History

The Chinese language is a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family. This means that it comes from Proto-Sino-Tibetan, which is the language where all members of the Sino-Tibetan language family originated from. To this day there has not been any written evidence found that tells us when exactly the Chinese language broke off from Proto-Sino-Tibetan. This lack of evidence also makes it difficult for historical linguists (AKA diachronic linguists) to try and understand the relationship between Chinese and other Sino-Tibetan languages. The modern-day Chinese language can date back to 1250BCE in modern day Anyang which is known to be where the last capital of the Shang Dynasty was. The Chinese spoken in this period is now referred to as “Old Chinese” or “Archaic Chinese.” Little is known about the grammar of Old Chinese due there being a huge lack of context for the linguistic evidence found about it.

Chinese Dialects

The Chinese language is one of the most diverse languages when it comes to its linguistic structures. There are 7 major Chinese dialectal groups; Mandarin, Wu, Gan, Xiang, Hakka, Yue, and Min.

• Mandarin: Mandarin dialects are spoken by 679,250,000 (71.5%) Han Chinese people and are spoken throughout all of Northern and Southwest China. This dialect is most commonly known for the Mandarin language. Most Chinese people are taught Mandarin in school whether they speak it as a native tongue or not.

• Wu: The Wu dialects are spoken by 80,750,000 (8.5%) Han Chinese people and are commonly spoken in coastal areas around Shanghai.

• Gan: The Gan dialects are spoken by 22,800,000 (2.4%) of Han Chinese people and are spoken in the region of Jiangxi.

• Xiang: The Xiang dialects are spoken by 45,600,000 (4.8%) of Han Chinese people and are spoken in the region of Hunan.

• Hakka: The Hakka dialects are spoken by 35,130,000 (3.7%) of Han Chinese people and are spoken in areas that are widely scattered from Sichuan to Taiwan.

• Yue: The Yue dialects are more commonly known as the Cantonese dialects and are spoken by 47,500,000 (5.0%) Han Chinese people. These dialects are spoken in Guangdong, Guangxi and in many overseas Chinese nations and communities, the most well-known example being Hong Kong.

• Min: The Min dialects are spoken by 38,950,000 (4.1%) Han Chinese people and are spoken in the region of Fujian and many southern coastal regions of China as well.

The Chinese Writing System

The Chinese writing system is one of the most complex and unique writing systems in the world. Instead of having an alphabet when a symbol makes one particular sound that is put together with other symbols to form words, the Chinese writing system uses one symbol (more commonly known as a “character”) to mean one Chinese word. This system of Chinese characters is known in Chinese as “漢字” (hànzì).

Acupuncture: a technique in which practitioners stimulate specific points on the body, usually by inserting thin needles through the skin. Studies suggest that acupuncture stimulates the release of the body’s natural painkillers and affects areas in the brain involved in processing pain Results from a number of studies, however, suggest real acupuncture may help ease types of pain that are often chronic, such as low-back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis/knee pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome. It also may help reduce the frequency of tension headaches and prevent migraine headaches.

Tai Chi: combines certain postures, gentle movements, mental focus, breathing, and relaxation. Research findings suggest that practicing tai chi may improve balance and stability in older people and those with Parkinson’s disease, reduce pain from knee osteoarthritis, help people cope with fibromyalgia and back pain, and promote quality of life and improve mood in people with heart failure.

Chinese Herbal Products: Chinese herbal products have been studied for many medical problems, including stroke, heart disease, mental disorders, and respiratory diseases (such as bronchitis and the common cold), and a national survey showed that about one in five Americans use them. Because many studies have been of poor quality, no firm conclusions can be made about their effectiveness.

Cupping Therapy: Cupping is the use of warmed glass jars to create suction on certain points of the body. This practice is used to help with pain inflammation, blood flow, relaxation, and as a form of deep tissue massage. The special cups can be made out of glass, bamboo, earthenware, or even silicones and there are multiple forms of cupping such as wet and dry as well. Dry cupping involves a flammable substance being placed in a cup, set on fire, and once the fire goes out, the therapist will place the cup upside down on the skin. For wet cupping, a mild suction is created by leaving a cup in pace for about 3 minutes, the the cup is removed, lying cuts are made on the skin, and then a second suction is used to draw out small quantities of blood. Most experts agree that cupping therapy is safe as long as those who are treated do not mind the circular discolorations caused by the cups and suction (usually fades over a small period of time). But more serious side effects can include persistent scars, burns and infection and are usually less likely to occur.