Early Archaic Chinese language

Early Archaic Chinese, spoken from approximately 1046 to 207 BCE, is a stage of Pre-Classical Chinese. This period is known through bronze inscriptions and parts of foundational texts like the Shujing (Classic of History) and Shijing (Classic of Poetry).1

Linguistic analysis of Early Archaic Chinese has allowed scholars to reconstruct many features of its pronunciation. The grammar utilized unwritten affixes, and the writing system distinguished between forms with and without medial consonants, which could alter meaning. Notably, it possessed a third-person personal pronoun with distinct cases, a feature not found in later written Chinese until the post-Classical period.1

The study of Early Archaic Chinese is crucial for understanding the evolution of the Chinese language and its relationship with other Sino-Tibetan languages.2