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Houlu dialect

Datian Min Chinese dialect

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The Houlu dialect (simplified Chinese: 后路话; traditional Chinese: 後路話; pinyin: Hòulùhuà) is a dialect of Datian Min, which is often classified as a part of the Southern Min group of varieties of Chinese. It is spoken in northwestern Datian County, southwestern Youxi County, and several townships in Yong'an City and Sha County in the center of Fujian Province.^[1] In Youxi County, it is known as the Xinqiao dialect (新桥话; 新橋話; Xīnqiáohuà).^[1] It mixes several Min languages nearby such as Northern Min, Central Min, Eastern Min, and Hokkien.^{[citation needed]} The main area where Houlu is spoken is northern Datian including Guangping, Jianshe, Qitao, Wenjiang, and Meishan, covering 22.45% of the population of Datian.^[5] The variety spoken in Guangping can be regarded as the representative.^[1] Although Houlu includes some features of Min Zhong and other Min languages, it is still not mutually intelligible with other Min Nan dialects.^{[clarification needed]}

In the Houlu dialect, there are 18 initials (not including the null initial), 41 rimes and 7 tones.^[6]

• Datian County Local Chronicles Editorial Board, ed. (1996). Datian Xianzhi 大田县志 [Datian Annals] (in Chinese). Vol. 33: 方言. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company. ISBN 7-101-01536-0.
• Sanming City Local Chronicles Editorial Board, ed. (2002). Sanming Shizhi 三明市志 [Sanming Annals] (in Chinese). Vol. 53: 方言. Beijing: Fangzhi Chubanshe. ISBN 7-80122-619-4.