3. I recognize of course that there is no exact method for assessing the differences between dialects and languages; the remarks here are impressionistic, and intended only to give a very general idea of how the Chinese "dialects" differ from one another.
Norman, Jerry (1988). Chinese. p. 271, fn. from p. 187
The official Chinese designation for the major forms of speech is fāngyán. Some scholars writing in Chinese make a distinction between fāngyán ('regional speech') as a designation for major regional forms of speech that are mutually unintelligible and dìfang-huà ("local speech") as a designation for lesser local varieties whose differences are not great enough to impair intelligibility. Others make the same distinction by prefixing fāngyán with dìqu ("region") and dìdiǎn ('locality'); that is they use "dìqu fāngyán" ("regional speech") for a major regional speech such as Putonghua and "dìdiǎn fāngyán" ('local speech') for its minor variations as spoken in Peking, Nanking, Xi'an, and other localities. This fundamental distinction is lost when all such distinctive terms are equally rendered as "dialect", as is usually done by both Chinese and Western writers on the subject.
DeFrancis, John (1984). The Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy. p. 57
Varieties of Chinese:diff
- For this reason many linguists treat Chinese as a [[language family|family of languages]] within the [[Sino-Tibetan]] language phylum.{{sfnp|Norman|1988|p=187}}
+ Linguists generally consider Chinese to be a single language and its varieties to be dialects.{{sfnp|Wardaugh|Fuller|2014|pp=31–32}}{{sfnp|Van Herk|2012|pp=14}}{{sfnp|Liang|2014|pp=13–14}}
Sinitic languages:diff
- otherwise Sinitic is equivalent to the [[Chinese languages]], and often used in opposition to "Chinese dialects" to convey the idea that these are distinct languages rather than dialects of a single language.<ref>N. J. Enfield (2003:69) ''Linguistics Epidemiology,'' Routledge.</ref><ref>See also, for example, W. Hannas (1997) ''Asia's Orthographic Dilemma,'' University of Hawaii Press.</ref>
+ otherwise Sinitic is equivalent to Chinese, and usage of the term may reflect the view that the varieties of Chinese are distinct languages, rather than dialects of a single language.<ref>See, for example, {{Harvcoltxt|Enfield|2003|p=69}} and {{Harvcoltxt|Hannas|1997}}</ref>
Classical Chinese:diff
all occurrences of language(s) in the context of more than 1, replaced with variety (of one single language)
Rhotic consonant:diff
- vast majority of Chinese languages (e.g. Cantonese, Min, Wu) had
+ vast majority of [[varieties of Chinese|Chinese varieties]] (e.g. Cantonese, Min, Wu)
Fuzhou dialect:diff Min language]]s, > Min varieties
- Recent reports indicate that less than 50% of young people in Fuzhou are able to speak the language
+ Recent reports indicate that less than 50% of young people in Fuzhou are able to speak Fuzhou dialect
- became the early prototypes in which Fuzhou dialect and other Min Chinese languages emerged from
+ and other Min Chinese varieties emerged
Teochew dialect:diff
- Teochew is a member of the Southern Min or Min Nan language family, which in turn constitutes a part of the Min language family, one of the seven major language families of the Sinitic. As with other varieties of [[Chinese language|Chinese]], linguists have not yet agreed on whether Teochew should be treated as a [[language]] or a dialect although it is [[mutually unintelligible]] with other "dialect groups" of China but [[mutually intelligible]] with some other [[Southern Min Language]]s, such as the dialects of [[Zhangzhou]] and [[Quanzhou]].{{citation needed|date=June 2012}}.
The Chaozhou language in China be roughly divided into three sub-groups defined by physically proximate areas
+ Teochew is a member of the [[Southern Min]] or Min Nan dialect group, which in turn constitutes a part of [[Min Chinese]], one of the seven major dialect groups of [[Chinese language|Chinese]]. As with other [[varieties of Chinese]], it is not very [[mutually intelligible]] with other dialect groups of China but is mutually intelligible with some other Southern dialects, such as those of [[Zhangzhou]] and [[Quanzhou]].{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} [...]
The Chaozhou dialect in China be roughly divided into three sub-groups defined by physically proximate areas
- Southern Min languages are typified by a lack of [[labiodental consonant|labiodental]]s, as illustrated below
+ Southern Min dialects are typified by a lack of [[labiodental consonant|labiodental]]s, as illustrated below:
- The personal pronouns in Teochew, like in other Sinitic languages, do not show case marking
+ The personal pronouns in Teochew, like in other Chinese varieties, do not show case marking
- No other southern Chinese language, such as Cantonese or Hakka, has this distinction
+ No other southern Chinese variety has this distinction.