Huan-a

''Huan-a'' () is a Hokkien-language term used by Hokkien speakers in multiple countries, namely mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, etc. Huan-nang is used by Teochew to refer to native non Chinese native Thai people in Thailand. The word itself when dissected means, , + , but to the ethnic Chinese that settled overseas in Taiwan and Maritime Southeast Asia, it soon came to refer to the indigenous peoples (natives) in the lands where Hokkien-speaking ethnic Chinese are historical immigrants.

Etymology

The Hokkien word itself when dissected means, , + , resulting in Hokkien , originally from the perspective of ethnic Chinese referring to non-Chinese people, especially historically natives of Taiwan and Southeast Asia. In Taiwan, the aboriginal group, Hoanya, retains an older form of the word, where the second syllable retained the obsolete diminutive suffix, , in Hokkien, which originally came from a weak form of and today survives in Hokkien as the diminutive suffix, . "" is attested in the ''Dictionario Hispanico Sinicum'' (1626-1642) and use of the obsolete suffix is also recorded in Medhurst (1832).

Over the centuries, it also varyingly took on derogatory connotations depending on how each Hokkien-speaking community perceived non-Chinese or natives, such as the derogatory taboo status of the term in Taiwan in reference to Taiwanese aboriginal groups in general or to any unreasonable persons, although the word has varying connotations in other Hokkien-speaking communities, such as in Fujian (Mainland China), the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, etc.

In mainland China

Hokkien speakers in mainland China, specifically in Southern Fujian, such as in Amoy (Xiamen), Chuanchiu (Quanzhou), and Chiangchiu (Zhangzhou), use this term to refer to a foreigner or a Westerner, especially those from Europe or the Americas.

In other Chinese languages, such as Mandarin and Cantonese, the word fan-kui () is used, which means ''"foreign ghost"'', where 鬼 means 'ghost' or 'demon'. This term is used by Cantonese and Mandarin-speaking overseas Chinese to imply non-Chinese people who are known for their bad savage habits or rude character.

In Taiwan

Taiwanese Hokkien and Taiwanese Hakka speakers, as well as non-Chinese speakers in Taiwan, may perceive this term as derogatory owing to historical negative views towards the demographic minority non-Chinese in Taiwan, such as towards the ethnic Taiwanese aboriginals and the ethnic Japanese during imperial Japanese rule over Taiwan.

''Huan-á'' (番仔) is what Taiwanese Hokkien speakers use to refer to the Taiwanese aborigines, but it colloquially took on negative connotations as it was historically used as an ethnic slur when perceived and translated as "barbarian" and may sometimes derogatorily be used to refer to an "unreasonable person". It may also be the origin of the name of the Hoanya people, the Taiwanese aborigines of southwestern Taiwan.

During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, the Japanese were also called ''Huan-á'' by Han Taiwanese, with geisha called ''hoan-á-ke'' (番仔雞, lit. "foreign chicken") and the wives of Japanese men called ''hoan-á-chiú-kan'' (番仔酒矸, lit. "foreign liquor bottle").

In the Philippines

Meanwhile, Hokkien speakers among Chinese Filipinos in the Philippines use ''Huan-á'' (番仔) to plainly refer to native Filipinos or any non- ethnic-Chinese Filipino when the speaker is not familiar with their ancestry, such as Filipino mestizos. It is sometimes considered as vulgar by some speakers as well, but depends on the speaker's perceptions and culture on how they grew up to learn to perceive the term, since in the Philippines, non- ethnic-Chinese are the demographic majority and Chinese Filipinos do not have recent historical negative conflict with other ethnic groups in the Philippines. The usage of the term is mostly used disparagingly to refer to any non-Chinese Filipinos, especially native Filipinos, depending on the speaker's intentions. It is first attested in the ''Dictionario Hispanico Sinicum'' (1626-1642) as "''Yndio'' ", where ''Yndio'' is the Spanish-colonial-era form of es, indio which historically referred to natives of the East Indies, such as Austronesian and Negrito groups in the Philippines.

In Malaysia and Singapore

As for Hokkien speakers among Chinese Malaysians and Chinese Singaporeans, ''Huan-á'' (番仔) is used to neutrally refer to ethnic Malays and other indigenous groups, such as those classified as ''Bumiputra'', whereas '' Ang moh'' ( 紅毛) is used to refer to Europeans and ''Kling na'' ( 吉零仔) is used to refer to Tamils or other ethnic groups of India.

It is also sometimes used to refer to the Malay language in Penang Hokkien and Singaporean Hokkien.

In Indonesia

Hokkien speakers among Chinese Indonesians in Indonesia use ''Huan-á'' (番仔) to refer to a person descended from the many indigenous ethnic groups of Indonesia, for example the Javanese, Sundanese, Buginese, and Batak. The Hakka equivalent is ''fan-ngin'' (番人).

See also

* Hokkien language
* Min languages
* Amoy Hokkien
* Quanzhou Hokkien
* Zhangzhou Hokkien
* Taiwanese Hokkien
* Philippine Hokkien
* Singaporean Hokkien
* Penang Hokkien
* Southern Malaya Hokkien
* Medan Hokkien
* Northern Min
* Teochew

References

{{reflist

Chinese slang
Southern Min words and phrases
Pejorative terms for in-group non-members