For more than 40 years, Professor Lim Lunglung (林伦伦, Mandarin: Lin Lunlun), a renowned scholar of the Teochew language, has dedicated himself to the study and promotion of Teochew language and culture, achieving remarkable results.
He has published over 40 books, including New Teochew Pronunciation Dictionary with Putonghua Comparison 《普通話對照•新編潮州音字典》, Dictionary of Teochew Vernacular Idioms 《潮汕方言熟语辞典》, The Teochew Vernacular: The Spiritual Home of the Teochew People 《潮汕方言: 潮人的精神家園》, Dreams of Home 《鄉愁入夢》, Conversational Teochew in a Month 《潮州話一月通》, and Spoken Dioziu 《潮州話口語》. He has also authored more than 130 academic papers. The book series, Teochew Family Values 《潮人好家風》 (Proverbs / Classical Poems / Nursery Rhymes), which he helped plan and edit, has been warmly received and highly praised by Teochews overseas.
Since 2022, Professor Lim has served as an online judge for the annual 來拼潮州話 (lai7 bian3 dio5 ziu1 uê7) contest in Singapore. This year, he not only participated in person as a judge, but also delivered lectures at the Chui Huay Lim Club and the National University of Singapore (NUS). In his lectures, Professor Lim shared insights into how Teochew proverbs and sayings embody our forebears’ worldview and reflections on life.
The Teochew Store caught up with Professor Lim during his trip to Singapore, and he shared his personal journey and experiences in promoting the Teochew language and culture both at home and abroad.
Teochew language scholar, Professor Lim Lunglung
The Teochew Store (TTS): What first sparked your interest in studying the Teochew vernacular and culture, and how did it develop into a lifelong pursuit?
Lim Lunglung (LLL): I majored in Chinese dialects during both my undergraduate and master’s studies. At the start of my studies, my goal was simply to earn a degree and secure a stable job. But as my studies went deeper, my fascination with Teochew language research grew by the day and I increasingly felt that the Teochew vernacular holds vast potential for exploration. Hence after graduation, I turned my interest into my career, and I have continued in the study of Chinese dialects ever since.
From my twenties until now, I have never grown tired of it. On the contrary, the deeper I delved into my work, the more I realised how little I truly know. The Teochew vernacular and culture are like an incredibly rich gold mine that we have yet to fully exploit. Now that I’m retired, free from the pressures of earning a living or the demands of the workplace, I can devote myself fully to my passion. The preservation of spoken Teochew, the sharing of the charms of our vernacular and culture, have become my life’s work.
Professor Lim in conversation with The Teochew Store
TTS: In the course of your research over four decades, what changes have you observed in the Teochew speech?
LLL: There have definitely been changes. We once had a course called Sociolinguistics, which explained that languages evolve alongside society. For example, many expressions used before 1949 are no longer in use in China’s Teoswa (潮汕) region today. In the past, people returning from the Nanyang (Southeast Asia) brought back many Malay and English loanwords. For instance, “walking stick” (拐杖) was called tongkat, “like” (喜欢) was suka, "coffee" (咖啡) was kopi, and "motor-vehicle" (汽车) was lorry. These expressions were once widely used in Teoswa. However, under the influence of Mandarin today, the younger people there no longer use them, instead directly translating Mandarin into Teochew to convey the same ideas.
Many people from the older generation view this trend pessimistically, but I believe we need a more neutral perspective. The Teochew speech will not disappear anytime soon. It is only that its pronunciation and vocabulary have changed with the times. For example, what we used to call “skipping school”, 偷走書 (tao1 zao2 ze1), is now called 翹課 (kiou3 kuê3) by younger people. “Going to school” was once called 去學堂 (ke3 oh8 deng5) or 去書齋 (ke3 ze1 zê1), whereas today it is 上课 (zion6 kuê3) or去学校 (ke3 hag8 hao6). Young people have their own way of speaking. They do understand Teochew, but their expressions do not conform entirely with those of the older generations.
Over the years, you have served as a guest judge for Singapore’s “來拼潮州話” contest. How does the Teochew spoken in Singapore differ from that in China?
LLL: Singapore’s “來拼潮州話” contest is now in its sixth edition. Since 2022, I have been invited to serve as a guest judge. This year marks my fourth year of involvement. The Teochew spoken in Singapore differs in many ways from that spoken in China. Through long interaction and evolution, Singapore Teochew has absorbed many words from Hokkien, Malay, and other vocabulary. For instance, “a little money” is called 滴仔錢 (dih4 gian2 zin5) in China, but in Singapore it is said as 淡薄錢 (dam6 boh8 zin5). Another example is the phrase “I simply refuse” (我偏偏不要), which in Singapore Teochew is expressed as 我 suka 嫑 (ua2 suka mai3), where suka comes from Malay and means “to like”.
There are also differences in pronunciation. Across the Teoswa region, the Teochew spoken in different areas is quite distinctive. For example, Thenghai (澄海), Teo-yor (潮陽) and the Teochew prefectural city (潮州府城) each have their own unique accents. In Singapore, however, these local differences have gradually faded for ease of communication, and the accents have converged over time. This has formed a shared accent unique to Singaporean Teochew speakers, which we may call 番畔腔 (huang1boin5kion1, meaning the “overseas accent”).
Professor Lim serviing as guest judge at Singapore's 6th 來拼潮州話 contest
TTS: In Singapore, many parents and children are unable to speak Teochew, and use English in daily life. Similarly, in Teoswa, more and more young people and children are accustomed to communicating in Mandarin. In such an environment, why do we still want to pass on the Teochew speech? What value does spoken Teochew hold for modern families?
LLL: Spoken Teochew is not only a means for communication among our people. It is also a carrier of our culture. If the Teochew speech were to disappear, its cultural embodiments, such as Teochew opera, skits, and folk songs, too will vanish. Tens of millions of people speak Teochew worldwide, and our spoken language serves as our symbolic identifier. Like kinship and trust, it binds our community with a strong sense of cohesion. Even when Teochews have settled far from our ancestral land, a single sentence of Teochew can instantly bridge the distance between any two of us. In today’s globalised world, being able to speak Teochew can also opens up new doors and opportunities.
For modern families, passing the Teochew language on to the next generation helps cultivate a sense of “rootedness”. It not only allows the children to understand where they and their ancestors come from, but also comprehend the language and contents spoken by their Ah Gong and Ah Ma. Moreover, Teochew folk songs and proverbs are rich with life wisdom and philosophical insights. Introducing children to Teochew from an early age strengthens their language ability, fosters identity and self-confidence. These support their personal growth and emotional well-being.
I have been spending more of my time helping primary school and kindergarten teachers transmit the Teochew language and culture onto the children. For example, I have assisted in editing teaching materials related to Teochew folk songs and cultural knowledge, such as Teoswa Culture Reader 《潮汕文化讀本》, the Teochew Family Values 《潮人好家風》 series, and the Teoswa Nursery Rhymes Picture Book《 潮汕童謠繪本》.
TTS: In recent years, more and more Teochew-language films have been released, and the social media is filled with videos introducing the Teochew speech and culture. What impact do you think this will have on the future development of Teochew language?
LLL: This is a very positive development. In earlier times, spoken Teochew had a significant influence on literature. Like Cantonese, we had Teochew poetry, prose, and novels. Teochew language movies and opera films were also once very popular. Take for example, the Teochew opera film Tan Sa Ngou Nie《 陳三五娘》 ran in Singapore for several weeks to rave reviews. For various reasons, this development was disrupted.
The present use of short videos, social media, and other new media to propagate our language and culture has been effective in attracting young people and sparking their learning interest. Many young people, both in China and abroad, are now creating Teochew language films and animated videos. This is a clear sign of the revival of spoken Teochew and culture. It deserves our recognition and support.
Teochew opera movie Tan Sa Ngou Nie《 陳三五娘》(1961)
Of the many Teochew proverbs, if you could pass down only one to future generations, which one would it be, and why?
LLL: Thousands of Teochew proverbs and sayings have been passed down through generations. They not only reflect the Teochew people’s values on filial piety, family harmony, diligence and thrift, and respect for teachers and learning, but also capture our business acumen and social wisdom. If I had to leave just one saying for posterity, I would choose 家己人，拍死無相干 (ga1 gi7 nang5, pah4 si8 bho5 siang1 gang1).* This is a proverb knwon among Teochews all over the world. It reflects our deep sense of loyalty and kinship, and embodies the spirit of mutual support and unity that defines our community.
*Editor: This can be interpreted as, “We are one people, even the deadliest conflict can be overlooked”—nothing can divide us.
Special thanks to the Singapore Teochew Heritage Society (潮州文史學會) for facilitating this interview.
Click on link to read Prof Lim's reflections and observations on his Singapore trip (in Chinese): 《新加坡潮人群策群力保护和传承母语方言及其文化》
~o0o~
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