“An Introduction to the See Yip Language”

It was an honour to be invited to be the guest speaker at the 2020 annual general meeting of the Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria (CAFHOV). For a recording of my talk, minus the stimulating question-and-answer session that followed, please see the CAFHOV Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cafhov/posts/3542916275829185

My key points were:

• The See Yip language (四邑話) has played a significant role in American and Australian history, and echoes of its former signficance remain; for example, it is from this Chinese language that the word “dim sim” came into Australian English.

• “Cantonese” is often used as an umbrella term, with the See Yip language grouped under it; however, Cantonese and the See Yip language are actually quite distinct, mutually unintelligible, languages.

• A knowledge of the See Yip language and where it was spoken can help with family-history research and shed light on historical social dynamics within and between Chinese-diaspora communities.