Guangxi Rongshui Eh, Then Tone The Formation Of Optimality Theory Analysis

The exploration of the nature and orgin of Ei language which exists in Rongshui county Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has never been stopped in recent years, because there are not only minority languages such as Zhuang, Dong, Shui, Mulao and Maonan edc. but also Chinese dialect Tuguaihua in Ei language. Because of its complicated components, it is so hard to determine the nature and origin of Ei language and there are differents views concerning its origin. The most influential is summed up as the following three points. First, Ei language is a mixed language. Second, Ei language is an independent language of Dong-Tai language family. Third, it is not a mixed language, instead it is a language of Zhuang-dong language family, and it has been affected greatly by Chinese. Ei language could be classified as Zhuang which belongs to Zhuang-dai branch, Zhuang-dong language family.The study made in the dissertation breaks through in research methods and perspectives, because it is the first time that the mechanism of language contact is studied from the perspectives of prosody, which is the foundation for the further study on the nature and origin of Ei language. It is also the first time that Optimality Theory is used in language contact. An overall investigation and phonetic experiment are made on the tones of Ei language,Tuguaihua,Guiliuhua and the Zhuang and Bailua in Guigang, including both monosyllabic tones and disyllabic tone sandhi. Based on the investigation and experiments, the tone sandhi in these five languages is analyzed within the framework of Optimality Theory, and the constaint rankings have been found. After analyzing the five languages with Optimality Theory, the author explores which language is more like Ei language by comparing and contrasting the rankings of the languages.There are altogether 8 chapters in the dissertation. Chapter One introduces the current research on Ei language, the achievements and limitations, the significances and the purposes of the dissertation, the methods used in it and its theoretic foundation.There are the description and analysis of the tones in Ei language, Tuguaihua, Guiliuhua, Zhuang and Baihua in Guigang from Chapter Two to Chapter Six. The methods in these chapters are similar, and the process is to investigate and experiment on the tones of the five laugages, and make OT analysis of the experimental results and found the rankings of these languages.Chapter Seven is to make phonological analysis of the formation of the tones in Ei language, which includes two parts. Part one explores the origin of Ei language by comparing and contrasting the relation between the stop in the rime and syllable weight. It is the first time that language contact is studied by the way of the relation between stops in the rime and syllable weight. Part two explores which is more like ei language by comparing and contrasting the rankings of the disyllabic tone sandhi in ei language, Zhuang and Tuguaihua. The conclusion drawn from this analysis is that ei language has two equally important origins-- Tuguaihua and Zhuang, which is a creative proposal in the study of ei language.Chapter Eight is the conclusion which summarizes the main views and findings of the dissertation.