Huizhou dialect
The Huizhou dialect is a Sinitic variety spoken in and around Huicheng District, the traditional urban centre of Huizhou, Guangdong. The locals also call the variety Bendihua and distinguish it from the varieties spoken in Meixian and Danshui, Huiyang, which they call Hakka.
Classification
The classification of the Huizhou dialect is disputed because it shows characteristics of both Yue and Hakka. Most scholars consider the Huizhou dialect a dialect of Hakka with intense influence from Cantonese, but some scholars, most notably Liu Shuxin, consider it to be a dialect of Yue.The first edition of the Language Atlas of China puts it into its own subgroup under Hakka known as the Huizhou subgroup. In the second edition, it is still classified as a dialect of Hakka, but it is placed under the Mei–Hui cluster of the Yue–Tai subgroup.
Liu Shuxin groups it together with other similar dialects spoken around the middle and upper reaches of the Dong River, including the Heyuan dialect, into the Hui–He branch of Yue. Chang Song-hing and Zhuang Chusheng propose a similar grouping called the Hui–He subgroup, but they classify the group as Hakka. Lau Chunfat, considering this group of dialects distinct from Hakka or Yue, argues for a distinct branch of Sinitic called Huizhou–Shuiyuan.
Phonology
Tones
The Huizhou dialect has seven tones:| Tone name | dark level | light level | rising | dark departing | light departing | dark entering | light entering |
| Example | 哥 | 人 | 许 / 許 | 气 / 氣 | 事 | 急 | 及 |
| Tone letter | , |
Other than these seven tones, appears in some grammatical particles.
Grammar
Verbal aspect
The Huizhou dialect has several aspectual markers that attach to the verb as suffixes:| Aspect | Marker |
| Progressive | 紧 / 緊, 稳 / 穩 |
| Continuous | 住 |
| Perfective | 抛 / 拋, 阿, □ |
| Experiential | 过 / 過 |
Pronouns
The Huizhou dialect has the following personal pronouns. The plural is formed by a tone change.| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st person | 我 | 我 |
| 2nd person | 你 | 你 |
| 3rd person | 佢 | 佢 |
Vocabulary
The Huizhou dialect has many cognates with Yue and/or Hakka :| English | Huizhou | Guangzhou | Meixian | Putonghua |
| fly | 乌蝇 / 烏蠅 | 乌蝇 / 烏蠅 wu jing | 乌蝇 / 烏蠅 vu yin | 苍蝇 / 蒼蠅 cāngyíng |
| house | 屋 | 屋 uk | 屋 vug | 房子 fángzi |
| sleep | ?觉 / 瞓覺 | ?觉 / 瞓覺 fan gaau | 睡目 soi mug | 睡觉 / 睡覺 shuìjiào |
| see | 睇 | 睇 tai | 看 kon | 看 kàn |
| maize | 包粟 | 粟米 suk mai | 包粟 bau xiug | 玉米 yùmǐ |
| younger brother | 老弟 | 细佬 / 細佬 sai lou | 老弟 lau tai | 弟弟 dìdi |
| water chestnut | 马蹄 / 馬蹄 | 马蹄 / 馬蹄 maa tai | 荸荠 / 荸薺 bíqi | |
| water chestnut | 马荠 / 馬薺 | 马荠 / 馬薺 ma qi | 荸荠 / 荸薺 bíqi | |
| together | 一齐 / 一齊 | 一齐 / 一齊 jat cai | 一起 yīqǐ | |
| together | 一下 | 一下 yid ha | 一起 yīqǐ |