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Concept information

Preferred term

cmnChinese  

Type

  • Language

Definition

  • In Chinese linguistics, Mandarin refers to a group of related varieties or dialects spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. Because most Mandarin dialects are found in the north, the group is also referred to, particularly among Chinese speakers, as the "northern dialect(s)" . A northeastern-dialect speaker and a southwestern-dialect speaker can hardly communicate except through the standard language, mainly because of the differences in tone. Nonetheless, the variation within Mandarin is less significant than the much greater variation found within several other varieties of Chinese, and this is thought to be due to a relatively recent spread of Mandarin across China, combined with a greater ease of travel and communication compared to the more mountainous south of China.

Entry terms

  • Chinese, Mandarin
  • Mandarin Chinese
  • Mandarin language

ISO 639-3 code

  • cmn

Notation

  • cmn

In other languages

  • chinois

    French

  • Mandarin
  • Chinesisch

    German

  • Hochchinesisch
  • cinese

    Italian

  • Lingua cinese mandarino
  • Portuguese

  • Língua mandarim
  • chino

    Spanish

  • Chino mandarín

URI

http://lexvo.org/id/iso639-3/cmn

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