Posted by Kevin Wong Hoy on December 04, 2001 at 08:58:33:
In Reply to: Re: Origin Of "Looi" Surname posted by Looi Siew Teip on June 07, 2001 at 07:07:36:
: There are two Chinese surnames which usually appear as "Looi" when transcribed according to their Cantonese pronunciation. These are two entirely different surnames and have nothing to do with each other. Their Cantonese pronunciation is similar but not identical.
: "Looi" meaning thunder is pronounced with a low falling tone in Cantonese and appears as "lei" in the Hanyu Pinyin transliteration of Mandarin.
: The other "Looi" is pronounced with a mid level tone in Cantonese and appears as "l�" in the Hanyu Pinyin transliteration of Mandarin, and is usually identified as the "Looi with the two mouths" in reference to the shape of the written character, or as the "Looi in L� Dongbin", one of the Eight Immortals.
: I am a Looi with the two mouths. My paternal grandfather was from a village a short distance east of Guangzhou in Zengcheng county. Apparently, the surname originated in Henan province in North China and there is supposed to be a concentration of Loois in Nanyang county in the south of that province.
Siew Teip, Your response about the surname Looi was the only match for my enquiry about the district of "Zengcheng". I now believe that my maternal great grandfather Yip Hoy (Mandarin = Ye, meaning leaf) might have come from that district as well but so far have been unable to make much advance with confirming this. He migrated to Australia circa 1870.
I presume from the anglicisation of your name that you have connections with S-E Asia. However, I would be interested in learning about any of the migration story of the Chinese from Zengcheng.
I know that a Zhong from Beitou village, and a Chen from Yutian village came to Australia and a Au migrated to New Zealand. Do you know the name of your grandfather's village and whether more Chinese migrated from that district and to where?. In Australia, it is not common to locate people with connections to Zengcheng.
Most interested in your comments.
Kevin Wong Hoy.