original_query: What is Old Chinese and how does it relate to modern varieties of Chinese?
query: What is Old Chinese and how does it relate to modern varieties of Chinese?
answer: Old Chinese is the oldest attested stage of the Chinese language and the ancestor of all modern Chinese varieties.  Early examples are found in oracle bone inscriptions from around 1250 BC.  Literary Chinese, based on late Old Chinese, was the written standard until the early 20th century.