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Total Categories: 6
Assert that Sinitic languages are spoken exclusively within the geopolitical boundaries of contemporary China.
Answer: False
Sinitic languages exhibit a distribution extending beyond modern-day China, encompassing regions in East, Southeast, Central, and North Asia, reflecting historical demographic movements and cultural influence.
The term 'Sinitic' exclusively designates the Mandarin language.
Answer: False
The term 'Sinitic' refers to the entire language family, encompassing all Chinese languages, not solely Mandarin.
The global number of Sinitic language speakers is estimated to be approximately 500 million.
Answer: False
Recent estimates place the global number of Sinitic language speakers significantly higher, around 1.52 billion, not 500 million.
The primary writing system for Sinitic languages is the Latin alphabet.
Answer: False
The predominant writing system for Sinitic languages is Chinese characters (Sinographs); the Latin alphabet is used only in specific contexts or for certain related scripts like Dungan.
What is the approximate percentage of the Chinese population that speaks a Sinitic language?
Answer: Over 91%
Over 91% of the population within China speaks a Sinitic language, indicating its widespread prevalence.
According to 2018-2019 estimates, what is the approximate number of individuals worldwide who speak Sinitic languages?
Answer: Approximately 1.52 billion
Recent estimates from 2018-2019 indicate that approximately 1.52 billion people globally speak Sinitic languages.
Which Sinitic language branch possesses the largest number of speakers, constituting over 70% of the total speaker population?
Answer: Mandarin
Mandarin is the Sinitic language branch with the largest speaker population, representing approximately 73.5% of all Sinitic language speakers.
Which Sinitic language utilizes the Cyrillic alphabet as an alternative script?
Answer: Dungan
The Dungan language employs the Cyrillic alphabet as an alternative script, alongside Chinese characters.
The Qieyun rime dictionary serves as a critical reference for classifying Sinitic languages, with most groups aligning with its structural framework.
Answer: True
The Qieyun, a 7th-century rime dictionary, is instrumental in Sinitic language classification. It is noted that the structure of the Qieyun accommodates most Sinitic languages, suggesting a common linguistic ancestor or influence.
Jerry Norman's classification system groups Mandarin, Jin, and Yue together under the 'Northern' category.
Answer: False
Jerry Norman's classification places Mandarin in the 'Northern' category, but groups Wu, Gan, and Xiang under 'Central', and Hakka, Yue, and Min under 'Southern'.
The classification of Sinitic languages is straightforward due to extensive comparative linguistic work and clear mutual intelligibility.
Answer: False
The classification of Sinitic languages is complex, hindered by limited comparative linguistic data and challenges in establishing clear mutual intelligibility across all varieties.
The 'wave model' posits that linguistic innovations propagate linearly from North to South.
Answer: False
The 'wave model' suggests linguistic innovations spread outwards like waves, implying a more complex transmission pattern than simple linear propagation.
Which of the following is NOT enumerated among the ten major groups identified by the Language Atlas of China?
Answer: Tibetan
The Language Atlas of China identifies ten major Sinitic groups, which do not include Tibetan, a distinct language family.
Which language group is identified as a major Sinitic group by the Language Atlas of China, yet is not among the seven traditional Sinitic groups?
Answer: Jin
The Language Atlas of China identifies Jin as a major group, distinct from the traditional seven Sinitic groups.
According to Jerry Norman's classification, which language groups are categorized under the 'Central' division?
Answer: Wu, Gan, Xiang
Jerry Norman's classification places Wu, Gan, and Xiang languages within the 'Central' category.
What is identified as a primary challenge in the classification of Sinitic languages?
Answer: Limited comparative linguistic work and data on intelligibility
A significant challenge in classifying Sinitic languages stems from the limited extent of comparative linguistic work and insufficient data regarding mutual intelligibility.
The Dungan language is classified as a collection of Central Plains Mandarin varieties.
Answer: True
The Dungan language is linguistically classified as belonging to the Central Plains Mandarin varieties.
Northeastern Mandarin dialects incorporate loanwords predominantly from Japanese.
Answer: False
Northeastern Mandarin dialects, particularly those in Heilongjiang, contain numerous loanwords primarily from Russian, not Japanese.
Huizhou Chinese is universally recognized as a distinct top-level group within Sinitic classification.
Answer: False
While the Language Atlas lists Huizhou Chinese as a top-level group, its status is debated among linguists, with some considering it a variety influenced by other major groups.
Bai languages are definitively classified as a subgroup of the Sinitic family.
Answer: False
The classification of Bai languages within the Sinitic family is uncertain; while some propose it as a subgroup, others suggest significant Lolo-Burmese influence or remain unclassified.
Meizhounese is considered the representative variety of the Hakka Chinese language.
Answer: True
Meizhounese is frequently regarded as the representative variety of the Hakka Chinese language.
What is a defining phonetic characteristic of Mandarin varieties mentioned in the source material?
Answer: Frequent use of rhotic 'erhua' rimes
The frequent use of rhotic 'erhua' rimes is cited as a defining characteristic of many Mandarin varieties.
Which Sinitic language group is noted for incorporating numerous loanwords from Russian, particularly in its Heilongjiang dialects?
Answer: Northeastern Mandarin
Northeastern Mandarin dialects, especially those in Heilongjiang, exhibit significant Russian loanword influence.
Huizhou Chinese is sometimes considered a variety influenced by which other major Sinitic group?
Answer: Gan
Huizhou Chinese is sometimes classified as a variety exhibiting influence from the Gan Sinitic group.
Which of the following is NOT designated as a subdivision of Min Chinese in the provided source material?
Answer: Western Min
The source material lists Southern, Eastern, and Northern Min as subdivisions, but does not mention Western Min.
Characterize Mandarin varieties as possessing an exceptionally high number of tones, frequently surpassing eight distinct tones.
Answer: False
Mandarin varieties typically possess a more limited tonal inventory, commonly exhibiting four primary tones, rather than exceeding eight. While tonal contours vary, the number of distinct tones is generally lower than posited.
Wu Chinese varieties are characterized by the preservation of checked codas as nasal stops.
Answer: False
Wu Chinese varieties typically preserve checked codas as glottal stops, not nasal stops, although exceptions may exist.
Phonetic features such as the evolution of fully voiced initials and the distribution of rimes across four tone qualities are employed in the classification of Chinese languages.
Answer: True
The evolution of fully voiced initials and the distribution of rimes across four tone qualities are indeed among the key phonetic criteria utilized for classifying Chinese languages.
Yue Chinese typically preserves fewer nasal finals compared to other Sinitic branches.
Answer: False
Yue Chinese generally preserves three nasal finals, which is not fewer than many other Sinitic branches; some branches have fewer or none.
The 'erhua' phenomenon is a defining characteristic consistently present across all Sinitic language branches.
Answer: False
The 'erhua' phenomenon is primarily associated with certain Mandarin dialects and is not consistently found across all Sinitic language branches.
Jilu Mandarin merges the dark checked tone into the light level tone.
Answer: False
Jilu Mandarin merges the dark checked tone into the dark level tone, not the light level tone.
The number of tones in Sinitic languages is relatively consistent, with most dialects possessing approximately six tones.
Answer: False
The number of tones varies considerably among Sinitic languages, ranging from as few as two (Shanghainese) to as many as ten (Bobainese), and is not consistently around six.
The palatalization of the 'jian' initial before high vowels is one of the criteria used for classifying Chinese languages.
Answer: True
The palatalization of the 'jian' initial before high vowels is indeed one of the key phonetic criteria employed in the classification of Chinese languages.
How does Jilu Mandarin typically merge the dark checked tone?
Answer: Into the dark level tone
Jilu Mandarin characteristically merges the dark checked tone into the dark level tone.
In Jiaoliao Mandarin, into which tone does the light checked tone merge?
Answer: The light level or departing tone
The light checked tone in Jiaoliao Mandarin merges into either the light level or departing tone.
What is a key phonological characteristic of Yue Chinese mentioned in the text?
Answer: Distinctions in vowel length and split checked tones
Yue Chinese phonology is noted for its distinctions in vowel length and the frequent splitting of checked tones.
What distinctive phonetic feature is associated with Wu Chinese negators?
Answer: A fricative initial
Wu Chinese negator words characteristically feature a fricative initial.
The tonal system of which language is described as having only two tones, presenting a sharp contrast with other Sinitic languages?
Answer: Shanghainese
Shanghainese, a Wu dialect, is noted for its tonal system, which can be analyzed as having only two distinct tones.
Assert that all Sinitic languages share a uniform Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order.
Answer: False
Sinitic languages predominantly exhibit a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order, not SOV. Variations may exist in specific constructions or dialects, but SVO is the general rule.
The utilization of classifiers in Sinitic languages is consistent across all branches, with Mandarin employing the highest number.
Answer: False
The use of classifiers varies significantly across Sinitic languages; Mandarin generally uses fewer classifiers compared to many Southern non-Mandarinic varieties.
Gan Chinese languages typically adhere to a Direct Object-Indirect Object (DO-IO) word order.
Answer: True
Gan Chinese languages commonly follow a Direct Object-Indirect Object (DO-IO) word order, contrasting with the IO-DO order found in Mandarinic languages.
Sinitic languages generally lack grammatical tenses and case marking.
Answer: True
A common characteristic of Sinitic languages is the absence of grammatical tenses and case marking, relying instead on aspectual markers and word order.
Cantonese, a subdivision of Yue Chinese, utilizes classifiers exclusively for the enumeration of nouns.
Answer: False
While Cantonese uses classifiers for counting nouns, they can also function to mark possession, a feature not limited solely to enumeration.
What word order is typical for indirect and direct objects in Mandarinic languages?
Answer: IO-DO (Indirect Object before Direct Object)
Mandarinic languages typically follow an Indirect Object-Direct Object (IO-DO) word order.
Which of the following represents a typical grammatical feature shared by most Sinitic languages?
Answer: Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order
A common grammatical feature across most Sinitic languages is the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order.
How does the usage of classifiers in Cantonese differ from Standard Mandarin?
Answer: Cantonese classifiers can also mark possession.
Unlike Standard Mandarin, Cantonese classifiers possess the additional function of marking possession.
What is a common characteristic of demonstrative systems in certain Sinitic dialects, such as Dongxiang?
Answer: A four-term system
Some Sinitic dialects, including Dongxiang, feature a four-term demonstrative system, which is more complex than the typical two-way system.
What is the typical word order for indirect and direct objects in Gan Chinese?
Answer: DO-IO
Gan Chinese languages typically employ a Direct Object-Indirect Object (DO-IO) word order.
State that the development of Hakka Chinese resulted from a singular migration wave from Northern China to the South.
Answer: False
The development of Hakka Chinese is attributed to multiple migration waves originating from Northern China, rather than a single event.
Min Chinese is considered a direct descendant of Old Chinese and retains features not found in varieties derived from Middle Chinese.
Answer: True
Min Chinese is recognized as a direct descendant of Old Chinese, preserving archaic features absent in languages that evolved from Middle Chinese.
The 'Macro-Bai languages' group is considered a potential offshoot of Old Chinese.
Answer: True
The 'Macro-Bai languages' group, encompassing languages like Bai and Cai-Long, is proposed by some linguists as a potential offshoot of Old Chinese.
The Cai-Long languages are considered part of the Macro-Bai group within the Sinitic family.
Answer: True
The Cai-Long languages are indeed considered part of the Macro-Bai group, which is proposed as a Sinitic subgroup potentially originating from Old Chinese.
The 'Old Southern Chinese' concept posits a linguistic standard utilized in the north during the Han dynasty.
Answer: False
The 'Old Southern Chinese' concept refers to a hypothetical linguistic standard used in the Yangtze valley region during the Han dynasty, not in the north.
The development of Hakka Chinese is attributed to:
Answer: Multiple migration waves from Northern China
Hakka Chinese developed as a result of multiple migration waves originating from Northern China.
Which Sinitic language group is considered a direct descendant of Old Chinese and retains unique features?
Answer: Min
Min Chinese is considered a direct descendant of Old Chinese and preserves unique linguistic features stemming from that stage.
What potential origin for the Sino-Tibetan language family was suggested by a 2019 phylogenetic study?
Answer: Northern China during the Late Neolithic
A 2019 phylogenetic study proposed Northern China during the Late Neolithic period as a potential homeland for the Sino-Tibetan language family.
The distinct behavior of the 'cheng' initial in Min Chinese, compared to Middle Chinese-derived varieties, suggests Min's lineage from which historical stage of Chinese?
Answer: Old Chinese
The unique pronunciation of the 'cheng' initial in Min Chinese indicates its direct lineage from Old Chinese, rather than Middle Chinese.