A-Brief-Introduction-of-Chinese-Language

ABriefIntroductiontotheABriefIntroductiontotheChineseLanguageChineseLanguageKeqianKeqianXu,Ph.D.Xu,Ph.D.ProfessorofChineseLiteratureandCulture,ProfessorofChineseLiteratureandCulture,NanjingNormalUniversity,NanjingNormalUniversity,VisitingProfessoranddeputydirectorofVisitingProfessoranddeputydirectoro[e-mail][e-mail]glanguage:Averyoldyetstilllivinglanguage:„„Severalthousandyearslonghistory,everSeveralthousandyearslonghistory,everchanging,butneverinterrupted.changing,butneverinterrupted.„„BelongtotheBelongtothe““SinoSino--TibetanTibetan””languagelanguagesystem.system.„„MorepeoplespeakChinesethananyotherMorepeoplespeakChinesethananyotherlanguageintheworld.languageintheworld.„„OneofthefiveofficiallanguagesofUN.OneofthefiveofficiallanguagesofUN.„„About2millionAmericanresidentsareAbout2millionAmericanresidentsareChinesehomespeakers.Chinesehomespeakers.„„60%ofKoreanvocabularycomesfrom60%ofKoreanvocabularycomesfromChinese.Chinese.„„WrittenJapanesehasseveralthousandWrittenJapanesehasseveralthousandcharactersborrowedfromChinese.charactersborrowedfromChinese.„„Ithasbeenestimatedthatuntilthe18thIthasbeenestimatedthatuntilthe18thcenturymorethanhalfoftheworld'scenturymorethanhalfoftheworld'sprintedbookswereinChinese.printedbookswereinChinese.SomeconfusingtermsSomeconfusingterms：：„„ChineseLanguageChineseLanguage中文中文„„HanyuHanyu汉语汉语„„MandarinMandarin官话官话„„PutonghuaPutonghua普通话普通话IsCantoneseChinese?IsCantoneseChinese?„„Yes!Yes!„„ItIt’’sonlyoneofthemanydialectsofsonlyoneofthemanydialectsofChinese(YueDialect).Chinese(YueDialect).„„Thedifferenceismainlyinpronunciation,Thedifferenceismainlyinpronunciation,slightlyinvocabularyandgrammar,butslightlyinvocabularyandgrammar,butnotinwritingsystem.notinwritingsystem.TheMapofChineseDialectsTheMapofChineseDialects„„NorthernNorthern„„WuWu„„YueYue„„MinMin„„XiangXiang„„GanGan„„HakkaHakkaWhatisWhatis““PinYinPinYin””??„„TheRomanizedphoneticspellingsystemTheRomanizedphoneticspellingsystemcreatedin1950createdin1950’’sforMandarinorstandardsforMandarinorstandardChinese(Putonghua)Chinese(Putonghua)„„ItisbasedonBeijingDialects,abranchofItisbasedonBeijingDialects,abranchoftheNortherndialectsofChineselanguagetheNortherndialectsofChineselanguage„„Ituses25lettersinEnglishexceptItuses25lettersinEnglishexcept““VV””..Chinese(Mandarin)PhoneticsChinese(Mandarin)Phonetics„„InitialsInitials(consonants)(consonants)„„FinalsFinals(avowel,oracombinationofvowels,(avowel,oracombinationofvowels,sometimeswithanasalattheend)sometimeswithanasalattheend)„„TonesTones(fourdistinctandonelighttones)(fourdistinctandonelighttones)„„EachChinesecharactercorrespondstooneEachChinesecharactercorrespondstoonesyllablesyllable.Asyllableisconsistofaninitial,afinal.Asyllableisconsistofaninitial,afinalandatone.andatone.21initials21initials(consonants)(consonants)UnaspiratedAspiratedNasalVoicelessfricativeVoicedfricativeLabialbbppmmffAlveolarddttnnllVelarggkkhhPalataljjqqxxDentalsibilantzzccssRetroflexzhzhchchshshrrywyw35finals35finals6simplefinals:aoeiuaoeiuüü13compoundfinals:aiaiaoaoeieiiaiaiaoiaoieieiouiou((iuiu))ououuauauaiuaiüüeeueiuei((uiui))uouo8frontnasals:anenanenianianininuanuanüüananuenuen(un)(un)üünn8backnasals:angangengengiangiangingingiongiongongonguanguanguengueng16nasalfinals:erer4tones4tones，，andalighttoneandalighttoneHighUpLowDownlightHighUpLowDownlightmmāāmmáámmǎǎmmààmama妈妈妈妈骑骑马，马马，马慢，慢，妈妈骂骂马。马。Motherisridingonahorse,thehorsewalksMotherisridingonahorse,thehorsewalkstooslow,somothercursesit.tooslow,somothercursesit.MMāāmamaqqíímmǎǎ，，mmǎǎmmàànn，，mmāāmmààmmǎǎ..„„Combinationsofinitialsandfinals,plusCombinationsofinitialsandfinals,plusseveralspecialcases,resultinseveralspecialcases,resultin411411possiblecombinationspossiblecombinations..„„ApplyingtheApplyingthefourtonesfourtones,wegetatotalof,wegetatotalofaroundaround1,6001,600uniquesyllables.uniquesyllables.ZhZhōōngngGuGuóóMMěěiiGuGuóó中中国国美美国国ChinaChinaUSAUSABBěěiiJJīīngng北京北京NNáánnJJīīngng南京南京DDōōngngJJīīngng东京东京BBěěiikkǎǎluluóóllááiinnàà北卡罗来纳北卡罗来纳WhynotuseWhynotuse““PinYinPinYin””toreplaceChinesetoreplaceChinesecharactersasChinesewritingsystem?charactersasChinesewritingsystem?„„Impossible!BecausetherearetoomanyImpossible!Becausetherearetoomanyhomophoniccharacters.homophoniccharacters.„„ZhaoZhaoYuanrenYuanren,afamousChineselinguist,,afamousChineselinguist,wroteanarticleentitledwroteanarticleentitled施氏食狮史施氏食狮史((TheTheStoryofMr.ShiAteaLionStoryofMr.ShiAteaLion),thewhole),thewholearticleonlyuseonesyllablearticleonlyuseonesyllable““shishi””..WhendidtheearliestChineseWhendidtheearliestChineseCharactersappeared?Charactersappeared?„„Nolaterthan14centuryB.C.Nolaterthan14centuryB.C.„„OracleOracle--boneinscriptionsoftheShangboneinscriptionsoftheShangDynasty(1600Dynasty(1600--1028B.C.)1028B.C.)InscriptionontripodInscriptionontripodvesselsvesselsLargesealscriptLargesealscript(1100(1100--256BC)256BC)InscriptiononInscriptiononstonestele,stonestele,QinDynastyQinDynasty(221B.C.(221B.C.--206B.