中古漢語

Chinese (Tang dynasty Classical)

Sinitic (Middle Chinese)

FamilySinitic (Middle Chinese) Speakers歴史言語 / 現代話者なし RomanizationBaxter Middle Chinese transcription ReadingMiddle Chinese — Qieyun system (Tang-era Chang'an prestige)

Middle Chinese as codified in the Qieyun (601 CE) and refined through Tang rhyme tables, representing the prestige speech of the Chang'an court. Full 4-tone system (平上去入), three-way initial contrast (voiceless/aspirate/voiced), full -p/-t/-k/-m/-n/-ng codas. Source of Sino-Korean, Sino-Vietnamese, and Japanese 漢音.

Where it is spoken

Han character readings in Chinese (Tang dynasty Classical)

Character Meaning Reading Form IPA
one ʔjiɪt /ʔjiɪt̚/
two ɲiɪ⁵¹ /ɲiɪ˥˩/
three sam¹²³ /sam˩˨˧/
four siɪ⁵¹ /siɪ˥˩/
five ŋuo²¹⁴ /ŋuo˨˩˦/
six liuɪk /liuɪk̚/
seven tsʰiɪt /tsʰiɪt̚/
eight pɛt /pɛt̚/
nine kiuɪ²¹⁴ /kiuɪ˨˩˦/
ten dʑip /dʑip̚/
sun ɲiɪt /ɲiɪt̚/
moon ŋiuɐt /ŋiuɐt̚/
mountain ʃæn¹²³ /ʃæn˩˨˧/
water ɕwiɪ²¹⁴ /ɕwiɪ˨˩˦/
fire xwɑ²¹⁴ /xwɑ˨˩˦/
tree muɪk /muɪk̚/
soil tʰuo²¹⁴ /tʰuo˨˩˦/
sky tʰen¹²³ /tʰen˩˨˧/
ground dij⁵¹ /diɪ˥˩/
sea xoj²¹⁴ /xoɪ˨˩˦/
dragon liuoŋ¹²³ /liuoŋ˩˨˧/
tiger xuo²¹⁴ /xuo˨˩˦/
dog kʰwen²¹⁴ /kʰwen˨˩˦/
horse mæ²¹⁴ /mæ˨˩˦/
bird tew²¹⁴ /tew˨˩˦/
fish ŋjo¹²³ /ŋiɔ˩˨˧/
ox ŋɨu¹²³ /ŋɨu˩˨˧/
sheep jiɐŋ¹²³ /jiɐŋ˩˨˧/
cat mˠau¹²³ /mˠau˩˨˧/
person ɲiɪn¹²³ /ɲiɪn˩˨˧/
hand ɕiuɪ²¹⁴ /ɕiuɪ˨˩˦/
foot tsiuɪk /tsiuɪk̚/
eye miuɪk /miuɪk̚/
ear ɲiɪ²¹⁴ /ɲiɪ˨˩˦/
mouth kʰəu²¹⁴ /kʰəu˨˩˦/
head dəu¹²³ /dəu˩˨˧/
heart sim¹²³ /sim˩˨˧/
blood xwet /xwet̚/
meat ɲiuɪk /ɲiuɪk̚/
up d͡ʑiɐŋ²¹⁴ /d͡ʑiɐŋ˨˩˦/
down ɦæ²¹⁴ /ɦæ˨˩˦/
middle ʈuoŋ¹²³ /ʈuoŋ˩˨˧/
hit ʈuoŋ⁵¹ /ʈuoŋ˥˩/
center ʔiɐŋ¹²³ /ʔiɐŋ˩˨˧/
left tsɑ²¹⁴ /tsɑ˨˩˦/
right ɦiuɪ²¹⁴ /ɦiuɪ˨˩˦/
east tuɪŋ¹²³ /tuɪŋ˩˨˧/
西 west sej¹²³ /sei˩˨˧/
south nom¹²³ /nom˩˨˧/
north pok /pok̚/
go ɦæŋ¹²³ /ɦæŋ˩˨˧/
row ɦɑŋ¹²³ /ɦɑŋ˩˨˧/
come loj¹²³ /loɪ˩˨˧/
leave kʰiɔ⁵¹ /kʰiɔ˥˩/
see ken⁵¹ /ken˥˩/
hear mjun¹²³ /miun˩˨˧/
eat ʑiɪk /ʑiɪk̚/
drink ʔim²¹⁴ /ʔim˨˩˦/
run tsəu²¹⁴ /tsəu˨˩˦/
sit dzuɑ²¹⁴ /dzuɑ˨˩˦/
stand lip /lip̚/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Early Middle Chinese) languages

Meaning Chinese (Tang dynasty Classical)Chinese (Han dynasty Classical)Old ChineseDunganClassical Chinese (Cantonese pedagogical)Vietnamese (Chữ Nôm)Hefei Mandarin
Water /ɕyɪX/ /ɕiwiɪʔ/ /*s.turʔ/ щүй /ɕy/ /sɵy˧˥/ /nɨək/ /ʂueɪ˨˦/
Fire /xuɑX/ /huɑiʔ/ /*qʷʰəjʔ/ хуә /xuə/ /fɔ˧˥/ 𤏬 /lɨə/ /xuo˨˦/
Sun /ȵit/ /ȵit/ /*C.nik/ жѳтў /ʐɨtʰu/ /jɐt˨/ 𩈘𡗶 /mət tɤj/ 日头 /ʐəʔ˦tʰəu˥˥/
Moon /ŋʉɐt/ /ŋiuɑt/ /*ŋʷat/ юә /yə/ /jyt˨/ 𩈘𢁑 /mət taŋ/ 月亮 /yɛʔ˦liaŋ˥˧/
Mother /muX/ /muːʔ/ /*məʔ/ ма /ma/ /mou˩˧/ 𡞕 /mɛ/ 妈妈 /ma˨˩˨ma/
Father /bɨoX/ /biuoʔ/ /*paʔ/ ба /pa/ /fu˨/ 𤙗 /ɓo/ /tie˨˩˨/
Eat /ʑik/ /ʑiək/ /*mə.lək/ чы /tʂʰɨ/ /sɪk˨/ 𫗒 /an/ /tʂʰəʔ˦/
Drink /ʔimX/ /ʔiəm/ /*qrəmʔ/ хә /xə/ /jɐm˧˥/ /uəŋ/ /xəʔ˦/
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Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Chinese (Tang dynasty Classical)
逆旅 對面 邸店 所見之
试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 看到的 那套西装
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Compare with closely-related languages

Chinese (Tang dynasty Classical)
逆旅 對面 邸店 所見之
試穿 酒店 對面 間鋪 入面 見到嘅 套西裝
試穿 客棧 對面 店鋪 看著其 套西裝
客舍 對面 所見之
试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 看到的 那套西装

Han readings compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Middle Chinese) languages

Character Chinese (Tang dynasty Classical)Chinese (Classical)Hailu HakkaHuiyang HakkaTaiwanese HakkaGan (Jiangxi)Southern Vietnamese
ʔjiɪt /ʔjiɪt̚/ ʔjit /ʔjit̚/ yit /jit̚˥/ yit /jit̚˩/ id5 /it̚˨/ it⁵ /it̚˥/ Nhứt /ɲɨt˦˥/
ɲiɪ⁵¹ /ɲiɪ˥˩/ ɲi⁵¹ /ɲi˥˩/ ngì /ŋi˧˧/ ngì /ŋi˥˧/ ngi4 /ŋi˥˥/ oe²¹ /ɵ˨˩/ Nhị /ɲi˨˩˨/
sam¹²³ /sam˩˨˧/ sam¹³ /sam˩˧/ sâm /sam˥˧/ sâm /sam˧˧/ sam1 /sam˨˦/ san⁴² /san˦˨/ Tam /taːm˧˧/
siɪ⁵¹ /siɪ˥˩/ sz̩⁵¹ /sz̩˥˩/ /si˩˩/ /si˥˧/ si4 /si˥˥/ si⁴⁵ /sɿ˦˥/ Tứ /tɨ˧˥/
ŋuo²¹⁴ /ŋuo˨˩˦/ ŋu²⁴ /ŋu˨˦/ ńg /ŋ̩˨˦/ ńg /ŋ̍˧˩/ ng3 /ŋ̩˧˩/ ng²¹³ /ŋ̩˨˩˧/ Ngũ /ŋu˨˩˦/
liuɪk /liuɪk̚/ liuk /liuk̚/ liu̍k /liuk̚˨/ liu̍k /liuk̚˥/ liug6 /liuk̚˥/ liuq⁵ /liuʔ˥/ Lục /luk˨˩ʔ/
tsʰiɪt /tsʰiɪt̚/ tsʰit /tsʰit̚/ chhit /tsʰit̚˥/ chhit /tsʰit̚˩/ cid5 /tsʰit̚˨/ qhit⁵ /tɕʰit̚˥/ Thất /tʰət˦˥/
pɛt /pɛt̚/ pat /pat̚/ pat /pat̚˥/ pat /pat̚˩/ bad5 /pat̚˨/ pat⁵ /pat̚˥/ Bát /ɓaːt˦˥/
kiuɪ²¹⁴ /kiuɪ˨˩˦/ kiw²⁴ /kiw˨˦/ kiú /kiu˨˦/ kiú /kiu˧˩/ giu3 /kiu˧˩/ jiu²¹³ /tɕiu˨˩˧/ Cửu /kɨw˨˩˦/
dʑip /dʑip̚/ ʑip /ʑip̚/ shi̍p /ʃip̚˨/ si̍p /sip̚˥/ siib6 /sɨp̚˥/ sit⁵ /sɨt̚˥/ Thập /tʰəp˨˩ʔ/
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