Langenesis

Sino-Tibetan family

Xiang Chinese

c. 1000 CE – today Living

Xiang Chinese (c. 1000 CE – today) is a living Sino-Tibetan language. Lineage: Proto-Sino-Tibetan → Proto-Sinitic → Old Chinese → Middle Chinese → Xiang Chinese.

See Xiang Chinese on the interactive map
Speakers
38M (38,000,000)
ISO 639-3
hsn
Glottocode
xian1251

Sinitic group of Hunan. New Xiang has been heavily influenced by Southwestern Mandarin; Old Xiang is more conservative.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Sino-Tibetanc. 4,000 BCE – 2,500 BCE
  2. Proto-Siniticc. 1,500 BCE – 1,250 BCE
  3. Old Chinese1,250 BCE – 25 CE
  4. Middle Chinese25 CE – 1000 CE
  5. Xiang Chinesec. 1000 CE – today

Sister languages 6

Also descended from Middle Chinese.

Sources