1. Introduction

Taiwanese refers to the Southern Mǐn variety of Chinese spoken in Táiwān, as the term has been used in the literature (e.g., Cheng 1968). According to Huáng Xuānfàn (1993), about 73% of the population in Táiwān belongs to the Southern Mǐn ethnic group. However, for over forty years (1950s-1990s), Manda…