Mandarin
Mandarin belongs to an independent branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family,
which includes Tibetan, Lolo-Burmese and Karen. It is the official language
of the People's Republic of China and is used by upwards of 720 million people
(70 percent of the population) in China. Several dialects exist, all of which
have a high degree of mutual comprehension, but the Beijing dialect provides
the standard for the national language which is officially called Putonghua
in China, Guoyu in Taiwan, and Huayu in Singapore. This dialectal variation
is an entirely different matter than the variation between the related but distinct
Chinese 'languages' spoken in China. Although the Chinese themselves refer to
all forms of spoken Chinese as "dialects", some of them are as different
as Spanish and Italian and are not mutually intelligible. The fiction of a single
Chinese language persists because of a common writing system with deep historical
roots and because of a common ideal of cultural unity.
The term Mandarin derives from a Beijing expression, which means "officials'
language." Since Mandarin, in the guise of Modern Standard Chinese, was
adopted in 1956 as the officially sanctioned language for the nation, it has
been actively and zealously promoted through the media of education, broadcasting,
television, and the press. It is steadily making inroads in traditional non-Mandarin
areas, especially as a written language.
Sources:
UCLA Language Material Project
Information on writing system:
Independent Study Courses Available at UCSD:
Other Courses Available at UCSD
Other Local Resources:
UCSD International Center
Mingei museum of folk art
SD cultural events
International channel
Balboa Park House
of Pacific Relations
International web radio
Landmark
Theaters: foreign films
Chinese
events in San Diego
China Bowl Wraps and Noodles Place~(858) 486-6992; 13429 Community Rd. Poway
China Café~(858) 793-8478; 2236 Carmel Valley Rd. Dl Mr
China Chef~(858) 454-7597; 6237 Pearl La Jolla
China Chef II~(858) 536-1886; 925 Mira Mesa Blvd Suite 110
China China Restaurant~(619) 585-1111; 386 East H Chula Vista