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Questions and Answers
Which variety of Chinese is considered to be mainly spoken in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces?
What is the estimated number of speakers of Mĭn Nán?
Which dialect is recognized as a separate variety rather than a dialect of Mandarin?
Which dialect is primarily spoken by the Muslim Hui people?
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Which dialect is spoken by about 10.3 million people primarily in Northern Fujian Province?
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What is the primary script used by Dungan speakers?
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Which of the following languages is NOT considered a dialect of Chinese?
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Which dialect is primarily spoken in the Hunan province and has about 25 million speakers?
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What was the new written form of Chinese known as?
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Which variety of Chinese was chosen as the basis for the new transcription systems?
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What is the primary use of Zhuyin Fuhao?
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Which of the following is a major dialect of Wu?
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What grammar or writing style is still used by some writers despite the introduction of báihùa?
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In which regions is Wú primarily spoken?
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What was the primary purpose of adopting Simplified Chinese in 1949?
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Which phonetic transcription system was created before others and used in Taiwan after 1949?
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What was the primary focus of Protestant missionaries' activities in China after the Opium War?
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What is the major role of Pŭtōnghuà in modern China?
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What is zhuyin fuhao primarily associated with?
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Who were the first to attempt romanization of the Chinese language?
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What was the general sentiment towards the Manchu Qing dynasty at the end of the 19th century?
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During which historical period did the first romanization systems for Chinese emerge?
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What is the primary aim of Chinese calligraphy according to traditional practices?
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What is one of the main debates regarding phonetic transcription systems in China?
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Study Notes
Mandarin and Baihua
- The standard spoken language of China is Mandarin
- A northern dialect of Mandarin, as spoken by educated people in northern China, became the basis for a new form of written Chinese known as báihùa (plain language)
- Writers were encouraged to use báihùa (plain language) instead of Classical Chinese
- However, some writers continued to use Classical or semi-classical styles
Chinese Phonetic Transcription
- Many systems exist to represent the sounds of spoken Chinese phonetically
- Most systems are based on the Latin/Roman alphabet
- Romanization systems were initially created by Jesuit missionaries to aid in the study of Mandarin
- Protestant missionaries created romanization systems for languages other than Mandarin
- Chinese patriots conceived phonetic scripts that sought to modernize and strengthen China
- Debate arose about whether phonetic transcription systems should be used with Chinese characters or replace them altogether
Modern Chinese Script
- Simplified Chinese, adopted in 1949 in China, seeks to reduce illiteracy
- Simplified Chinese is also used in Singapore
Varieties of Chinese
- Putonghua (Mandarin) spoken by over 1 billion people, primarily in China and Taiwan
- Wu spoken by about 77 million people in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces
- Yue (Cantonese) spoken by about 66 million people in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces
- Min Nan spoken in southern Fujian, Guangdong, southern Hainan, and parts of Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces
- Jinyu spoken by about 45 million people mainly in Shanxi province
- Hakka spoken in southeastern China, parts of Taiwan, and the New Territories of Hong Kong
- Xiang (Hunanese) spoken by about 25 million people mainly in Hunan province
- Gan spoken by about 20.5 million people in Jiangxi province
- Min Bei (Northern Min) spoken by about 10.3 million people mainly in Northern Fujian Province
- Min Dong spoken mainly in east central Fujian
- Min Zhong spoken mainly in central Fujian
- Dungan spoken by the Hui people in China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan (using the Cyrillic alphabet)
- Pu-Xian spoken by about 6000 people mainly in east central Fujian
- Huizhou spoken in southern Anhui and northern Zhejiang provinces
Calligraphy
- Chinese calligraphers focus on aesthetic pleasing calligraphy rather than legibility
Script Types
- Small Seal Script (小篆)
- Clerical Script (隸書)
- Standard Script with zhùyīn fúhào (楷書)
- Running script (行書)
- Grass script
- Simplified characters (简体字)
Hànyǔ pīnyīn (汉语拼音)
- The standardized romanization system for Mandarin
- Used in dictionaries, textbooks, and communication materials
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is provided as an example for the usage of Hànyǔ pīnyīn (汉语拼音)
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Description
Explore the evolution of the Chinese language, focusing on the transition from Classical Chinese to báihùa and the development of various phonetic transcription systems. This quiz delves into the historical context and debates surrounding pronunciation representation in Mandarin. Test your knowledge on these important linguistic changes in China.
