hokkien

A major dialect of the Chinese language originating from southern China - Fujian province Widely used among the Chinese population in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan, in addition to Mandarin which is the common-tounge "dialect" for all Chinese over the world. Hokkien is often associated with the working classes but is also the language of choice for many politicians from Taiwan - like the current president of ROC, Chen Shui Bian. Hokkien is a very colourful and impactful dialect when used in the hands of the highly-skilled exponents of the dialect. A lot of swear words only attain their full impact when delivered in Hokkien. Teocheow is considered the more-refined and scholarly cousin dialect - mainly in use by older Chinese in Thailand.