ngoi6 si2外史

Jyutpingngoi6 si2

Yalengoih sí

Definition

Unofficial history; history written outside the official imperial records.

writtenother

How it's used

Refers specifically to historical accounts or anecdotes that fall outside of official, state sanctioned records. It often carries a connotation of being more gossipy, scandalous, or focused on the private lives of prominent figures rather than dry political events. While it can refer to a genre of literature, it is also used to describe any informal or secret history of a group or organization.

Measure word

bun2本bún

Examples

le1呢bun2本syu1書hou2好ci5似hai6係gong2講gun1官coeng4場ngoi6外si2史㗎。

This book seems to be about unofficial histories of the bureaucracy.

nei5你tai2睇gwo3過go2嗰tou3套gwaan1關jyu1於ming4名mun4門ge3嘅ngoi6外si2史mei6未aa4呀？

Have you read that unofficial history about the prestigious family yet?

Common phrases

gun1官coeng4場ngoi6外si2史

unofficial history of the bureaucracy

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term for foreign history, which uses the same characters but has a completely different meaning. In Cantonese, it is almost exclusively used in the context of unofficial or secret accounts.