How old is the language Mandarin?

Written Language. The Chinese language is the oldest written language in the world with at least six thousand years of history. Chinese character inscriptions have been found in turtle shells dating back to the Shang dynasty1 (1766-1123 BC) proving the written language has existed for more than 3,000 years.

Is Mandarin a Vietnamese or Chinese?

Different Dialects In Vietnamese And Chinese The dialects are different in pronunciation and vocabulary, while they use the same writing system, which is Chữ Quốc Ngữ, the modern Vietnamese writing system. There are two main varieties in Chinese, traditional Chinese (aka Yue) and simplified Chinese (aka Mandarin).

Where does ‘Mandarin’ come from?

Mandarin (/ˈmændərɪn/ ( listen); simplified Chinese: 官话; traditional Chinese: 官話; pinyin: Guānhuà; literally: “speech of officials”) is a group of related varieties of Chinese spoken across most of northern and southwestern China.

How did Mandarin become China’s official language?

Mandarin was one of the 10 major dialects in China and it officially became the national language for China in 1911 after Dr. Sun Yat Sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Mandarin was the dialect spoken in the Northern regime and especially Beijing.

What is the origin of the Mandarin language?

The word “Mandarin” originated from the portuguese word “Mandarim”, which means “Chinese Officials / Court Officials / Government People”. When Europeans Jesuit visited China in 1500s, they noticed that the Chinese Court Officials spoke a common official language that is different from other commoner’s languages.

Where is Mandarin spoken?

Mandarin Chinese is most widely spoken in northern and southwestern China. But the most common language in Hong Kong and Macau is Cantonese. Similarly, Mandarin is not the only language of Taiwan. Most Taiwanese people can speak and understand Mandarin Chinese but may be more comfortable with other languages such as Taiwanese or Hakka.