There are many dialects in China. Why is Cantonese the only dialect with such great influence?

Guangdong was the earliest area of China's opening to the outside world in modern times, and it was also the frontier of reform and opening up in 1980s.

Therefore, Cantonese people were the first to get in touch with western civilization and their minds were the most liberated. The people who travel abroad are the most, and the Cantonese people who live all over the world are the most.

While wandering around the world, Cantonese people have also brought their own language-Cantonese to every corner of the world.

Cantonese is not only the official language of Hong Kong and Macao, but also the third largest language in the United States, Canada and other countries and the fourth largest language in Australia.

Therefore, some people say that Cantonese is a language with great influence in the world, and it was even defined as a language by the United Nations and UNESCO in 20 10.

In everyone's impression, Cantonese is the local language. Why is it so influential and designated as a language by the United Nations?

The Origin of Cantonese Cantonese is the main language used in Guangdong and Guangxi in mainland China, and many people in Hainan also use Cantonese (Hainan belonged to Guangdong Province before the establishment of the province). Cantonese is also the dominant language in Hong Kong and Macau.

Cantonese is widely used by Chinese in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Cantonese is also widely used by Chinese in Europe and North America.

On the surface, Cantonese is a dialect because it is called Cantonese and Lingnan in linguistics. However, it is an indisputable fact that Cantonese comes from the north.

The history of Cantonese spread to the south can be traced back to the Qin and Han Dynasties in ancient China.

Cantonese people came from the northern Lingnan area, and they were still foreign countries during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. They have nothing to do with the Central Plains regime, and even Chu, the most powerful regime in southern Hunan, has no influence on them.

At that time, Lingnan area was called barbarians or "Baiyue", and all the ethnic clans and tribes living here burned the land. They live a quiet and comfortable life.

But at the end of Qin dynasty, an army entered Lingnan, which disrupted their peaceful life. This army is Qin Jun led by Zhao Tuo, a native of Hebei.

Zhao Tuo was originally ordered by the king of Qin to recover South Vietnam, but when he arrived here, an uprising broke out in Guangwu, Chen Sheng, and the army was isolated here. Zhao Tuo took the opportunity to be king and established a country in Panyu-Nanyue, and Guangzhou City was also built at that time.

Due to the dominant position of northern Zhao Tuo, the culture and language of the northern Central Plains are also in a dominant position in Lingnan; So the language here was inevitably influenced by the Central Plains language from the beginning.

In the summer of 1 12 BC, Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty sent 65,438+10,000 troops to wage war against South Vietnam, and destroyed South Vietnam in the winter of1/2 BC. At this time, the Han nationality has been formed, and the Chinese language and culture have begun to take shape. The impact here is not difficult to imagine.

Since then, the Central Plains has experienced numerous battles and frequent wars, and entered a rather long turbulent period-the independence of the Three Kingdoms, the Wei Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty usurped Wei, the Eight Kings Rebellion, the Five Rebellions, the confrontation between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the reunification of the Sui Dynasty, and the rise of Li Yuan and the establishment of the Tang Dynasty.

At this time, the Cantonese school has been stable, and they are composed of Guangfu people, Chaoshan people and Hakka people. But in any case, the long-term war in the Central Plains has caused many northerners to flee here, which has had an important impact on the population structure of Lingnan area.

In other words, the large-scale southward migration of Central Plains people strengthened the existence of northerners in Lingnan. When they moved south, they naturally brought their own customs, culture and language here.

It is an indisputable fact that almost all traditional Guangdong families have their own "genealogy". It records where they came from the Central Plains and when they moved to Guangdong.

Strictly speaking, except for the Yao nationality and other ethnic minorities in Lingnan area, most people in Guangdong and Guangxi are foreigners and come from the Central Plains. And there is no doubt that the word "Guangdong" or "Cantonese" was created by Han people in Lingnan.

In A.D. 1 127, the Northern Song Dynasty perished, the Southern Song regime made Lin 'an its capital, and the Han people moved southward again on a large scale.

At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, some people said that "there was no Huaxia behind the cliff" was a bit exaggerated, but before and after the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, many Han people in the Central Plains and the Yangtze River Basin also moved southward on a large scale.

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, in order to protect themselves during the seesaw period, Han people in some parts of the Central Plains posted two placards which read "Welcome Dayuan" and "Welcome Zhu Yuanzhang". When the Yuan Dynasty came, they turned the "Welcome Dayuan" side outward, and Zhu Yuanzhang came and turned the sign over.

One day, a strong wind blew and the signboard fell, which annoyed the Ming army. As a result, the people of the Central Plains were unlucky again, and they were slaughtered.

But Zhu Yuanzhang had to move residents from Shanxi and other places to the Central Plains. Where did the original Han people in the Central Plains go? What can run is still running south.

Therefore, after the conquest and edification of Liao, Jin, Mongolia and other nationalities, the Han people in the Central Plains are no longer pure Han people, but have become mixed Han people. Only Chinese in Lingnan area is least affected, and it is pure ancient Chinese.

Third, people who use Cantonese are too domineering, because modern trading ports are all along the coast, and the earliest coastal ports are all in Guangdong. Therefore, Cantonese people came into contact with western civilization much earlier than mainland China. Cantonese people are open-minded and have novel ideas. Guangdong people have made many achievements when they travel abroad.

Most of the influential overseas Chinese business tycoons from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Europe and America come from Lingnan area, and their influence plays an important role among overseas Chinese, which is also an important factor for Cantonese people to have great influence overseas.

Some people compare the influence of Lingnan people in China, Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia, Europe and America with that of Jews in the world, which makes sense.

Strictly speaking, Cantonese is authentic ancient Chinese, while Mandarin we speak is improved Chinese through "fusion".

Cantonese is a beautiful language with richer tones and more musical sense, so it has been handed down and is popular everywhere.