Phonetic Research Of Zhonglupu Dialect In Xiangtan County

This thesis researches on the speech sounds of the dialect of Zhonglupu District, Xiangtan County, Hunan Province. Zhonglupu is located in the south of Xiangtan County, with Zhuzhou County in its east, Hengdong County and Xiangjiang River in its south-east, and Hengshan County in its south. Huashi District and Shebu District of Xiangtan County are in its west and Tanjiashan in its north. Zhonglupu Dialect has been rather widely used in Xiangtan County and has great influence. So it can be representative of the dialects of Xiangtan County. Yet there are not any record about this dialect. Hence a new one in dialect research area. In this thesis, basing on field work and abundant first-hand material, the author tends to give a detailed description of the speech sounds of Zhonglupu Dialect. Homophone list and list of comparison of ancient and modem pronunciation are provided. The author also researches on such important topics as the changes of the sound of ancient voiced initial consonants, literal and colloquial pronunciation, etc. While focusing on the its speech sounds, the author also makes a comparison between Zhonglupu Dialect and Mandarin, Dialect of Xiangtan City and Changsha City. After analyzing and comparing the characteristics of Shuangfeng Dialect in the region of Loudi and Shaoyang, Hunan, and the characteristics of Nanchang Dialect, Jiangxi, the author offers her own opinions as to the labeling of Zhonglupu Dialect in the process of language division as well as its particularity.The thesis is divided into six parts:Chapter One A General SurveyThe geographical and historical developments, the population and language situation of Xiangtan County and Zhonglupu District are introduced. The research background of Dialect of Xiangtan County and Zhonglupu District as well as the meaning of this research are also introduced.Chapter Two Sound System of Zhonglupu DialectThe system of sound, rhyme and tone of Zhonglupu Dialect as well as their rules are introduced.Chapter Three Characteristics of Speech Sounds of Zhonglupu DialectBasing on comparison between the ancient and the modern ones, the characteristics of the speech sounds of Zhonglupu are analyzed in terms of initial consonants, vowels and tones.Chapter Four literal and colloquial pronunciation of Zhonglupu DialectChapter Five Homophone List of Zhonglupu DialectChapter Six Comparison of Speech Sounds of Zhonglupu DialectIn this chapter, Mandarin is first compared with Zhonglupu Dialect. After that are Dialects of Xiangtan City and Changsha City, which both belong to the Changsha-Yiyang Division of Xiang Dialect at a higher level. After analyzing and comparing the characteristics of Shuangfeng Dialect in the region of Loudi and Shaoyang, Hunan, and the characteristics of Nanchang Dialect, Jiangxi, the author reaches a conclusion as to the labeling of Zhonglupu Dialect in the process of language division and also discusses about its particularity.