Sinitic languages 漢語族 (汉语族)

Hànyǔ zú · from English

What are the Sinitic languages?

The Sinitic languages are the Chinese branch of Sino-Tibetan, including Mandarin, Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Min (Hokkien), Hakka, Xiang and Gan.

They share written Chinese and a common ancestor in Old and Middle Chinese, but many are not mutually intelligible when spoken. Classifications differ; some add Jin, Pinghua and Hui as separate groups. Mandarin has by far the most speakers.

Examples

Mandarin 官話 guānhuà; Yue 粵語 Cantonese; Wu 吳語 Shanghainese; Min 閩語 Hokkien, Teochew; Hakka 客家話; Xiang 湘語; Gan 贛語

Kungfucius says: Chinese is not one language. It is a family that shares a writing system and argues at dinner.