this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2023
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[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

It's funny I don't think I've met a Smith in my life. Met plenty of Wang, Chen, and Tan when I lived at that part of the world though. Can I ask why Tan (Singapore and Malaysia) and Chen (Taiwan) are coloured differently? They're the same surname.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Tan (Singapore and Malaysia) and Chen (Taiwan) are . . . the same surname

Is there a script or alphabet where they’re spelled identically?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They are all different pronunciation of the Chinese word 陳. Chen usually is besed off of the Mandarin way, Chan is Cantonese, and Tan is Hokkin, another Chinese dialect commonly spoken in Singapore.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen_%28surname%29?wprov=sfla1

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Super fascinating — thank you!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Lived in a few American states and the Smith thing always surprises me too. Johnsons, I know tons. Smiths? Not enough for that factoid to make sense.