Gweilo
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Gweilo (鬼佬; Jyutping: gwai2 lou2; Cantonese IPA: kwɐɪ35 ləʊ35; Pinyin: guĭlăo; sometimes also spelt Gwailo) is a Cantonese term for Caucasian people (generally men). It literally means "ghost man" or "ghost chap"[1] and arose to describe the pale complexion, the sometimes "red hair and green/blue eyes" (Simplified Chinese: 红须绿眼; Traditional Chinese: 紅鬚綠眼; pinyin: hóng xū lǜ yǎn) of Caucasians. When the term is translated into English, it is sometimes wrongly translated as foreign devil. The term arose in the 19th century and may be associated with the occupation of China by foreign powers.
Gweilo is the most generic term, but variations include:
- To refer specifically to Caucasian women: gweipor (Chinese: 鬼婆; pinyin: guǐpó; jyutping: gwai2 po4, literally: "ghost woman") which is also often spelt "gwai-poh"
- To refer specifically to Caucasian boys: gweijai (Chinese: 鬼仔; pinyin: guǐzǐ; jyutping: gwai2 zai2, literally: "ghost boy")
- To refer specifically to Caucasian girls: gweimui (Chinese: 鬼妹; pinyin: guǐmèi; jyutping: gwai2 mui1, literally: "ghost younger-sister")
Due to its widespread use, the term gwei has taken on the general meaning of "foreigner" or "westerner" rather than just Caucasian. This use can be seen in the following terms:
- To refer to a white foreigner: bakgwei (Chinese: 白鬼; pinyin: bái guǐ;jyutping: baak6 gwai2, literally: "white ghost")
- To refer to a black foreigner: hakgwei (Chinese: 黑鬼; pinyin: hēi guǐ; jyutping: haak1 gwai2, literally: "black ghost")
In 1999, CFMT-TV in Toronto had a cooking show named Gwai Lo Cooking. It featured a Cantonese-speaking Caucasian chef as the host, who was also the show's producer and the person who named the show. In response to some complaints, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council ruled [2] that
... While historically, "gwai lo" may have been used by Chinese people as a derogatory remark concerning foreigners, particularly Caucasian Westerners, the persons consulted by the Council indicate that it has since lost much of its derogatory overtone. The Council finds that the expression has also lost most of its religious meaning, so that "foreign devil" no longer carries the theological significance it once did. Based on its research, the Council understands that the expression has gone from being considered offensive to, at worst, merely "impolite".
According to CFMT-TV, "Gwei Lo" was used as "a self-deprecating term of endearment". [3]
The term is sometimes considered offensive by non-Cantonese people.[4] Many Cantonese speakers, however, frequently use the term to refer to white people and westerners in general and they consider the term non-derogatory, a controversial notion.[5]. The term was commonly prefaced by sei (Chinese: 死; pinyin: sǐ; jyutping: sei2, meaning: death[6], damned) as in sei gweilo, meaning "damned ghost man", and used pejoratively with sei as the pejorative suffix.
[edit] Related terms
In Mandarin, guizi (Chinese: 鬼子; pinyin: guǐzi) is a similar term to gweilo. Guizi, however, can be used to refer to either the Japanese (specifically, 日本鬼子 rìběn guǐzi "Japan ghost" or 东洋鬼子 dōngyáng guǐzi "east ocean ghost") or Caucasians (洋鬼子 yáng guǐzi "ocean ghost"). Laowai (老外 lǎowài "old out" or "old outsider") is a word usually used for Caucasians, and is a less pejorative term in Mandarin than guizi.
[edit] See also
[edit] References and external links
- ^ Larry Feign. Gweilo cartoon.
- ^ CFMT-TV re Gwai Lo Cooking, CBSC Decision 99/00-0220. Decided July 6, 2000
- ^ Appendix to 'CFMT-TV re Gwai Lo Cooking ', CBSC Decision 99/00-0220. Decided July 6, 2000
- ^ Oriental Expat. Gaijin, Farang, Gweilo - Confused? Retrieved December 10, 2006.
- ^ Irene Yu. MP shouldn't generalize. Richmond News. November 7, 2006. Retrieved December 10, 2006.
- ^ Wishing death on someone is a curse in Chinese languages.
