What does the term Sinitic refer to in language classification?

In language classification, the term Sinitic refers to the subfamily of the Sino-Tibetan languages that comprises the Chinese languages, commonly known as the Chinese dialects.12

While the term has historically been used to refer to the entire Sino-Tibetan family, it is now primarily used to designate this specific Chinese subfamily. Sinitic languages are spoken by nearly 1.2 billion people, primarily in China, Taiwan, and Singapore, as well as by diaspora communities globally.21

The Sinitic group is divided into several major branches:
* Mandarin (Northern Chinese)
* Wu
* Xiang
* Gan
* Hakka
* Yue (Cantonese)
* Min

These languages share significant typological features, including a system of lexical tones, specific syllable structures, and common grammatical patterns, such as a subject-verb-object word order.3