Sarasin Viraphol, Tribute and Profit: Sino-Siamese Trade 1652-1853‎^[1], Harvard University Press, pages 188-189:

     Because of the comparatively shorter distance, Hainanese merchants could use smaller vessels, usually constructed of fir and other inferior woods, which they customarily furnished with masts, rudders, and wooden anchors, availing themselves of the abundance of material in Champa and Cambodia which lay on their route to Bangkok.

Proper noun

Hainanese

1. A group of Min Chinese dialects spoken on the island of Hainan and its diaspora.
   • 1892, Report of the American Presbyterian Mission in Canton, China for the Year 1891‎^[2], Canton, page 48:

     Mr. MELROSE, though engaged in the study of the Hainanese language, has found time to open and give daily supervision to a Boy's School.

   • 1984, NUSA: Linguistic Studies in Indonesian and Languages in Indonesia‎^[3], volume 19, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 21, column 1:

     It is not easy to decide from which dialect of Chinese some of the loanwords derive, and this may explain why Philip Leo does not list any as coming from Hainanese nor Tiociu.

Derived terms

• Hainanese pork chop

 

Translations

group of Min dialects spoken in Hainan

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 海南話 / 海南话 (hoi² naam⁴ waa^6-2)

  Mandarin: 海南話 / 海南话 (zh) (hǎinánhuà)

See also

• Wiktionary's coverage of Hainanese terms

Noun

Hainanese pl (plural only)

1. The inhabitants of the island of Hainan and its diaspora
   • 1970, William E. Willmott, The Political Structure of the Chinese Community in Cambodia‎^[4], Athlone Press, page v:

     I needed an interpreter in only one interview, that with an elderly Hainanese from Kompong-Trach.

Translations

inhabitants of Hainan

• Catalan: hainanès m, hainanesa f
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 海南人 (hoi² naam⁴ jan⁴)

  Mandarin: 海南人 (Hǎinánrén)

• German: Hainaner m, Hainanerin f

Further reading

• ISO 639-3 code hnm (SIL)
• Ethnologue entry for Hainanese, hnm ⁠