中文 - original meaning

[Christa]

Hi everybody,

 

I find that the word I most hear these days for "Chinese" is "中文". Typically, this is used to refer to both spoken and written language.

 

I was wondering though, given the meaning of 文, was this originally used only to refer to the written language?

 

Does anyone know?

 

 

Christina

[zander1]

On 16/02/2018 at 10:06 AM, Christa said:

I find that the word I most hear these days for "Chinese" is "中文"

 

Interesting, because I'd say I very really hear 中文 for Chinese, when I'm speaking to people I'd say the vast majority of the time they would say 汉语 with the occasional 中国话 (if they're very old).

[DavyJonesLocker]

3 hours ago, zander1 said:

 

Interesting, because I'd say I very really hear 中文 for Chinese, when I'm speaking to people I'd say the vast majority of the time they would say 汉语 with the occasional 中国话 (if they're very old).

 

Where are you based zander? Certainly in North china you hear 中文 far more.

I get asked almost few days in Beijing 

[Christa]

19 hours ago, DavyJonesLocker said:

23 hours ago, zander1 said:

 

Interesting, because I'd say I very really hear 中文 for Chinese, when I'm speaking to people I'd say the vast majority of the time they would say 汉语 with the occasional 中国话 (if they're very old).

 

Where are you based zander? Certainly in North china you hear 中文 far more.

I get asked almost few days in Beijing 

 

Yes, I'd also like to know where you are. Also, is anyone else in a region where 中文 isn't the dominant term for spoken Chinese?

[ZC]

2 hours ago, Christa said:

Also, is anyone else in a region where 中文 isn't the dominant term for spoken Chinese?

 

I’m in Shanghai and I hear it less often than 汉语 but lit it’s at most a  60-40 split (and also it might be because I’m super foreign and bad at the language and I tend to use 汉语 more so people could think I don’t know 中文）

[Tomsima]

湖北 is around 80% 中文 (zongwen, most regular in conversation) 10% 漢語 (sounds more international, modern perhaps) 10% 中國話 (countryside style)