Chinese Ancient Poems

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Chinese Ancient Poems
Mar 8, 2007 21:26	#11
CALIFORNIA Points: Join Date: Jul 22, 2005 Status: Offline	So strange,and interesting:-)

Mar 8, 2007 22:35	#12
CHRISWAUGHBJ Points: Join Date: Feb 26, 2007 Status: Offline	Serena, as my friend told me, modern Cantonese has retained some sounds from Middle Chinese (the language of the Tang Dynasty) that have been lost to Mandarin and many other dialects. It's often really strange how languages evolve, but really fascinating to learn about.

Mar 11, 2007 20:16	#13
SERENA07 Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	Yes, Chiris. I have also heard that. It is said that there was once a dispute among scientists, officials and common people to decide the Chinese mandarin. The pesent mandarin (Putonghua) based on the dialect of the northern part of China especially Beijing dialect, or the Cantonese? People had once been lingering.

Mar 11, 2007 23:43

#14

CHRISWAUGHBJ
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Join Date: Feb 26, 2007
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That's interesting, I didn't know there was ever such a debate. I guess I just assumed that Beijing, having been the capital through the Yuan, Ming (most of it) and Qing, was the natural choice. Of course, the rulers of the Yuan and Qing were Mongols and Manchus with their own languages, so I guess I shouldn't have assumed that.

But it's interesting that Cantonese was considered. I would've thought the choices would be between dialects that had historically had some political prestige, and I never really considered Cantonese to be such a dialect.

Anyway, I'm glad Mandarin won. It seems to be much, much easier than Cantonese!

Mar 13, 2007 20:19

#15

SERENA07
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Some people hold that Cantonese was once the official Chinese language in ancient time. However, I'm also glad Mandarin is the Putonghua (official language) today.

I had learnt how difficult the Cantonese is. Once I had lived in Shenzhen (in Guangdong Province) for several months, and I found it was even hard for me to catch what the local people say, not to mention to speak Cantonese.

However, I still want to try Cantonese if I have a chance, because it will be helpful to study Chinese ancient poems and Chinese culture.

Mar 13, 2007 22:15	#16
CHRISWAUGHBJ Points: Join Date: Feb 26, 2007 Status: Offline	Well, no, Cantonese wasn't the official language in ancient times. Modern Cantonese has kept some features of Middle Chinese that Modern Mandarin has lost.

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