新加坡與馬來西亞的華語環境概貌：歷史與現狀

Chinese Language in Singapore and Malaysia: A Brief History and Current Perspective (in Chinese)

隨著社會語言學、類型學等適用於新加坡與馬來西亞華語研究的學科的發展，相關研究應可更上一層樓。然有鑑於新馬華語研究資料頗為龐雜，實踐起來恐不容易，因此本文大致梳理了新馬華語環境的重要材料，透過「新馬華語來源」、新馬漢語方言」、「新馬華語環境」三部分來展示其歷史與現狀概貌，釐清「新馬華語」概念背景與涵蓋內容，冀有助於日後學界的研究。據新馬華人移民史及語言本體研究資料顯示，現代所謂的「新馬華語」，即如前人研究所言是「無中生有」、「先文後語」的，是由19至20世紀初（尤其是白話文時期）的漢語書面語並加上當時新馬各漢語方言影響演變而成，本身具有漢語方言、近現代漢語書面語、多語、多地華語等多重特色。

Chinese linguists could carry out deeper and further research on the Chinese Language in Singapore and Malaysia by means of sociolinguistics and linguistic typology which have been well-developed nowadays. However, this kind of study might not be an easy task since the related materials are numerous and jumbled. Therefore, we try to give a general picture of Singaporean and Malaysian Chinese Language in this paper by picking and sorting out some significant data and research findings in the past. With the showcase of “brief history of Singaporean and Malaysian Chinese Language”, “Chinese dialect in Singapore and Malaysia”, and “Chinese language environment in Singapore and Malaysia”, the concept and the content of “Singaporean and Malaysian Chinese Language” will be discussed and reviewed and we hope that it would be a stepping stone for the future research. By examining the historical materials of Chinese immigration in Singapore and Malaysia and its ontological research result, it could be concluded that Singaporean and Malaysian Chinese Language is “out of thin air” and their “written language comes before the oral language”. Like mentioned by previous scholars, we are convinced that it has evolved from the Chinese written language during 19-20 century (especially during the Modern Chinese Movement (Baihuawen Yundong)) which is also influenced by their dialects (mother tongue) when learning. It possesses numerous features which at least include Chinese dialect feature, northern (early) modern Chinese written language feature, multi-lingual feature, and multi-regional Chinese language feature.