Visualizing language contact
About
This website is about travel and contact.
Travel: to move from one place to another.
Contact: two people or things touch each other.
These two seemingly different activities can produce interwining effects on social structure, culture, language, etc. We will explore how separation from our own cultures and meeting new cultures result in the creation of new modes of communication.
latest articles
One of the periods that had long lasting global impact was the Industrial Revolution, occurring between...
When asked the reason for the painted eyes on the bow of a junk, a Chinese would likely respond: “No...
恭gung1喜hei2發faat3財coi4!That’s what the featured image says – 恭喜發財 a wish for prosperity and wealth. The...
Water covers approximately 70% of the surface of the globe, which means that the lives of a large number...
The Age of Discovery, from the 15th to 17th century, created unprecedented opportunities for people of...
In 1784, the first merchant ship of the newly established United States of America – Empress of China...
Located at the Pearl River (珠江) (Cantonese: zyu1 gong1, Mandarin: zhujiang) in south China, Canton...
For most of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and the early period of the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), China...
Although the Ming dynasty of China (1368–1644) shut the door on establishing foreign relations in the...
It is often acknowledged that Jorge Álvares was the first Portuguese to have landed in China. In 1513,...
The featured image is the receipt from a shop in Penang for an order of rock sugar. Rock sugar 冰糖 (Cantonese:...
When Granville Sharp (1824–1899) arrived in India, he joined the Commercial Bank of India. On 2 November...
After the landing of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in Calicut (now Kozhikode), India in 1498...
The early 20th century was the golden era of postcards. Not only did travelers buy postcards as souvenirs,...
The modern world is not unfamiliar with different types of mixing – mix-and-match in fashion, crossover...
An aspect of Chinese lives that Western writers of the 19th and 20th century often described was gambling....
The third day of the Chinese New Year is also known as 赤口 (Cantonese: cek3 hou2). Traditionally, it is...
Situated in southern China, the Pearl River (Zhujiang 珠江) is the third longest river in China. Life and...
“Hong Kong prospère sous le signe de la cumshaw et le sourire des sing-song girls” (Hong Kong thrives...
The Victoria Harbour has been a well-known attraction of Hong Kong. The skyline of the Hong Kong side,...
Not having a chance to feel the “spicy breezes” of Ceylon? Maskee, try Singapore – a country that is...
Before tea became the main industry of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), it was that attraction of spices that...
In 2017, milk tea was declared as an item of “intangible cultural heritage” of Hong Kong. Hong Kong-style...
Tea has become one of the popular beverages in Europe since the 17th century. Even coffee houses sold...
The English East India Company (EIC), also known as the “Governor and Company of Merchants in London,...
The postcard above was sent in 1907 from Singapore to the Custom House of Shanghai via Hong Kong. The...
Someone who is “on active service” participates in military action as a member of the armed force, like...
A quick reminder of the various meanings of “Chop” – a seal, a stamp, a trademark, a permit, an order,...
Before we travel to a different place, one of the first things we do is to check up on the currencies...
Strolling along the narrow streets in Canton city in the olden days, the first thing that caught your...
Titled “A coolie of Hongkong”, the featured postcard portrays a rather unusual representation of coolies...
The featured photography shows two Europeans and a group of South Asians. At the back of the photograph...
The Hobson-Jobson Being a Glossary of Anglo-Indian Colloquial Words and Phrases and of Kindred Terms...
Shanghai entered the international stage after being designated as one of the treaty ports in the Treaty...
In the 18th century, Europeans and their employees worked in a “Factory”, not to produce goods but to...
The compradores were the right-hand men of the taipans, and the taipans were the heads of the companies....
A unique social class that emerged in the context of China trade was the compradores. Their education,...
As China opened up its market for foreign trade, the flow of people, money, ideas, and technologies from...
The foreignness of people and things often results in curiosity, suspicion, and hostility. Such feelings...
To the Hokkien-speaking Chinese, the term 紅hung4毛mou4 is familiar as it is traditionally used to refer...
Previously, we saw a postcard posted from Honolulu to Hong Kong dated 1888 (see 3. Chin-chin). As shown...
Hawaiʻi comprises a group of islands located in the central Pacific Ocean. The state capital and the...
Courtesy is important in social interactions. Therefore, the first Chinese Pidgin English expression...
Postcards are the most representative type of printed ephemera. When the idea of writing a message on...