The return of Fung-Wong: Your Chinese lesson for the day.

[W Brewer]

Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau has issued a warning for severe tropical
storm Fung-Wong. The
​ ​
Chinese characters, on the other hand, are read in Mandarin as
<Feng4-huang2  Bao4-feng1>, meaning
​ ​
<Phoenix Storm>.  Fung-wong is actually based on Cantonese <fuhng-wo`hng>
'phoenix', preserving
​
forever the romanization of Nationalist glory days in official despatches.
​     ​
Fung-Wong  =  Mandarin feng4-huang2  <   feng 'male phoenix' + huang
'female phoenix'.
​     ​
bao4-feng1 'storm' <  bao 'cruel' + feng 'wind')
​.​
OMG, Fung-Wong has been here before:
<July 28, 2008 (CNN) -- A weakened Typhoon Fung-Wong neared the Taiwan
Strait Monday afternoon
​ ​
after whipping the island with powerful winds and heavy rain, the Joint
Typhoon Warning Center
​ ​
reported.>

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