Language and a single China

Language and a Single China

Imagine what China would have become if its official language was not standardized some two thousand years ago. It might have been torn apart, because of internal upheaval or invasion by foreign powers, into many small countries, perhaps even more than the number of countries now exists in Europe, or might have lost its characteristic culture for good. In the last two thousand years, China went through many periods of disintegration, and was under the rule of foreign powers for prolonged periods on at least two occasions. Nevertheless, its strong cohesive force, relating partly to its unified written language and rich culture, managed to keep the nation together.

Many linguists like to restrict the meaning of language to that transmitted by vocal sounds only. For example, R. H. Robins defines language as a form of human communication by means of a system of symbols principally transmitted by vocal sounds. In the discussion ...