How the Chinese language has long been shaped by foreign influences

How the Chinese language has long been shaped by foreign influences


I recently came across a social media post asking which phrase is the more appropriate description for Singaporeans whose ancestors came from China: “Singapore Chinese” or “Chinese Singaporean”.

Grammatically, I prefer the latter. In English, adjectives generally precede nouns. In the phrase “big table”, for example, the main object is the table; “big” simply describes it. By the same logic, I am first and foremost a Singaporean, while “Chinese” merely describes the type of Singaporean I am.




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