Sinitic

American

[si-nit-ik] / sɪˈnɪt ɪk /

noun

a branch of Sino-Tibetan consisting of the various local languages and dialects whose speakers share literary Chinese as their standard language.

adjective

of or relating to the Chinese, their language, or their culture.

Sinitic British

/ sɪˈnɪtɪk /

noun

a branch of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages, consisting of the various languages or dialects of Chinese Compare Tibeto-Burman

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

belonging or relating to this group of languages

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Sinitic

1890–95; < Late Latin Sīn ( ae ) the Chinese ( see Sino-) + -itic

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

Sinitic

And it’s commonly held that these so-called Sinitic tongues, while replete with complicated sounds and tones, are light on actual grammar.

From Slate ● Mar. 17, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023