Nganti tengahing abad kaping 20, ameh kabehkabèh wong Cina sing urip ing laladan Cina Kidul namung nggunakake carabasane dhewe-dhewe. Kanggo kagunan mirunggan, para juru jawating rajawangsa [[Wangsa Ming|Ming]] lan [[Wangsa Qing|Cing]]<ref>''China in the Sixteenth Century: The Journals of Mathew Ricci''.</ref> (Ind: Qing) mranatakake administrasining kabauraton nganggo basa lumrah adhedhasar parijinis-parijinis basa Mandharin sing kala iku karanan ''Guānhuà''<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Coblin|first=|date=2000|title=|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_Chinese#CITEREFCoblin2000|journal=|volume=537|pages=}}</ref> (官話, tegese basa jawat). Kawruh ngenani basa iki dadi penting kanggo pisambut gawe jawat (Ind: karir pejabat pemerintahan). Nanging, prakara iki ora tau dijarwakake kanthi formal.
<br />Para juru jawat (Ind: pejabat pemerintahan) saka akeh laladan nduweni carapocape dhewe-dhewe. Ananging, ciri basa jaman iki sing lumrah yaiku:
