How many dialects are there in China?

China's eight major dialects

China has eight major dialects (a newly discovered language called "Pingyin" is mainly found in the Guangxi area). Some people also classify Chinese dialects as nine or ten dialects. In fact, what we call "eight major dialects", "nine major dialects", or even "ten major dialects" are only the Han dialects in China, and if we add the languages of the ethnic minorities, the Chinese dialects can be divided into many more dialects. If you add the minority languages, China's dialects can be delineated more, more detailed.

A northern dialect

Customarily known as the "official language". There are Northeastern Mandarin, Northwestern Mandarin, Jinhua, and Southwestern Mandarin. Represented by the Beijing dialect, including the north of the Yangtze River, Zhenjiang above Jiujiang below the river zone, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hubei, Hunan provinces in the northwest, the northern part of Guangxi, the use of the population accounted for more than 70% of the total number of Han Chinese. The He people living in this dialect area naturally speak a northern dialect. And from this dialect area migrated to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Ho clan and overseas Ho overseas Chinese, Chinese, its "mother tongue" when the northern dialect.

Two, Wu dialect

Wu dialect is known as "Wu Nong fine language", represented by Shanghai dialect (said to be represented by Suzhou dialect). It is spoken in the south of the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province and in the east of Zhenjiang (Zhenjiang is not included) in most of Zhejiang Province. The speaking population accounts for about 8.4% of the total number of Han Chinese. The He people living in this dialect area naturally belong to the Wu dialect. And from this dialect area migrated to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan He people and the overseas He overseas Chinese, Chinese, their "mother tongue" when the Wu dialect.

Third, Xiang dialect

The Changsha dialect, represented by the Changsha dialect, is distributed in most parts of Hunan Province, and its population accounts for about 5% of the total number of Han Chinese. The He people who live in this dialect area speak the Xiang dialect. The He people who moved to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan from this dialect area and the He overseas Chinese and Chinese who live abroad, their "mother tongue" should be Xiang dialect.

Four, Gan dialect

Nanchang dialect as a representative of the main distribution in Jiangxi Province (except for the eastern part of the river zone and the south) and the southeast of Hubei Province, the use of the population accounted for the total number of Han Chinese about 2.4%. The language of the He people in this dialect area belongs to the Gan dialect. From this dialect area migrated to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of the He clan and the overseas He overseas Chinese, Chinese, their "mother tongue" should be categorized as Gan dialect.

Fifth, the Hakka dialect

Guangdong Meixian language on behalf of the main distribution in the east, south and north of Guangdong Province, southeast of Guangxi, Fujian Province, western Jiangxi Province, and a few areas of Hunan, Sichuan, the use of the population of the Han people accounted for about 4% of the total number of people. The language of the He people in this dialect area belongs to the Hakka dialect. From this dialect area to migrate to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Ho clan and overseas Ho overseas Chinese, Chinese, its "mother tongue" when the Hakka dialect.

Sixth, Minbei dialect

Fuzhou dialect as a representative of the distribution of the northern part of Fujian Province and Taiwan Province, the Nanyang overseas Chinese, there are also a part of the people speak Minbei dialect. It is spoken by about 1.2% of the total Han Chinese population. The language of the Ho people in this dialect area belongs to the Northern Min dialect. From this dialect area migrated to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of the He clan and the overseas He overseas Chinese, Chinese, their "mother tongue" when the northern Min dialect.

Seven, southern Fujian dialect

The Xiamen dialect as a representative, distributed in southern Fujian Province, eastern Guangdong Province and part of Hainan Province, as well as most of Taiwan Province. Nanyang overseas Chinese also have a lot of people speak the southern Fujian dialect, the use of the population accounted for about 3% of the total number of Han Chinese. The language of the Ho people in this dialect area belongs to the Southern Min dialect. From this dialect area to migrate to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Ho clan and overseas Ho overseas Chinese, Chinese, their "mother tongue" when the Minnan dialect.

Eight, Cantonese dialect

The Guangzhou dialect as the representative, distributed in most of Guangdong Province and southeastern Guangxi. Most of our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and overseas Chinese in Nanyang and some other countries speak Cantonese, and the population accounts for about 5% of the total number of Han Chinese.

As for the newly discovered "Ping dialect", it is mostly found in the Guangxi area and is characterized as a product of the erosion of the northern dialect into the southern dialect area!

Special mention here of the Hainan dialect.

Hainan has always been an "immigrant area", so the island language is also y marked by "immigrants". It can be said that the language on Hainan Island is the epitome of the eight Chinese dialects. Now, Hainan Island has lived on several generations of Han Chinese residents, in addition to the prevailing "Putonghua", but also the prevailing of more than a dozen dialects (including minority languages), such as: Hainanese (southern Fujian dialect), military (Southwest official language - northern dialect), "Ai dialect" (Hakka dialect), and Bai dialect (Cantonese dialect). In addition, the Han Chinese inhabitants of Hainan include: Danzhou (suspected Cantonese dialect variant), Mai (suspected Cantonese dialect variant), Lingao (suspected Guangxi Zhuang dialect variant), and Village (language unknown).

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Language group Language family Dialect

┌Northern (Mandarin) Han, Hui [China. Taiwan]

┌Northern language group-- ┼Jin (Jin) Han [China]

│ └Dungan Hui [Kyrghyzstan]

├óΓé?Γ?ó Hakka-Gan group-- ├óΓé?Γ?ó Gan (Gan) [China]. -┬ Gan (Gan) Han [Jiangxi Province, China]

│ └ Hakka (Hakka) Han, She [Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong Provinces, China, and Taiwan]

├--- ---- Wu (吴)汉族 [Jiangsu, Zhejiang Provinces, China]

├--- ---- Hui (Hui)汉族 [Anhui Province, China]

├- ---- ---- Hunanese (Hunanese, Xiang) Han [Hunan Province, China]

│ ┌ Minbei (Minbei) Han [Fujian Province, China]

┌ Sinitic (Sinitic) - ------- Cantonese (Yue) Han Chinese [Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China]

│ ├óΓé?Γ?￥ │ ------- Danzhou Dialect Han Chinese [Hainan Province, China]

│ ├- ------ Catjia Miao [Hunan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China]

│ ├- ------ Ling dialect Miao [Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China]

│ └-- ----- Pingdi Yao dialect Han and Yao [Hunan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China]

│

├- ---------- ------- Wutun language Wutun people [Huangnan Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China]

│

│ ┌Jianchuan

├--------- --------- Bai (白语) -┼┼?Dali [Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China]

│ Bai └碧江

│ ┌藏语群 Tibetan, Menba [Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet Autonomous Region, Sichuan, Yunnan Provinces, China,

│ ┌ Tibetan Branch - ┤(Bodish) Myanmar, India, Bhutan, Nepal]

│ │(Bodic) ├------- Baima-speaking Tibetan group

│ │ └羌语群 (Chiangish) Tibetan, Qiang, and Pumi [Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, China]

Chinese-Tibetan ┤ ├óΓé?┼?Baric Branch - Bodo-Garo

(Sino- │ │ │(Baric)

Tibetan)│ ├------Kuki-Naga [India]

│ ├- ---------- -- Jingpo (Kachin)│ ├óΓé?┼?Kingpo (Kachin)├óΓé?┬￥ [Yunnan Province, China, Kachin State, Myanmar]

│ ├óΓé?┼?---- --------- Dulong (Trung) Dulong ethnic group

│ ├--------- ---- Geman Deng (Kuman) Deng people [Tibet Autonomous Region of China, Assam Province of India, Kachin State of Myanmar]

├óΓé?Γ?￥ Tibetan-Burmese ┼- ---------- --Darang (Darang) Deng people [Tibet Autonomous Region, China]

│Tibeto- ├----- -------- Boga'er Lhoba (Boga'er )Lhoba [Tibet Autonomous Region, China]

│ Burmese ├------- ------Yidu珞巴语 (Yidu) Lhoba [Tibet Autonomous Region, China]

│ │ ┌ Luo Luo language group Yi, Lisu, Naxi, Hani, Lahu, Jinuo, Nu, and Mongolians

│ ├Burmese subgroup - ┤(Loloish) [China's Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regions, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar]

│ │ │(Burmic) └Burmese subgroup (Burmish)Jingpo Achang [Yunnan Province, China, Myanmar]

│ ├-------- ----- Nusu (Nusu) Nu ethnic group

│ ├--- ---------- Anong language Nu ethnic group

│ └-------- ----- Tujia language Tujia

│

└--- -------- Karen language group- -┬(Pho)

(Karen) └(Sgaw-Bwe)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -

Author: yjh3868

Published: 2006-7-4 17:59:58

Reference resources:

(i) Dictionary of Chinese Linguistics Jiangxi Education Press 1991

(ii) www.sil.org Summer Institute of Linguistics 1996

(3) A Guide to the World's Languages Merritt Ruhlen 1991<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center;"; (4) A Guide to the World's Languages TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-pagination: widow-orphan" align=center>

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</DIV>

Chinese Evolutionary Chart

〈Shang Dynasty〉→〈Western Zhou〉→〈Eastern Zhou〉→〈Han Dynasty〉→〈Western Jin Dynasty〉→〈Tang Dynasty〉→〈Southern Song Dynasty〉→〈Modern〉

? Yan language-→Hebei language

┌→Bashu language-→Shu language-┐

│ ?

├→Jiaozhou language-→┼→Cantonese-┬→Cantonese-→Cantonese

│ ? ?

┌→Qin language-┼→Qin and Jin language-→Guanzhong language┼→North language-┼→North language-→North language

│ │ ? ?

│ │ ? ├→Gan language-→Gan language

┌→Qi language-┤ │ ├→┤

│ │ └→Guandong language-→Central Plains language┤ └→Hakka language-→Hakka language

│ │ │

Zhou language-┤ └→Qi language ---→Qi language ---→┼→Min language ---→Min language --→ Min language

│ ?

├→Jin language --→ Jin ? ┌→Wu -→Wu

│ ┌→Wu -→Wu-┴→Wu-┤

└→Chu- -→Chu language-┤ └→Hui language-→Hui language

│

└→Chu language-→Chu language- -→Chu -→Xiang -→Xiang

------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------

Author: yjh3868

Published: 2006-7-4 18:01:51

Language family ---. ------- language- ---- Dialects ----- --Subdialects

┌Jin (Jin) ------ ----┬ Datong dialect

│ └Taiyuan dialect

│

│ ┌Shaanxi and Gansu dialects --- --- ┬?Shanxi

│ │ └Gansu

│ │ ┌Northeastern

│ │ ├óΓé??Hebei

┌Northern Chinese group --- -┤ ├óΓé?┼?Northern Chinese----┼?Shandong dialect

│ │ │ ├óΓé?┼?Jiao Dong dialect

│ │ │ └Henan dialect

│ │ │ ┌Ebei dialect

│ │ │ │ ├óΓé?┼?Chu dialect

│ │ │ ├Hunan official language

│ └北语-----┤ ├Cenjiang dialect

│ (Mandarin) ├Southwestern Chinese ----┼ Guiliu Dialect

│ │ ├Qianbei Dialect

│ │ ├Qiannan Dialect

│ │ ├Gongchi Dialect

│ │ ├Kungui Dialect

│ │ └Yunnanxi Dialect

│ │ ┌ Hefei dialect [Anhui Province, China]

│ │ ├Yangzhou dialect [Jiangsu Province, China]

│ ├Jianghuai dialect-----┼Nantong dialect [Jiangsu Province, China]

│ │ ├ Jiujiang dialect [Jiangxi Province, China]

│ │ └Nanping dialect [Nanping City, Fujian Province, China]

│ └------ --- Junjia Dialect [Zhongshan Township, Wuping County, Fujian Province, China]

│

│ ┌North ---- --- Nanchang dialect [Jiangxi Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?┼?Eastern ----- --- Yingtan dialect [Jiangxi Province, China]

│ ┌ Gan (Gan) --- ┼?Central --- ---- Fuzhou dialect [Jiangxi Province, China]

│ │ ├óΓé?┼?Western ---- --- Yichun dialect [Jiangxi Province, China]

│ │ └西南部----- -Jian Dialect [Jiangxi Province, China]

│ │

├óΓé?┼?Hakkan Group - ┤ ┌Northwest Gan Hakkan Dialect - ┌ -- Tonggu dialect [Jiangxi Province, China]

│ │ ├óΓé?┼?Southwest Gan Hakka ---- Ganzhou dialect [Jiangxi Province, China]

│ │ ├óΓé?┼?Southeast Gan Hakka-├óΓé?┬a --- Ningdu Dialect [Jiangxi Province, China]

│ │ ├óΓé?┼?Western Fujian Hakka ----┬áChangting Dialect [Longyan City, Fujian Province, China]

│ Hakka)- ┼?Guangdong Meijiang Hakka- ┼?Huiyang Hakka, Hailu ├óΓé?Γ?￥ [Shanwei, Shenzhen, Dongguan,

│ │ │ │ ├óΓé?┼?Qingyuan; Taiwan]

│ │ └Shaonan[shaoguan][韶关][shaoguan][shaoguan][shaoguan][shaoguan][shaoguan][shaoguan][Sichuan], Guangdong, China Hakka [Sichuan Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡Guangdong Dongjiang Hakka [Heyuan City and Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡Guangdong North Hakka [Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡Huizhou Hakka [Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡Shebei Hakka [Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡Jiangxi She [Jiji City, Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province, China Jiangxi Ji'an City and Shangrao City]

│ ├￥Fujian She Language She [Nanping City and Ningde District, Fujian Province, China]

│ └Guangdong She Language She [Shantou City, Jieyang City, Shanwei City and Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China]

│

------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------

│ ┌Xuanzhou dialect [Anhui Province, China, Gaochun County and Lishui County, Jiangsu Province]

│ │ ┌Changzhou dialect [Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China]

↓ ↓ ├Shanghainese dialect [Shanghai City, China, Jiangsu Province, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province]

↑ ├óΓé?╦￡Northern, Taihu Wu - ├óΓé?╦￡Huzhou dialect ├óΓé?╦￡[Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China]

Chinese language ┤ │ ├óΓé?╦￡Hangzhou dialect ├óΓé?╦￡[Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China]

├óΓé?Γ?ó---- ---- Wu (Wu) -- ┤ ├óΓé?┼?Shaoxing dialect ├óΓé?Γ?ó [Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China]

│ │ └ Ningbo dialect ├óΓé?Γ?ó [Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡Central, Wuzhou Wu language--Jinhua [Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡Southern, Dequ Wu language--┬úQuzhou [Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China]

│ │ └Lishui(Lishui)[Lishui(Lishui), Zhejiang Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡Taizhou [Taizhou City, China Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China]

│ └温州话-----┬温州话〔Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China]

│ └瓯語〔Pingyang County, Zhejiang Province, China]

│

│ ┌North, Jing-Zhan --- Jingde dialect [Anhui Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡East, Ji-She --- Shexian dialect [Anhui Province, China]

< p>├óΓé?Γ?ó-------- Hui (Huizhou) - - ┼?Western, Hui-Yixi --- Tunxi dialect [Anhui Province, China, Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡Southwestern, Chi-De --- Chimen dialect [Anhui Province, China, Chimen County , Dongzhi County, Jiangxi Province, Jingdezhen City, Dexing City]

│ └ Yanzhou dialect [Chun'an County, Jiande City, Zhejiang Province, China]

│

│ ┌ Chang-Yi (New Xiang dialect) - Changsha dialect [Hunan Province, China]

├óΓé?┼?Chu dialect - ---- Xiang language -----┼?Lou-Shao (Old Xiang dialect) -Shuangfeng dialect [Hunan Province, China]

│ (Hunanese) └吉-溆 ------ Jishou dialect [Hunan Province, China Hunan Province]

│ │

│ ┌ Minbei (Minbei) ------- --- Jianou dialect [Jianou City, Fujian Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?┼?Min Dong (Mindong) ----- ---│ │ └泰顺蛮讲 [Taishun County, Zhejiang Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?┼?Minzhong (Minzhong) -- -------永安话 [Yong'an City, Fujian Province, China]

├óΓé?┬a Min language group (Min) ┼?PuXian, Xinghua ( Hinghua) - ----- Putian dialect [Putian, Fujian Province, China]

│ │ │ ┌ Minnan dialect - --- │ Xiamenese (Amoy) [Xiamen, Fujian Province, China]

│ │ └Taiwanese,台语 (Taiwanese) [Taiwan]

│ └闽南语-- -- ┼┼?Teochew -----┬￥Teochew (潮州话) [Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, China]

│ ( Minnan) │ └汕头话 (Swatow) 〔Shantou City, Fujian Province, China]

│ ├Leizhou dialect 〔Leizhou City and Xuwen County, Guangdong Province, China]

│ └ Hainanese, Qiongwen (Hainanese) 〔Hainan Province, China]

│

│ ┌Yuehigh- -----┬? Cantonese, Guangzhou (Cantonese) [Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China]

│ │ └ Dongguan (Dongguan) [Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?╦￡Siyi (Siyi) ----- ┬?Taishanese (Toishanese)

│ │ └雅瑶话、拉珈话 [Heshan City, Guangdong Province, China]

├- ------- Cantonese (Yue)--┼?Gao-Lei ------ Yangjiang dialect [Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, China]

│ │ ┌ Wuzhou dialect [Wuzhou City, Guangxi Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?┼?Gui Nan Cantonese ----┼Nanning dialect [Nanning City, Guangxi Province, China]

│ │ └ Qinlian dialect [Guangxi Province, China]

│ ├óΓé?┼?Wu Chuan dialect [Wu Chuan City, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China]

│ └蜑家话、水上话 [ Guangdong Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China]

│

├------- --Danzhou dialect [Danzhou City and Changjiang Lizu autonomous county, Hainan Province, China]

│

├------ --Cat Family Dialect Miao [Hunan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China]

│

├----- -- Linghua Miao [Longsheng Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China]

│

└---- ---- Pingdi Yao language Han and Yao [Hunan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China]

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