The Degree of Relationship among Teochew, Hakka, and Cantonese

Abstract

This article is entitled "The Degree of Relationship among Teochew, Hakka, and Cantonese". This research is based on theory in Historical Comparative Linguistics. This theory is also called diachronic theory, which involves the analysis of the form and regularity of changes in common languages ​​such as those accompanied by sound changes, to reconstruct the language of the past, the ancient language (proto) that lived on thousands of years before that. The aim of this research is to calculate the cognate percentages of relationship for Teochew (TC), Hakka (HK), and Cantonese (CO). The research method used is quantitative-qualitative method. Data collection method and technique used refer to the method of proficiency and recording. The data analysis method and technique used respectively are qualitative and quantitative methods with lexicostatistic techniques. In lexicostatistics, language kinship is seen based on the similarities of sounds that exist in the lexicon that appears in these languages. This phonetic similarity will be the basis of whether a word in one language has a relationship with another language. The indicator used to determine related words is the basic vocabulary called the Sino-Tibetan Swadesh basic vocabulary which amounts to 207 words that are considered to exist in all languages ​​in the world. After analyzing the 207 words, it is found that TC and HK have 51 related words and are considered in the subgroup of clump or stock (25%), TC and CO have 60 related words and are considered in the subgroup of clump or stock (29%), in addition to HK and CO have 119 words and are considered in the subgroup of family (57%).