Cantoneseorigin

Cantonese origin refers to the origins and development of the Cantonese language, a major variety of the Yue branch of Chinese. Cantonese is spoken in Guangdong province, Hong Kong, Macau, and by overseas Chinese communities. It is distinct from Mandarin and other Sinitic varieties, with its own phonology, vocabulary, and grammar.

Historically, Cantonese descends from Yue dialects spoken in the Pearl River Delta. Linguists place its formation in southern China during late antiquity and the medieval period, with continuing influence from Old and Middle Chinese. It diverged from Mandarin after the Tang and Song dynasties, while retaining features typical of southern speech, such as a complex tone system and preserved final consonants.

Cantonese phonology features a commonly described six tones in Guangzhou-based speech, with additional tonal distinctions in other analyses. It preserves final stops in -p, -t, -k and a rich range of syllable finals. The writing system uses Chinese characters; formal Cantonese writing generally follows Standard Written Chinese, while colloquial written Cantonese employs characters and particles to represent spoken Cantonese. There is no single official alphabet for Cantonese.

Geographic and cultural distribution: Cantonese is strongest in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, but is also spoken in overseas communities in Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa. It has a prominent cultural presence in Cantopop, film, and media. In Hong Kong and Macau, Cantonese operates alongside Mandarin as a daily language, with distinct local varieties in use.