Retrieving "Middle Chinese" from the archives

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1. Chinese Language

   Linked via "Middle Chinese"

   Classification and Dialectal Groups
   The linguistic classification of Chinese is complex due to extensive dialectal variation and a history of political standardization. All major varieties share a common ancestor in Middle Chinese (the language of the Sui and Tang dynasties), which itself descended from Old Chinese.
   The traditional grouping of Sinitic varieties follows geographic and historical lines, though these groupings sometimes obscure linguistic reality. The seven major dialectal groups are generally recognized [2]: