I'm looking for important figures, influential writings, and overviews. I'm specifically interested in the origin of the languages (I know Japanese is at least partially derived from Chinese) and their development up until European contact (or about 1850 by the western calendar, as a nice solid date)

I asked ChatGPT for some influential figures, and this is what it gave me:

Significant figures in the history of the Chinese language include:

1. Cangjie (仓颉): A legendary figure credited with inventing Chinese characters. He is often associated with the creation of the earliest form of Chinese script, although his existence is more mythological.

2. Xu Shen (许慎): A scholar during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD) who compiled the "Shuowen Jiezi" (说文解字), the first comprehensive dictionary of Chinese characters. This work analyzed the etymology and structure of characters, contributing significantly to the understanding and development of the Chinese writing system.

3. Confucius (孔子): Although more widely known as a philosopher, Confucius had a lasting impact on the Chinese language, particularly through his teachings and the "Analects" (论语). His work influenced classical Chinese and the use of language in literature and government.

4. Li Si (李斯): A statesman of the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC) who played a crucial role in standardizing Chinese characters during the reign of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. His efforts helped unify the various scripts in use across China into a standardized form, which laid the foundation for the modern Chinese writing system.

5. Lu Xun (鲁迅): A modern Chinese writer and intellectual who played a pivotal role in the New Culture Movement in the early 20th century. His works, written in vernacular Chinese, were instrumental in popularizing the use of the modern written language (baihua, 白话) over classical Chinese.

And this seems like a pretty good starting point. But I know not to trust ChatGPT completely, and I also know that reading historical works without context can be dangerous.

So can anyone recommend some books, or at least give me some phrases I can Google to get good results (for books).