Chinese (Mandarin) Chinese, specifically its earliest form known as Old Chinese, dates back over 3,000 years to the Shang Dynasty oracle bones (c. 1200 BCE). While Mandarin is the modern standard, the Chinese language family shares a continuous written tradition using logographic characters—many of which retain meanings from antiquity. This writing system enabled communication across mutually unintelligible spoken dialects (like Cantonese or Shanghainese), binding Chinese civilization for millennia. Classical Chinese served as the literary and administrative language until the early 20th century. Today, Mandarin is the world’s most spoken native language, with over 1 billion users. Its tonal structure and character-based script distinguish it globally. Despite political upheavals, the language persisted through Confucian education, imperial exams, and modern state promotion. Technology now adapts Chinese to digital life via pinyin input and AI recognition. Calligraphy, poetry, and idioms (chengyu) keep ancient expressions alive. While spoken forms evolved significantly, literacy in classical texts remains part of elite education. Chinese exemplifies how a writing system can act as a cultural anchor—allowing a language to transform orally yet maintain historical continuity, making it both ancient and dynamically modern.
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