Changes

In imperial times, people in different parts of the empire communicated with each other using written [[Classical Chinese]]. By the [[Tang dynasty]] (618–907), spoken and written Chinese had diverged into separate languages.

In imperial times, people in different parts of the empire communicated with each other using written [[Classical Chinese]]. By the [[Tang dynasty]] (618–907), spoken and written Chinese had diverged into separate languages.

At the end of the Tang, China was divided into northern and southern states. The Mongols conquered China in the thirteenth century. They treated North and South China as two units within their larger empire. For example, [[Marco Polo]] writes of "Cathay" (North China) and "Manzi" (South China). He did not use any expression that corresponds to the modern concept of "China." By the time China was reunited by the [[Ming dynasty]] in 1368, North and South had drifted far apart.

At the end of the Tang, China was divided into northern and southern states. The Mongols conquered China in the thirteenth century. They treated North and South China as two units within their larger empire. For example, [[Marco Polo]] writes of "Cathay" (North China) and "Manzi" (South China). He does not use any expression that corresponds to the modern concept of "China." By the time China was reunited by the [[Ming dynasty]] in 1368, North and South had drifted far apart.

The first Ming emperor selected the Lower Yangtse dialect of Nanjing as a [[lingua franca]]. This dialect was referred to as ''Guānhuà'' ("officials' speech"). The word "Mandarin," first recorded in Portuguese, refers to a Chinese official. Classical Chinese continued to be used for formal writing, although various popular works such as the novel ''The Golden Lotus'' (1610) were written in the Nanjing dialect. In the late nineteenth century, the dialect of Beijing displaced that of Nanjing. Although both cities speak dialects of the North Chinese language type, there is considerable divergence. In the 1920s, Classical Chinese was displaced by a writing system based on Beijing dialect.

The first Ming emperor selected the Lower Yangtse dialect of Nanjing as a [[lingua franca]]. This dialect was referred to as ''Guānhuà'' ("officials' speech"). The word "Mandarin," first recorded in Portuguese, refers to a Chinese official. Classical Chinese continued to be used for formal writing, although various popular works such as the novel ''The Golden Lotus'' (1610) were written in the Nanjing dialect. In the late nineteenth century, the dialect of Beijing displaced that of Nanjing. Although both cities speak dialects of the North Chinese language type, there is considerable divergence. In the 1920s, Classical Chinese was displaced by a writing system based on Beijing dialect.