"The two main theories about the origin of the Chinese language, namely the Tibetan language family and the Sino-Tibetan language family, originated in the early 19th century. These two theories imply different linguistic relationships that suggest different East Asian colonization patterns. How should we empirically select and determine which theory to adopt? What contributions have studies on language diversity made to clarifying the Chinese language? Which linguistic relationship should be considered an undisputed fact? And which issues in linguistic phenomena require us to rely on archaeological records and genetics for clarification?"