Expedience Code-switching in Canto-pop
跟蹤你("Following you") by Boyz'
"跟蹤你 第九天"
(gan1 zung1 nei5 dai6 gau2 tin1)
(This is the ninth day i have been following you)
"曾共你 於 CD 鋪 一起買唱"
(cang4 gung6 nei5 jyu1 si1di1 pou2 jat1hei2 maai5 coeng3 pin2)
(once with you at CD shop together buy compact discs)
"跟蹤你 第九天"
(gan1 zung1 nei5 dai6 gau2 tin1)
(This is the ninth day i have been following you)
"曾共你 於 CD 鋪 一起買唱"
(cang4 gung6 nei5 jyu1 si1di1 pou2 jat1hei2 maai5 coeng3 pin2)
(once with you at CD shop together buy compact discs)
Implication
For the sake of efficiency and pronunciation convenience, "CD" was used in replacing its clumsy pure Cantonese correspondence, "鐳射唱片". (leoi4 se6 coeng3 pin2, the "compact disc") "CD" is a ‘well-established abbreviation and it is much less formal-sounding when compared with its Cantonese counterpart.
Moreover, when we take a closer look on the lyrics, the abbreviation "CD" was deliberately employed to match both of the tone and beat. i.e."CD" rhymes with "第九天" (dai6 gau2 tin1, the ninth day).
For this, Luke(1998) suggested that English words are mixed in informal conversation because the Cantonese counterparts sound too formal or literary in style. These instances are called “expedience code-mixing”,which refers to the use of English expressions in informal talk among Cantonese speakers out of convenience.
Moreover, when we take a closer look on the lyrics, the abbreviation "CD" was deliberately employed to match both of the tone and beat. i.e."CD" rhymes with "第九天" (dai6 gau2 tin1, the ninth day).
For this, Luke(1998) suggested that English words are mixed in informal conversation because the Cantonese counterparts sound too formal or literary in style. These instances are called “expedience code-mixing”,which refers to the use of English expressions in informal talk among Cantonese speakers out of convenience.