- Dear Associate Professor, Dr. Trinh Cam Lan, is today's Hanoi dialect much different from the old Hanoi dialect that was once the pride of Hanoians?
- Hanoi dialect has gradually changed over time. If you consider the Hanoi dialect of people of the same generation or the Hanoi dialect of generations born in Hanoi from the mid-20th century to the present..., you may not notice it. But if you consider it over a larger period of time, for example, comparing the Hanoi dialect of the generation born and raised in Hanoi around the beginning of the 20th century and today's Hanoi dialect, you will surely see quite a difference! The old Hanoi dialect was lighter, more leisurely - expressed through pronunciation, especially tone and intonation; more sophisticated, even stylized - through the use of words.
Today’s Hanoi dialect is stronger, faster, “more windy and bouncy”. Today’s Hanoi dialect has also adopted many pronunciations and word usages from different regions, making it much richer and more diverse than before. Even the introduction of foreign languages (mainly English) into Vietnamese, which we still call “language code mixing”, makes the Hanoi dialect of a part of today’s young generation carry the breath of the integration era, more modern, more stylish, more clearly socially stratified, and stylized in a different way.
If you look at the issue from a positive perspective, you can see that modern Hanoian contains diversity and richness as a result of a symbiosis, a blending of many dialects, both geographical and social. However, looking from the opposite direction, that multi-dialect state is sometimes pushed too far beyond what is necessary, meaning that it not only absorbs positive factors but sometimes also negative factors from other dialects.
For example, many parents have expressed concern and called the language of a part of Hanoi’s youth and teenagers today a “mixed hotpot of words”. Sitting in front of that “hotpot” at the beginning of the meal, they find it delicious and strange, but only in the middle of the meal do they feel bored, and at the end of the meal, they feel scared. And they will see that this is a phenomenon that should never be encouraged, but should be adjusted and shaped to be more in line with good customs.
- Does that mean that according to you, the old Hanoi accent no longer exists?
- It only exists in some old people living in the old quarter, the core area of the capital and the old Hanoi intellectual class, that generation is now over 70, 80 years old, meaning that there are very few left and over time I am not sure if it still exists or not. That is a pity because those Hanoi people are one of the factors that make up the beauty of the old Hanoi accent.
However, that does not mean that Hanoian dialect is no longer beautiful. I think it is still beautiful, but in a healthier way to adapt to contemporary life.
- As you said, the old Hanoi accent can only be felt by a few people. So what factors contributed to that change, madam?
- I think there are many reasons. The key to the problem lies in the factors that allow Hanoi to have its current position. In terms of politics and economics, Hanoi is the capital, the area with the most influence. In terms of society, and especially from a demographic perspective, Hanoi is a city with a large level of co-existence. In terms of culture and science, Hanoi also has the position of the largest center in the country with the highest number of headquarters, universities, research institutes, and knowledge centers in the country.
The above factors have created a one-way mechanical attraction that attracts waves of immigrants from other regions, which, as sociological and demographic studies have stated, "was strongest in the late 20th century."
The above mentioned factors are further strengthened by the factor of the times. We are in the whirlwind of development and integration and Hanoi is changing every day and every hour in that whirlwind. The wave of change penetrates deeply, permeating every corner of life, and the linguistic life of Hanoi residents is no exception to that impact.
Never before has Hanoian dialect had such a strong social multidialect status as it does now. That status is not only the symbiosis of regional dialects with the old Hanoian dialect, but also the symbiosis of social dialects - dialects of different social groups identified by criteria such as occupation, gender, age, education level, background... and many other criteria. That status is further deepened by the exchange with other cultures during the integration period. Those are the basic factors leading to the change of Hanoian dialect today compared to before.
What makes Hanoi accent so lovable is the civilized and elegant behavior of Hanoi people. Photo: Song Ngan
- It has a long history, is loved by many people and is the pride of Hanoians, but preserving the purity and standard of Hanoi dialect seems to not be given due attention. What do you think about this?
- That's right, there is currently no convention or any document to protect the beauty of Hanoi dialect, or if there is, it is very general. People only observe a vivid reality that Vietnamese is currently used in the mass media, in books that are similar to Hanoi dialect. As a researcher, I just want to affirm: If we assume that each local dialect is a variation of Vietnamese, then Hanoi dialect is a prestigious variation of Vietnamese, very close to the national Vietnamese language, but we do not dare to say that Hanoi dialect is the national Vietnamese language, at least because there is no legal document on that.
- In your opinion, what can we do to help Hanoi dialect increasingly assert its role in contemporary life?
- In my opinion, the first thing is to clearly define its position among the variants of Vietnamese in an official manner - through language policy, language law, or to put it more humorously, give it a "status". After Hanoi language has an official status, then we can talk about policies and activities to help consolidate and enhance that status such as: Encouraging and investing in research on Hanoi language, clarifying its advantages and beauty, pointing out the shortcomings in the communication language of a part of contemporary Hanoians - both linguistically and socially, from which there are appropriate recommendations in use to enhance the beauty, reduce the shortcomings and unsuitability so that Hanoi language becomes increasingly prestigious in the community.
Next is to promote the use of Hanoian language through education, through schools, through mass media... to thereby contribute to preserving, developing and spreading the beauty of Hanoian language widely in the community.
- Thank you very much for the conversation!
Author:Presentable
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