How to learn Babyish?[]
It does not matter even if you do not know Babyish. Most people who can understand Babyish have no difficulties to understand English. You can try to contribute by writing English in a phonetic way. Go through the alphabets of Babyish, and translate your text into phonetic representation. However, there is a little bit difference in some presentation, but that shall not be the barrier of your communication. People can always help you to correct your Babyish.
Note that the English you speak and what we learnt may have a little bit difference, especially the accent. You can overcome that by comparing our text with yours.
我不會英語，可以寫B文嗎？[]
一樣可以，因為其實B文亦有很多源自粵語的詞語及文法。當然，單純用英語或粵語來寫B文，一般的B文讀者會覺得很怪。不過，其本上這些詞語都可以相通，只是用法會有分別。
留意的是：粵語有9聲。雖說入聲的3個調可以攤分到其他6聲裡，但事實上，B文只用了4~5個調，分別如下：
| 符號 | 粵語聲調 | 國語聲調 |
|---|---|---|
| 不標調 | 其他 | 陰平 |
| macron (ˉ) | 陰平 | 陰平 |
| acute (ˊ) | 陰上或陽上 | 陽平 |
| hacek (ˇ) | 陽平 | 上聲 |
| grave (ˋ) | 無 | 去聲 |
另外，若不標調不會帶來歧義的話，基本上不標調。
此外，由於說B文的人都現時或過去曾經在香港生活，所以語音及用詞基本上以香港粵語為標準。不過，亦有部份詞語源自斗門縣的四邑話，例如：「阿誰」-->"ashui"(誰人，who)、「落水」-->"loksui"(雨水，但斗門話作動詞用，B文作名詞用，rain)。
參看：主禱文
Consideration of Lexicon[]
When will we use the lexicon from Cantonese to replace that of the English? When will we use from the native language as the source of lexicon?
When one can cause ambiguity, we will choose the another. For example:
- rescue (English)
- qiŋgàu (拯救, "rescue" in theological sense)
- qiŋnik (拯溺, "rescue" from drawning)
How about lexicon native to Babyish?[]
These lexicons takes only a very small portion of the whole vocabulary, as if most of other creoles. They form only the most basic vocabulary that children will use in their daily life. For example, names of toys or teddy bear (mu), games (Äggu), etc. Most of these vocabularies are, in fact, Sheepnese.
In additional, when the story involved people other than native speakers of either English or Cantonese, for example, Japanese or Korean. People from Tsukinoshima and Joil-gu can be a native Japanese. People from other part of the Jungnaman-city can be a native Korean. They will bring their lexicon to the Babyish lexicon, but the amount is not that much.
See Also[]
- Help:How to read and write Babyish
- Yòhäŋ-sajòŋ: Babyish for travelling
Version Control[]
- Draft Version: 0.1, 17:36, 26 May 2007 (UTC)