Abstract:
This study aims to categorize taste terms in Teochiu into basic taste terms, non-basic taste terms, and taste attitude terms, and to analyze the system of basic taste terms, linguistic strategies in forming non-basic taste terms, and the meanings of taste attitude terms. The data used in this study was gathered by asking twenty Teochiu informants to identify and describe the tastes of 185 kinds of food. The results show that in Teochiu there are nine basic taste terms representing eight basic taste categories: /kiam5/ (SALTY), /s1/ (SOUR), /ti:1/ or /tiam5/ (SWEET), /hiam1/ (HOT), /khow4/ (BITTER), /tsia:4/ (FLAT), /siab2/ (ASTRINGENT) and /kam1/ (MOIST). The meanings of all the basic taste terms are differentiated by seven dimensions of contrast: duration of taste sensation, nauseousness, pungency, soreness, stickiness, thirstiness, and tingle. With regard to non-basic taste terms, it is found that they are formed by three main strategies: reduplication of basic taste term (taste1+taste1), combining two basic taste terms (taste1+taste2), and combining a basic taste term with a modifier. The last strategies can be divided into six sub-categories; namely, taste+sensation, taste+characteristic, taste+dilution, taste+temperature, taste+ /tshuk5/ 'out', and taste+ /s[epsilon]:1/ 'to be born'. The analysis of taste attitude terms shows that they are divided into three groups according to the meanings: positive, negative and neutral attitudes. The positive category can be divided into seven groups: 'savory', 'delicious', 'good', 'appetizing', 'tasteful', and 'not bad'. The negative category can be divided into seven groups: 'not savory', 'not delicious', 'not good', 'fatty', 'difficult to eat', 'tasteless', and 'strong', and the neutral category can be divided into four groups: 'easy to eat', 'simple', 'not different', and 'moderate'