Question

In Classical Japan, Chinese was analogous to Latin in Medieval Europe.
a) True
b) False

Answer 1

The statement is true: In Classical Japan, Classical Chinese was used similarly to how Latin was used in Medieval Europe as the language of the educated and government. Additionally, Japan developed its own script, kana, to adapt to the Japanese language.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Classical Japan, the use of Classical Chinese was analogous to the use of Latin in Medieval Europe; this statement is true. Much like Latin was the language of the educated, government, and scholarly texts in Medieval Europe, Classical Chinese served a similar function in Japan and other parts of East Asia. Elite members of society were typically bilingual, able to communicate and write using the complext script and grammar of Classical Chinese. Texts on governance like Prince Shōtoku's "17- Article Constitution" and literary works were composed in this prestigious language mirroring the same way Latin was used for official documents and scholarly works in Europe. Additionally, as Japanese culture evolved, it began integrating and creating its own linguistic traditions, such as the development of the kana script to more accurately represent Japanese pronunciation, which moved away from solely using Chinese characters.