富貴角 Fugui Cape, New Taipei City

Fugui (富貴; lit. "wealthy [and] noble") Cape in Shimen District (石門區) of New Taipei City is a rare example of a place name derived from the Dutch language.

This does not date back to the 17th-century Dutch colony on Taiwan, however, but [according to a signboard near the cape's lighthouse] to the name "Hoek" meaning "cape", noted in his journal by a Dutch missionary during the Yongzheng (雍正; 1722-35) reign period of the Qing Dynasty, and transliterated by the Hoklo Taiwanese 富貴 (hu-kui).

[MC: 2021 update: Fuguijiao, or rather its original Hoklo Taiwanese pronunciation of Hu-gwee Gak, represents the tautological combination of a transliteration of the Dutch hoek, meaning "corner" (which was used for "cape" until the Portuguese word cabo was later absorbed as kaap) plus translation of the same word into Chinese as 角, which also means "corner" but is similarly used for capes. A nearby sign states this derives from the presence of Dutch engineers employed to build a lighthouse at the beginning of the Period of Japanese Rule (1895-1945); Wikipedia says they were hired to lay undersea cables from Japan to its new colony; but Abe Akiyoshi (安倍明義), whose "Research on Taiwan Place Names" (台灣地名研究) is generally reliable, says that a map in Dutch missionary records from 1726 identifies it as Hoek Van Camatiao, from which the name derives.]

玉井區 Yujing District, Tainan

[Some other districts of Tainan through which the Zengwen River runs include the following]


Yujing (玉井; lit. “jade well”) Township was formally called 大武壟 (Hoklo: dwa-bu-leng; lit. “large military ridge-in-paddy”), was originally the Siraya (西拉雅) Plains Aborigine [other sources say Tsou (鄒) Aborigine] Tapani (噍吧哖) community. Abe suggests that 17th-century Dutch references to "Dobale" and "Daubali" could refer to here.

In 1915, ex-policeman Yu Qing-fang (余清芳) led Han Chinese and Aborigines in an uprising against Japanese rule known to historians as the Tapani Incident (噍吧哖事件) or Xilai Temple Incident (西來庵事件). In this—as well as the subsequent Japanese military suppression, revenge on non-combatants, arrests and death sentences, and associated diseases and famines—more people (probably several thousand) died than in any other anti-Japanese incident.


In the revision of place names of 1920, the obscure characters 噍吧哖 (“tapani”; [no literal meaning, these characters are have only phonetic value]）were changed in accordance with Japansee pronunciation to 玉井 (Japanese: tama-i). Pronounced yujing in Mandarin by the ROC administration, this name is used to the present day.

Yuching (玉井) alternative romanisation of Yujing.




Text and photos © Jiyue Publications 2011

新市區, 善化區 Xinshi and Shanhua districts, Tainan

[Yesterday’s post mentioned that Saulang (sinicized as 蕭壠 Siauleng, today's 佳里 Jiali) was one of four main Siraya Plains Aboriginal communities, all in today’s Tainan. The other three were Mattau (荳社; today's 麻豆 Madou; see here), Sinckan (新港, today's 新市 Xinshi and Bakaloan (目加溜灣; today’s 善化 Shanhua).]

Xinshi (新市; lit. “new city/market”) was formerly 新港 (Hoklo: Sinkang; lit. “new port”). Due to the apparent descriptive nature of this name (Taiwan has had several "new ports", see Xingang), it is sometimes assumed to be original, but actually represents a sinicisation (transliteration) of Sinckan, the Sirayan (西拉雅) Plains Aboriginal name.

This was the first target of Dutch colonial (1624-61) "civilizing" and Christian proselytizing, so along with Favorlang further north, the Sirayan language--known as Sinckan--was the main means of communication between Aborigines and Ducth.

A Sinckan Gospel of St. Matthew was translated and many “Sinckan Manuscripts” (Sirayan/Chinese land contracts) are still in existence.

Due to its important location, under Zheng (鄭; 1662-83) and Qing (清; 1683-1895) rule the village grew into a thriving market town (市; Mdn.: shi), so became known as 新市仔 (Hoklo: sin-chhi-a; “new market”). In 1920 under Japanese rule, 新市 became the town’s official name.

Hsinshih (新市) alternative romanisation of Xinshi.

Sinshi (新市) alternative romanisation of Xinshi.

Xingang (新港; lit. "new port) refers to:
a) old name for Xinshi (新市) District, Tainan
b) Xingang Township, Chiayi County
c) [to be continued]

Shanhua (善化; lit. “better transform”) was formerly Bakaloan (目加溜灣), one of four main Sirayan (西拉雅) Plains Aboriginal communities prior to 17th-century foreign immigration.

Dutch colonists were attacked when collecting bamboo here in 1625, but ultimately subdued the area in 1635. Calling it Tevoran, they set up schools and churches, and encouraged Han Chinese immigration to grow rice and sugarcane.

Under Zheng-Ming rule (鄭, 1662-83), a military-farming community (屯田; see tun-tian) established here was called 善化 (Hoklo: sianhoa).



In the succeeding Qing dynasty (1683-1895), the area was called both 善化 but also 灣裡 (Hoklo: oanli; lit. “bay inside”), due to its location “within” a “bend” (similarly written and pronounced word: 彎; Hoklo: oan) in the Zengwen River (曾文溪).

Japanese re-organization of local government reverted to use of 善化 (Japanese: zenka), and 善化 (Mdn. shanhua) has continued in use under ROC rule since retrocession in 1945.



Text © Jiyue Publications 2011, 2021

西嶼鄉 ( 漁翁嶼) Xiyu Township (Yuweng Isle) and the Pescadores, Penghu County

[If this seems a repetitive post, that is because it is three (five) separate entries in dictionary-style book]

Xiyu (西嶼; lit. “western isle”) Township constitutes an entire island (the most western of the main group and second-largest of all 64) in the 澎湖群島 (Penghu Archipelago). Home to many fishing and trading communities (e.g. 二崁 Erken, 外垵 Wai-an &c.), it is also known as 漁翁嶼/島 (Yuweng Yu/Dao; lit. “fishing man isle”), which has resonance with the Western name for Penghu: the Pescadores, which in Portuguese means “fishermen”.
Previous romanisations of Siyu and Hsiyu can still be seen.

Siyu (西嶼) alternative romanisation for Xiyu, Penghu County.

Hsiyu (西嶼) alternative romanisation for Xiyu, Penghu County.

Yuweng Yu/Dao (漁翁嶼/島; lit. “fishing man isle”) another name for Xiyu (西嶼; lit. “western isle”) Township, Penghu.
(See also: the Pescadores)

The Pescadores: Western name for 澎湖群島 (Penghu Archipelago), from Portuguese “fishermen”, also corresponding to 漁翁嶼 (Yuweng Yu; “fishing man isle”), an alternative name for 西嶼 (Xiyu; “western isle”), the archipelago’s second-largest island.
English-language accounts of Taiwan's history include two Pescadores Campaigns. The first in 1885 occurred at the end of the Sino-French War, when French forces occupied the islands to prevent Chinese re-arming of troops defending Keelung and Danshui.

The second in 1895 involved a similar assault by Japanese forces. Although it followed the armistice of the Sino-Japanese War, further fighting in Taiwan and Penghu was excluded by Japan so that it could strengthen its claim to take over the islands, which it did later that year.
Unlike “Formosa”, which also derives from Portuguese, “The Pescadeores" has no currency with average Taiwanese.



Text and photos © Jiyue Publications 2011

苑裡, 通霄,Yuanli, Tongxiao: various Aboriginal-originated names, Miaoli County

Continuing from the previous post ( 卓蘭 Zhuolan) which traced the process by which the Pazih name Tarien meaning “beautiful open-country”became the Chinese Zhuolan meaning "eminent orchid", here are some more examples from Miaoli County (苗栗縣):

[Hakka or Hoklo pronunciations are given when they seem appropriate; anyone with academic historically-accurate versions, please do comment.]

Miaoli (苗栗) as noted already (here), lit. “seedling chestnut”), evolved from the Taokas aboriginal name Bari meaning “plain", through Chinese name 貓貍 (meu-li in Hakka pronunciation) meaning "cat fox-like animal”, to today's 苗栗(miao-li in Mandarin), meaning "seedling chestnut".

Yuanli (苑裡; lit. “garden + inside”) Township
Transliterated from the Taokas aborigine name Wanrie (though Abe suggests 彎里 [Hoklo: Oan-li] was perhaps contracted from earlier 里灣里; Li-oan-li). Similarly pronounced alternatives such as 宛里 and苑裏 are also recorded, before 苑裡 became standard.

Tongxiao (通霄; lit. “unobstructed clouds”)
Taokas aboriginal community Tonsuyan, due to its deep waters of Nanshi River (南勢溪) where mercantile boats could moor, became a center of trade for local produce from Tongluo (銅鑼), Sanyi (三義), Miaoli (苗栗) &c.

Availing of the pun “swallow and sell” (吞銷; Hakka: tun-seu or Hoklo: thun-siau); with the second character changed to霄 (“clouds”; Hakka: seu/siau; Hoklo: siau), the aboriginal name was transliterated as 吞霄 (tun-siau, “swallow clouds”).

By the end of the Qing dynasty (1895), the similarly pronounced 通霄 (tung-siau [both languages]; “unobstructed clouds”) had sometimes also been used, and in 1901(4?) during Japanese rule this became the standard, as it seemed to fit the high mountains poking through the clouds.


[to be continued here and again later]

卓蘭 Zhuolan Township, Miaoli County

Zhuolan 卓蘭 (lit.“eminent orchid”) Township, Miaoli County



Transliteration of the Pazih (巴則海) plains aboriginal name Tarien, meaning “beautiful open-country”, initially in land contracts during the Qing dynasty Yongzheng (雍正; 1723-35) reign period using the characters 搭連 (Hoklo Taiwanese: dah-lien; lit. “construct + connect”).



This was changed to 罩蘭 (Hoklo: da-lan; lit. “cover + orchid”) in 1836; appeared on the first government map of Taiwan as 打難 (Hoklo: da-lan; lit. “hit + difficulty”) in 1860; and became the present 卓蘭 (Japanese たくらん [Taku-ran]) in 1920.



Notes:

1) This is another example—like the title of this blog—where:

i) an aboriginal name is preserved by transliteration into Hoklo Taiwanese (Minnan; 閩南語) with no connection between the two names’ meanings;

ii) the characters are changed to preserve a similar punctuation in Japanese, again with no attention to meaning; and

iii) the written form (i.e. the "meaningless meaning") is preserved by the incoming ROC administration, but using Mandarin, thus leading to a change of pronunciation.



Hence, despite three“preservation” processes, none of the meaning, pronunciation or written name is preserved.



2) It might seem that Hakka pronunciations would have been used in this process, since the area was settled by Hakka. This may be the case [it is beyond my linguistic knowledge], but, while the Hoklo fit is excellent, the Hakka pronunciation of dap-lien for 打難 is less close to the Pazih original, while that of zau-lan for 罩蘭 is even less likely.







Text and photos © Jiyue Publications 2011

苗栗 Miaoli (City and County)

Miaoli (苗栗, lit. “seedling chestnut”), originated from the Taokas (道卡斯) plains aboriginal township name Bari, meaning “plain”. This was rendered in the Hakka language (others explain it as Hoklo Taiwanese) by the characters 貓貍 (Hakka: meu-li; lit. “cat” + “fox-like animal”). The was later adapted as 貓狸 (meu-li; “cat” + “fox/raccoon”); and in official documents using the similarly pronounced 貓裡 (meu-li; “cat” + “within”), and 貓里 (meu-li; “cat” + “neighbourhood”).

In 1889, it was changed for a more elegant name, based on the Hakka pronunciation, to the Meu-lit (苗栗; Mdn. Miaoli), which is still used.

As the photograph shows, however, the original wording has some retro popularity.

Text and photos © Jiyue Publications 2011