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客: guest

By September 9, 2013October 6th, 2015Chinese Word, Japanese Word, Language-Learning

The Hakka 客家 (lit. guest families) ancestors, a subgroup of Han Chinese, are said to have migrated from the north of China to today’s central China a thousand years ago: from the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) until the Qing Dynasty (17th century). After the power struggle with the Ming court was eliminated, Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722) issued a royal edict to repopulate the coastal areas, by incentivizing the move with money. The newcomers moving south were registered as “Guest Families” 客戶 kèhù. Through the series of migrations, the Hakka settled in their present locations in southern (ports) China and often used that as a springboard to emigrate throughout the world.

Hakka people speak the Hakka dialect and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China. The worldwide population of Hakkas is about 80 million, even though the number of Hakka-language speakers is fewer (me included).

My paternal grandfather originates from 大埔 Dabu, a village in 梅县 Meizhou in Guangdong, China. To better himself, he left home for Malaysia (then Malaya) and settled in Malacca. My father’s clan is called the 大埔客 Dabu ke.

Hakka people have had a significant influence on the course of Chinese and world history: being a source of many revolutionary, government, and military leaders.

    Liu Yongfu 劉永福 (1837-1917; Bobai, Guangxi), Commander, Black Flag Army; President, Republic of Formosa, 1895 
    Sun Yatsen 孫中山 (1886-1925; Zhongshan, Guangdong), Founding father of modern China
    Charlie Soong 宋嘉樹 (1863-1918; Wenchang, Hainan),Financier & staunch supporter of Kuomintang; Father of the Soong Sisters, who along with their husbands, were the most influential figures of China in the early 20th century
    Soong Ai-ling 宋藹齡 (1890-1973; Wenchang, Hainan; born in Shanghai), Eldest of the Soong Sisters; Wife of H H Kung
    Soong Ching-ling 宋慶齡 (1893-1981; Wenchang, Hainan; born in Kunshan, Jiangsu), Second of the Soong Sisters; Wife of Sun Yat-sen; Honorary President of the People’s Republic of China, 1981
    Soong May-ling 宋美齡 (1898-2003; Wenchang, Hainan), Youngest of the Soong Sisters; Wife of Chiang Kai-shek
    Deng Xiaoping 鄧小平 (1904-1997; Guang An, Sichuan), a prominent Chinese revolutionary, politician, pragmatist and reformer, as well as the late leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Paramount Leader of the People’s Republic of China from 1978 to the early 1990s.
    Lee Kuan Yew 李光耀 (1923-; Dabu, Guangdong; born in Singapore), founding father of modern Singapore; PM of Singapore (1959-1990).
    Yap Ah Loy 葉亞來 (1837-1885; Huiyang, Guangdong; born in China), founder of Kuala Lumpur
    Chung Keng Quee 鄭景貴 (1827-1901; Zengcheng, Guangdong; born in China), founder of Taiping, Perak; Kapitan China, Penang & Perak
    Aw Boon Haw 胡文虎 (1882-1954; Yongding, Fujian; born in Burma) and Aw Boon Par 胡文豹 (1888-1944; Yongding, Fujian; born in Burma), Philanthropists of Haw-Par Villa, Tiger Balm fame
    Raymond Chow 鄒文懷 (1929-; Dabu, Guangdong; born in Hong Kong); Founder, Golden Harvest; Producer who launched the careers of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan & Tsui Hark
    Jimmy Choo 周仰杰 (1961-; born in Malaysia), Renowned designer of shoes and handbags, United Kingdom
    Leslie Cheung 張國榮 (1956-2003; Meixian, Guangdong; born in Hong Kong), Famous singer/actor
    Chow Yun-fat 周潤發 (1955-; Bao’an, Guangdong; born in Hong Kong), One of the most famous actors in Asia

     

    客 ke4

    noun

    Kun Reading
    none applicable


    On Reading

    客 | きゃく kyaku; かく kaku

    おきゃく o-kyaku [honorific/polite] noun
    : guest; visitor
    : customer; client; shopper; spectator; audience; tourist; sightseer; passenger

    : guest; visitor; customer

     Usage:

     

    客人 ke4ren2: visitor; guest; customer; caller [きゃくじん kyakujin]
    客氣[气] ke4qi: polite; courteous; formal; modest
    [客気|かっき kakki: youthful ardor; rashness]
    客家 ke4jia1: Hakka ethnic group (Han migrants from N to S China)
    [ハッカ hakka]
    客語[语] ke4yu3: Hakka dialect [かくご kakugo: object]
    客體[体] ke4ti3: object (philosophy) [客体|かくたい kakutai]
    客觀[观] ke4guan1: objective/impartial
    (樂觀[乐观] le4guan1: optimistic/hopeful)
    客廳[厅] ke4ting1: drawing room; living room
    客房 ke4fang2: guest room
    顧[顾]客gu4ke4: client; customer
    遊客you2ke4: traveler; tourist
    旅客 lü3ke4: tourist [りょかく ryokaku: passenger]
    顧客 gu4ke4: client; customer [こかく kokaku]
    請[请]客 qing3ke4: throw a dinner party; invite/entertain guests
     Etymology:

     

    会意 Associative Compound.
    Someone who arrives [] (ge4)
    at the house [宀] (mian2: roof; radical]



    形声 Pictophonetic.
    [宀] suggests the meaning
    [各] provides the sound

     Examples:

     

    別怠慢了客人
    (bie2 dai4man4 le ke4ren2)
    Don’t mistreat/neglect the customer OR See that none of the guests are neglected.

    游客到瑞士欣賞啊爾卑斯山
    (you2ke4 dao4 rui4shi4 sin1shang3 aer3bei1si1shan1)
    Visitors to Switzerland admire the Alps.

     

    Resources: Chinese Dictionary | Japanese Dictionary

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