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Science

eppur_se_muova

(39,440 posts)

3. Captioned: "Chinese" as macrolanguage includes different languages and dialects.

Reply to cstanleytech (Reply #1)

Thu Sep 8, 2022, 10:30 AM

Sep 2022

It can be very difficult to decide when two mutually incomprehensible tongues are different languages or merely different dialects, as the nature of the distinction itself varies from example to example .

Many 'dialects' of Chinese are as dissimilar to one another as Dutch and English. All is dependent on which definitions you accept.

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Most Common Languages Spoken Around the World and Their Native Speakers [View all] elleng Sep 2022 OP

Honestly not surprised that China is #1 on that. cstanleytech Sep 2022 #1

Captioned: "Chinese" as macrolanguage includes different languages and dialects. eppur_se_muova Sep 2022 #3

Yes, I know all that and is why I said China the country rather than Chinese. cstanleytech Sep 2022 #4

There is a ton of information in that graphic! Jim__ Sep 2022 #2