How can Chinese have a common written language but different spoken languages?

Question

Isn't it true that the purpose of writing was to be able reproduce spoken words? In Chinese languages even if the writing is not capable of reproducing common sounds, it is capable of communicating the same meaning. If the oral language preceded the written language, as we all think, then how can it be explained that a written language was agreed by people who speak differently?

Answer 1

The purpose of writing was not solely to reproduce spoken words. The purpose was to record ideas or a story in a concise way to preserve them or to convey them to other people.

Chinese characters are based on pictographs. These pictographs are symbols of things like a roof or a pig. In Chinese, the word for house is based on the old agrarian concept of a home. It is written with the symbol for roof over the symbol for pig.

The combination of symbols or pictographs maybe based on an idea or a simplified representation of a things appearance. These symbols or pictographs may be combined to form other words or concepts. An idea may be conveyed with the same pictographs but the spoken form or pronunciation may differ.

China encompasses a large geographic area w/ many topographical barriers with a ethnically and regionally diverse population. This vastness lent itself to regional dialects and pronunciations. Chinese emperors standardized the written language throughout the country in order to unify the regions of their kingdom and foster communication. Since written messages were the primary means of conveying laws or decrees it worked.

Answer 2

In the U.S. we share a common written language with those in the southern part of our country, but if separated for a few decades, the difference in pronunciation would further diverge to the point that we would not be able to understand their babbling drawl at all anymore. I'm sure that the same thing happened in China when the country was politically and socially segmented over centuries.

Answer 3

Absolutely NOT! Haha... Although when written, Japanese and Chinese characters may coincide in meaning as some characters in Japanese are "borrowed" from Mandarin [language of Chinese]... However, the same character, with the same meaning in both languages have different pronunciation! Where as Korean is COMPLETELY different. Regards, Aidan.

Answer 4

The main point here is that written languages illustrate in writing spoken thoughts, or ideas. If you can imagine the difference between spoken English and American English, the accent difference between states and areas here in America or spoken accents in English overseas, you might be able to better understand the difficulty in spoken versions compared to actually READING traditional or simplified Chinese.

Answer 5

The purpose of a written language is to convey meaning and thought without speaking. The Chinese method of writing uses symbols that have nothing to do with the phonetics of forming the words verbally. Think of the symbol for men's and women's restrooms. They can be understood no matter what the language of the person viewing the sign.

Answer 6

that is because the languages evolved independently in there own region, whereas the written script was a conscious decision made by the emperor to help the administration of the country. Languages always evolve first and many people did not know ow to write in ancient time, thus writting was an elite attribute (and merchant) thus having a common script was necessary and also easier to implement for a small group.

Answer 7

There are close to hundred if not thousand of diff. ethnic groups in China. Most of the culture and written histories of these groups were destroyed.

The Meo = The Hmong

-they were once a large and powerful people in China. They kept fighting the Chinese and now they are scattered across the world like the Jews. Everything about them were destroyed except their language.

The four figures of the Chinese Heroes: The guy with the AXE is a Meo

Answer 8

How can the Japanese have one common spoken language but 4 different ways to put it down in writing?
And they are suppose to be cousins and share some of the same ideograms and characters.

Answer 9

Even though there are different dialects, their language barrier isn't too big. In most cases, people understanding only, oh, say Chao-chou, with practice, can learn to understand/speak other dialects with the same fluency as native speakers. I, for example, have learned only Cantonese, but over time, I have learned to understand the Taiwan, Chao-chou, and Mandarin dialects. Besides, the same written characters mean the same thing to different dialects.

Answer 10

Here are some explanations given by Chinese themselves:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/student/viewtopic.php?t=20274&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15