Economic Relations and Language in Homogeneous Clan Groups: The Case of Southern Fujian Dialect

Abstract

This essay explores how homogeneous clan groups sharing a common dialect formed a network of economic relations, focusing on traders who speak the southern Fujian Dialect. Using a functionalist linguistic approach, this essay will focus on the relationship between language and culture, and language and clan, to explore how the Southern Fujian Dialect plays a role in sustaining economic relations between kin-related merchants. The cultural context of the Southern Fujian Dialect can build business mindsets that resonate with each other, forming psycho-emotional identities with the help of the Southern Fujian Dialect, reducing misunderstandings and enabling efficient negotiation in cooperation. In a practical sense, mutual support between businessmen of the same clan is important for economic recovery and social stability in the post-epidemic era.