Old Gan

Old Gan or Proto-Gan (原始贛語, Ngien-si Gon-ngi) corresponds to the Gan language from the beginning of Qin Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...

 to the latter part of the Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...

. It is a typically creole language

Creole language

A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...

 which was influenced by Chinese language (華夏語), Baiyue, Chu

Chu (state)

The State of Chu was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state in present-day central and southern China during the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period . Its ruling house had the surname Nai , and clan name Yan , later evolved to surname Mi , and clan name Xiong...

, and Wu

Wu (state)

The State of Wu , also known as Gou Wu or Gong Wu , was one of the vassal states during the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period. The State of Wu was located at the mouth of the Yangtze River east of the State of Chu. Considered a semi-barbarian state by ancient Chinese...

 languages.

Late Old Gan

Late Old Gan (中古贛語, Zung-gu Gon-ngi) corresponds to Gan spoken from 3rd to 6th century. It was largely sinicized by new settlers.

Middle Gan

Middle Gan (中世贛語, Zung-si Gon-ngi) corresponds to Gan spoken from 6th to 13th century. It finally became stabilized after the last time of large-scale settlement in Jiangxi by people from Zhongyuan.

Late Middle Gan

Late Middle Gan (近世贛語, Qin-si Gon-ngi) corresponds to Gan spoken from 13th to 17th century. Modern scholars try to reconstruct

Linguistic reconstruction

Linguistic reconstruction is the practice of establishing the features of the unattested ancestor of one or more given languages. There are two kinds of reconstruction. Internal reconstruction uses irregularities in a single language to make inferences about an earlier stage of that language...

 the language mainly from this historical layer.

Early Modern Gan

Early Modern Gan (近代贛語, Qin-tai Gon-ngi) corresponds to Gan spoken from 17th to 20th century. Westerners began to study Gan language since this period and Bibles in some Gan dialects were published at this time.