A Handbook of Sinitic Languages, Dialects, and Non-standard Mandarin

A Handbook of Sinitic Languages, Dialects, and Non-standard Mandarin offers a comprehensive analysis of the linguistic diversity across Chinese-speaking societies. Drawing on original research and leading scholarship, it examines major Sinitic families-Mandarin, Wu, Xiang, Gan, Hakka, Yue, and Min-highlighting structural features, geographic distribution, and sociolinguistic roles. It also explores non-standard Mandarin varieties shaped by contact with speakers' first languages. Comparative analyses of sixty-six expressions across ten languages are paired with annotated transcriptions and translations of sixteen speech samples from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. A Non-standard-Standard Mandarin conversion table, discussion of writing systems, and over an hour of audio recordings make this a vital resource for scholars, students, and advanced learners interested in the past, present, and future of Sinitic languages.

Cornelius C. Kubler is the Stanfield Professor of Asian Studies at Williams College, where he teaches courses in Sinitic languages and linguistics.

Clement Chu Sing Lau was Associate Dean of Libraries and Director of Zach S. Henderson Library at Georgia Southern University.