Section 16: Bahau Mandarin

1. Yew Chin Chien 饶进见 4. Ng Chi Fan 吴志芬 2. Chong Chi Siong 庄其祥 5. Pook Yoon Khwee卜润奎 3. Lim Theak Pak 林天坝 6. Tan Liang Siang 曾令强

Origin of Bahau Mandarin: Timeline: Approximately from 1942 to the 1960s

Characteristics: One of the distinctive features of Bahau Mandarin is its similarity to Standard Mandarin in terms of spelling, but it differs in the pronunciation of four tones: "yin yang shang qu" (阴阳上去). It bears resemblance to the Hubei or Hakka accent, where the basic pronunciation is similar to Standard Mandarin but differs in specific tones and phonetics.

Scope: Bahau Mandarin is primarily spoken in the Bahau town area, with minimal prevalence in the surrounding regions.

Origin: According to legend, in 1942, the principal surnamed Zhang of Chi Wen Primary School began conversing in this accent of Mandarin. Subsequently, students imitated it, leading to the gradual spread of Bahau Mandarin in the Bahau region.

In Bahau, if you pay a little attention, you will notice that some elderly people with white hair often converse in a unique accent. This accent seems to have some characteristics of Hakka dialect, but upon closer listening, it is different. This unique accent of Mandarin Chinese is called "Bahau Mandarin."

Although many people in Bahau are aware of the existence of Bahau Mandarin, currently, people in their fifties and sixties still use this accent for conversation, while those below the age of 50 mostly use standard Mandarin Chinese.

Passed down since the Japanese occupation era

Elder Rao Jinjian (73 years old) mentioned that the spread of Bahau Mandarin is related to the Japanese occupation era when the Japanese army forced schools to teach Japanese military songs. Zhang Zhaosheng, the principal of Chi Wen Primary School, was of Hakka origin but had no knowledge of the Japanese language. However, he had to teach these songs, which posed a challenge for him. Naturally, the students sang these Japanese songs off-key, which was amusing.

Rao Jinjian also said that the students "created" Bahau Mandarin through their interactions and gradually formed a trend. This linguistic transition gradually evolved into today's Bahau Mandarin.

During that time, there was a unique phenomenon where students would use standard Mandarin Chinese during classes but naturally switch to speaking Bahau Mandarin accent after class.

Bahau Mandarin had become the lingua franca in the area. According to Rao Jinjian, in the 1950s, Bahau Mandarin had already become the common language in the locality. Almost everyone from different places used Bahau Mandarin for social activities and conversations, except for their own local dialects.

He said, "At that time, almost 80% of banquets and ceremonies were conducted in Bahau Mandarin, which became a distinctive feature of Bahau." Bahau Mandarin had developed a unified accent, and regardless of where people came from, their Bahau Mandarin accent would be the same.

He further pointed out, "Although some claim that Bahau Mandarin carries a Hakka accent, in reality, its pronunciation is not significantly different from standard Mandarin Chinese, just slightly different in phonetics."

Therefore, Bahau Mandarin had become a commonly spoken language at that time, with its own unified accent. Compared to standard Mandarin Chinese, the difference lies primarily in phonetics.

However, starting from the late 1960s, the usage of Bahau Mandarin gradually declined. Rao Jinjian jokingly mentioned that in 1948, some Mandarin teachers who emphasized standard Mandarin Chinese tried to correct the students' pronunciation in school classrooms after observing this situation. However, since everyone was using this accent at that time, their efforts did not yield significant results.

From the late 1960s onwards, the popularity of Bahau Mandarin began to wane. Most Bahau natives born during that time did not speak this accent, so currently, the majority of Bahau Mandarin speakers are the older generation of Bahau residents, aged 60 and above.

Rao Jinjian believes that although the accent of Bahau Mandarin is not standard Mandarin Chinese, it is one of the unique characteristics of Bahau and should be preserved. Otherwise, with the passage of time, this accent will gradually fade away and be lost.

Wu Zhifen, the former chairman of the Bahau Chinese Association and a retired teacher, is one of the few "old Bahau" who can speak Bahau Mandarin. He pointed out that many Bahau residents aged 60 and above still use this Mandarin accent, including Rao Jinjian, Li Guohua, Bi Suoshi, Zeng Lingqiang, Zhuang Qixiang, Lim Thean Pak, Cai Defu, Li Peisheng, and Lim Hui Min.

When these old Bahau residents meet, they naturally and fluently communicate in Bahau Mandarin, often leaving others perplexed. Wu Zhifen mentioned that he only speaks Bahau Mandarin when he encounters old friends, and when he meets other people, he naturally switches to the pronunciation of standard Mandarin Chinese.

Wu Zhifen stated that by the third generation, the usage of Bahau Mandarin began to decline, and the fourth generation no longer has inheritors. The main reason is that there are fewer people who can speak this accent, leading to a break in its transmission and gradually fading into history.

Qiu Kewei, a professor in the Chinese Department of Xiamen University, believes that local dialects or accents of Mandarin Chinese are, in fact, a part of Chinese culture. Although they are not considered standard, they have their own unique characteristics. Even if not actively promoted, they should be preserved.

Recently, Qiu Kewei visited Bahau specifically to meet Wu Zhifen, a second-generation inheritor of Bahau Mandarin, with the aim of further exploring the origins of Bahau Mandarin. He mentioned that he had previously conducted research on "Kluang Mandarin" in Johor and helped establish a Kluang Mandarin Research Society to preserve the dialect.

He suggested that if the origin of Bahau Mandarin is linked to Chi Wen Primary School, then the Chi Wen Alumni Association would be the most suitable organization to establish a similar Bahau Mandarin research society to preserve this cultural heritage.