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Old Chinese

NameOld Chinese
Nativename上古漢語
StatesShang Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty, Warring States Period
RegionAncient China
Extinctevolved into Middle Chinese and proto-Min
FamilycolorSino-Tibetan
Fam2Sinitic
ScriptOracle Bone Script, Bronze script, Seal Script
Iso3och
ImagealtRubbing of a bronze inscription; the characters are partially simplified from pictorial forms
ImagecaptionZhou Dynasty bronze inscription
NoticeIPA

     Home | Language | Old Chinese





Old Chinese ( ), also called Archaic Chinese in older works, refers to the form of Chinese spoken from the beginning of written records (around 1200 BC) until the 3rd century BC.

The earliest inscriptions are undoubtedly Chinese, but are limited in scope and not fully understood.

Within historical Chinese phonology, the term refers to the language reflected by the rhymes of the Shijing and the phonetic components of Chinese characters, corresponding to the earlier half of the 1st millennium BC.

Scholars have attempted to reconstruct the sounds of this language by comparing this data with what is known of Middle Chinese.

Many details are still disputed, but most recent reconstructions agree on the basic structure.

It is widely agreed that unlike later forms of the language, Old Chinese allowed consonant clusters at the beginning and end of the syllable, the latter developing into tone distinctions in Middle Chinese.

Simple derivational morphology has also been identified.

The latter part of the Old Chinese period saw a flowering of literature, including classical works such as the Analects of Confucius, the Mencius, and the Tao Te Ching.

As a result, Old Chinese was preserved for the following two millennia in the form of Classical Chinese, a style of written Chinese that sought to emulate the grammar and vocabulary of those works.

Old Chinese Video

Click to RETWEET mudafuckas! clicktotweet.com I, as Peter Chao continue legendary saga to rip apart Justin Bieber and become #1 on YouTube. I am on conquest to win over heart of all peepo in the world! I will not be defeat by 16-year old virgin boy with small dick and stupid hair. I win everything! Music By The Sound Crate (Mannan Ahmed) - www.youtube.com Connect with Peter Chao: BUY PETER CHAO'S NEW SHIRT! panicpop.com PETER CHAO'S NEW CHANNEL www.youtube.com PETER CHAO FACEBOOK FAN PAGE bit.ly PETER CHAO TWITTER www.twitter.com BUSINESS EMAIL chao.outside(at)gmail.com Rap Lyrics: Peter Chao is all about the style This is mad wack I can do the freestyle I'm so fly I get the frequent flyer mile I rape the rap game young like a pedophile On top of my act with my YouTube shit Take a look at the chart I'm a certify hit I'm like Coca Cola Taste so good On a sugar high on life I'm so hood If I play baseball I would throw a no-hitter Non-stop talk about Peter Chao on twitter I'm more Chinese but my thug so urban I keep it under wraps like a hindu turban
2.47 min. | 4.83 user rating		 113 year old legendary martial arts master has strong lung capacity, giving speech about how to make profit in Kungfu and Taichi business invited by Taichi Club in Chinese. He certainly demonstrates his energy to the world. He was born in 10/1893 and still alive today. Please go to youtube and type: luzijian, and you will find his activities when he was younger.
1.95 min. | 4.81 user rating		 Military Band of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Orchester der Chinesischen Volksbefreiungsarmee Old Comrades is one of the most popular and played German (prussian) military marches. It is also internationally popular. Composer: Carl Teike in 1889 Bremen (Germany) in January 2000 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US 1st Armored Division Band - Alte Kameraden: www.youtube.com Eastern Army Band, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force www.youtube.com -------------------------------------------------------------------
2.87 min. | 4.65 user rating		 Footage of a two-year-old girl being run over by a van and lying bleeding on the road as more than a dozen people pass her by has sparked outrage and soul searching in China. The video surveillance footage posted widely on Chinese social media sites starts with the young girl being hit by a van in a narrow street in Foshan city. Its driver stops for a short time before driving away, crushing the girl again beneath his rear wheels. She is left bleeding on the road as passersby walk or cycle around her. After the girl is hit by a second truck, a woman pulls her to the side of the road and her mother enters the shot. It has prompted fiery debate and anguished posts about the state of Chinese society. One user on Chinese micro-blogging website Weibo called the incident "the shame of the Chinese people", Reuters reported. "Really, what is up with our society? I saw this and my heart went cold. Everyone needs to do some soul searching about ending this kind of indifference," the user said. Other social media users blamed the apparent indifference to the dying girl on past prosecutions lodged against good samaritans in China.
2.03 min. | 1.75 user rating		 Please subscribe now. READ EVERYTHING: CAUTION: 18+ only! I hope this video serves as a reminder that nothing is worth the price of losing our humanity. Please "Like" this video not because you liked what happened, but because it will help spread awareness. Comments are welcome, but keep it clean and think before you type - no profanity, racism or stupidity. SYNOPSIS: A 2 year old girl wanders into a narrow lane in a wholesale market in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China and is hit by a small, white van. The driver pauses, and then pulls away, crushing the child for a second time under his rear wheels. One by one, no fewer than 18 passers-by are seen on closed circuit television ignoring the girl as she lies, clearly visible in the street, bleeding into the gutter. Not a single one of them stops to help. Please pray for Yue Yue. (That's her name) ** Please "Like" this video not because you liked what happened, but because it will help spread awareness. ** Facts about the incident: - Yue Yue was in a coma for 2 days, but dies in the hospital - Two drivers arrested for running her over, claim not to have seen Yue Yue - 4400000 comments on Chinese Twitter (Sina Weibo): "please end cold heartedness" - Authorities gave a reward to the rubbish collector who helped - Huge debate about social behavior ignites in China
2.12 min. | 3.86 user rating
four year old on new chinese 110cc has it in the mud
0.65 min. | 4.0 user rating		 A very funny prank by an old chinese guy
5.13 min. | 4.88 user rating		 Gymnasts in our gym attempt to prove the Chinese Gymnasts were of proper age.
3.53 min. | 2.29 user rating		 4 yrs old Lance singing the "Happy Birthday" song..in 6 different Languages.his favorites! English, Tagalog, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese :) Why he loves these languages? He's most comfortable with English...Loves Tagalog (coz he's a Filipino), Is a Diego addict which makes him like Spanish words...Is a Taekwondo student so he learned loving Korean and Japanese at the same time..and has a very close friend from his Library Story time who's Chinese! Why wouldn't he love these languages? :) This song is not owned by Lance and no copyright infringement intended. This video is posted solely for entertainment. No earnings are gained on this video. Thank you for watching... :) THIS SONG IS FOR YOU..IF IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! :)
2.43 min. | 4.97 user rating		 A woman performed Michael Jackson's dance in China's Got Talent.Her name is Shuying Bai. Michael Jackson is alive and well. His talent, it seems, has found a new home: within 65-year old Bai Shuying. The grandmother wowed the judges of "China's Got Talent" with her agile and energetic dance moves, busting all sorts of other MJ-style steps to a medley of beats that included "Beat It" and "Dangerous." She even had the King of Pop's trademark white shirt, black pants and high stretched white socks.. For more interesting information about Bai Shuying, please visit : www.chinadaily.com.cn Divorce and illness sent Bai Shuying��s life into decline. The grandmother is Bai Shuying, a Jackson fan from Xiangfan, a city in Central China's Hubei province, who has been addicted to the star's dance routines for more than 10 years and regards him as her permanent idol. When Beat It, a famous Jackson song, blasted out on the set of China's Got Talent, the country's equivalent to Britain's X-Factor and American Idol, Bai danced with confidence and a huge smile. A few years ago she would not have believed she could do that. "Michael's performances give me strength, tide me over my difficulties and take me back to the happiness I felt before my life turned bad," Bai told METRO. At the beginning of 1990s, Bai divorced and developed tuberculosis in her kidneys, a life-threatening disease. She soon withdrew from society. In 1991, on advice from her relatives, Bai came to Beijing to get better <b>...</b>
4.18 min. | 4.71 user rating

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The Playground Theatre weaves a tapestry of dreams - MiamiHerald.com Tweet this news
MiamiHerald.com--“And I'm in awe and joy [of the -Chinese- culture].” Working with Calzadilla, The PlayGround's resident artist, Ansin developed a script and designed a set for The Red Thread, a play based on an ancient -Chinese- folk tale. - Date : Sun, 10 Apr 2011 09:02:13 GMT+00:00
Shen Yun an 'Interesting window' Into Chinese Culture - The Epoch Times Tweet this news
The Epoch Times--New York-based Shen Yun seeks to revive the 5000-year--old Chinese- culture through dance, art, and music. The main mode of expression is the art of classical Chinese dance. "The athleticism is really amazing too. Watching them j - Date : Sat, 09 Apr 2011 23:58:06 GMT+00:00
Pets of the Week: Amaretto and Rocket - OCRegister Tweet this news
OCRegister--Amaretto, left, is a 2- to 3-year--old Chinese- shar-pei available for adoption from Pei People of Southern California. For more information about Amaretto, other dogs or fostering, please contact Pei People at 818-239-9440 or [email protected] - Date : Fri, 08 Apr 2011 21:38:40 GMT+00:00
Rich Old Woman Pick-Pockets Chinese People Because She Hates Them - Village Voice (blog) Tweet this news
Village Voice (blog)--30 2011 @ 9:36AM ​The New York Post has the sort-of Robin Hood story today of Ha Vasko, a rich 67-year--old- Vietnamese woman arrested in Chinatown four times for pick-pocketing. "I hate -Chinese- people," she exp - Date : Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:42:11 GMT+00:00
SNL stars try to touch Helen Mirrens breasts - Monsters and Critics.com Tweet this news
Monsters and Critics.com--Hand and Footprint ceremony with Helen Mirren, Grauman's -Chinese- Theatre, Hollywood, California. - Russ Einhorn / Splash News The 65-year--old- star's chest was part of one sketch on the long-running US comedy show, . - Date : Sun, 10 Apr 2011 09:41:09 GMT+00:00
3-year-old Chinese boy weighs 132 pounds - EITB Tweet this news
EITB--The 'toddler', who weighs five times the average weight for a 3-year--old- boy, is unable to attend conventional nurseries because of the danger he poses to other children. At the age of just three, -Chinese- toddler Lu Hao already weighs - Date : Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:31:42 GMT+00:00
TPG Capital may exit Shriram Transport, enter Shriram Capital - Business Standard (blog) Tweet this news
Business Standard (blog)--The contracts were cancelled because -Chinese- steel stocks were piling up and prices falling. -Chinese- steel prices have dropped from $ 380 a tonne in October-November 2002 to $ 280 per tonne now. Several -Chinese- importers ar - Date : Sun, 10 Apr 2011 08:10:13 GMT+00:00
Idaho History: Chinese cooking has been popular here since the late 18OOs - IdahoStatesman.com Tweet this news
IdahoStatesman.com--The census takers listed 13 -Chinese- cooks, not counting the Hailey's Jim Waea, who was listed as house servant. Territorial Secretary Edward J. Curtis had a 20-year--old- cook named Sam Sing, and prosperous brewer John Lemp had - Date : Sun, 10 Apr 2011 06:03:20 GMT+00:00
Three-Year-Old Chinese Boy Weighs 132 Pounds - ShortNews.com Tweet this news
ShortNews.com--A -Chinese- boy named Lu Hao weighed in at five pounds when he was born. Now, at age three he weighs 132 pounds, which is five times the normal size of a child his age. He has a good appetite, so for a meal he eats three bowls of rice. ... - Date : Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:29:16 GMT+00:00
Too close to each other? - Malaysia Star Tweet this news
Malaysia Star--I'M a 36-year--old Chinese- guy. My mother's elder sister's son is my cousin. My cousin has a lovely daughter with whom I unexpectedly fell in love a few years ago; she is now 20 years old. She also has feelings for me. She h - Date : Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:33:39 GMT+00:00

Labials pʰ b m̥ m
Dentals t tʰ d n̥ n l̥ l (r̥) r
Sibilants ts tsʰ dz s (z)
Palatals      (j̥) (j)
Velars k kʰ g ŋ̊ ŋ
Labiovelars kʷ kʷʰ gʷ ŋ̊ʷ ŋʷ
Laryngeals ʔ h (ɦ)
Labiolaryngeals ʔʷ hʷ (w)

e o
  a

Initials of Early Middle Chinese
Initials :
scope="row"  scope="row"Labials 
  scope="row"Dentals    [t]   [tʰ]   [d]   [n]   [l]
scope="row"Retroflex stops   [ʈ]   [ʈʰ]   [ɖ]   [ɳ]
  scope="row"Dental sibilants   [ts]   [tsʰ]   [dz]   [s]   [z]
scope="row"Retroflex sibilants   [tʂ]   [tʂʰ]   [dʐ]   [ʂ] [ʐ] 
scope="row"Palatal sibilants    [tɕ]   [tɕʰ]   [dʑ]    [ɲ]   [ɕ]   [ʑ]   [j] 
scope="row"  scope="row"Velars   [k]   [kʰ]   [ɡ]   [ŋ]
scope="row"  scope="row"Laryngeals    [ʔ]   [x]  /  [ɣ]

: Evidence from Min Chinese
Example word              
Proto-Min initial t -t th d -d dh n nh l lh
Middle Chinese initial t th d n l

Medials :
I II III IV
scope="col"3 scope="col"4
scope="row"Labials *P- *Pr- *Prj- *Pj- *P-
scope="row"Dental stops *T- *T-
scope="row"Retroflex stops *Tr- *Trj-
scope="row"Dental sibilants *TS- *TSj- *TS-
scope="row"Retroflex sibilants *TSr- *TSrj-
scope="row"Palatals *Tj-, *Kj-
Velars, laryngeals *K- *Kr- *Krj- *Kj- *K-
*Kʷ- *Kʷr- *Kʷrj- *Kʷj- *Kʷ-

Vowels : Alternatives to the palatal medial
Shijing rhyme groups and Middle Chinese reflexes in divisions I and IV OC vowels
MC vocalic coda
 		 MC stop coda
 		 MC nasal coda
 		 Li Baxter
  -əp   -əm -ə- -ə-, -o-, -u-
-em -iə- -i-
 /  -âp   -âm -a- -a-
-em -ia- -e-
  -ei   -et   -en -i- -i-
  -əi  /  -ət  /  -ən -ə- -u-
-ei -et -en -iə- -ə-
   -ei   -et   -en -ia- -e-
  -â -âi -ât -ân -a- -a-
-wâi -wât -wân -ua- -o-
 /  -ei   -ek   -eng -i- -e-
  -əi   -ək   -əng -ə- -ə-
  -o   -âk   -âng -a- -a-
  -əu   -uk   -ung -u- -o-
  -âu  /  -ok  /  -ong -ə-w -u-
-eu -ek -iə-w -i-w
  -âu   -âk, -ok, -uk -a-w -a-w
-eu -ek -ia-w -e-w
-w: Old Chinese finals reconstructed with labiovelar codas

Tones and final consonants :
平 上 去 入 平 上 去
*-p *-m *-mʔ *-ms
*-j *-jʔ *-js *-ts *-t *-n *-nʔ *-ns
*-∅ *-ʔ *-s *-ks *-k *-ŋ *-ŋʔ *-ŋs
*-w *-wʔ *-ws *-kʷs *-kʷ

Sino-Tibetan :
Meaning Old Chinese Written Tibetan Written Burmese
"I"   *ŋa nga ŋa
"you"   *njaʔ � naŋ
"not"   *mja ma ma
"two"   *njijs gnyis hnac < *hnit
"three"   *sum gsum sûm
"five"   *ŋaʔ lnga ŋâ
"six"   *C-rjuk drug khrok < *khruk
"sun", "day"   *njit nyi-ma ne < *niy
"name"   *mjeŋ ming ə-mañ < *ə-miŋ
"eye"   *mjuk mig myak
"fish"   *ŋja nya ŋâ
"dog"   *kʷʰenʔ khyi khwe < *khuy

Word classes :
1st person
*ŋa   *ŋajʔ  
2nd person *njaʔ   / *njəjʔ   / *njə   / *njak  
3rd person *gjə   *tjə  

Sentence structure :
*ljaʔ wjij sjewʔ tsjəʔ
I be small child

Sentence structure :
*gjə tjits njəjʔ C-rjək ljajʔ gjə k-ljuŋ pjəj njəjʔ C-rjək ljajʔ
its arrive you strength P its centre not you strength P

Sentence structure :
*mraŋs tsəjʔ kens C-rjaŋ wets wjaŋ
Mencius see Liang Hui king

Sentence structure :
*swjats pjə ŋajʔ ljaʔ
year not me wait

Sentence structure :
*pjə njənʔ njin tjə sjəm
not endure person P heart

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subdivisions
MandarinNortheastern * Jilu * Jiao-Liao * Zhongyuan * Southwestern * Lanyin * Jianghuai * Beijing * Dungan * Xuzhou * Luoyang * Jinan * Karamay * Nanking * Sichuanese * Kunming * Shenyang * Harbin * Qingdao * Guanzhong * Dalian * Weihai * Taiwanese Mandarin * Singaporean Mandarin
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YueCantonese * Gaoyang * Siyi * Goulou * Wuhua * Yongxun * Luoguang * Qinlian * Guanbao * Haihua * Tanka * Taishan
MinMin Bei * Min Dong * Min Nan * Min Zhong * Puxian * Qiong Wen * Taiwanese Minnan * Teochew * Jian'ou * Hokkien * Haifeng * Zhenan * Longyan * Fuzhou * Zhanjiang * Leizhou * Nanlang * Zhongshan * Sanxiang * Zhangzhou * Quanzhou * Amoy * Shantou * Manjiang * Singaporean Hokkien
XiangChangsha * Shuangfeng
HakkaDapeng * Yuantang
Gan Chang Jing * Ying Yi * Yi Liu * Da Tong
DisputedHuizhou * Jin * Pinghua * Hohhot * Danzhou
Unclassified
Xianghua * Yuebei Tuhua * Linghua
Ausbausprachen
Standard Mandarin * Standard Cantonese * Taiwanese
Phonology
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History
Old Chinese * Middle Chinese * Proto-Min * Proto-Gan * Proto-Mandarin * Han'er | |
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