A Study On The Variation And Change Of Frequently Used Classifiers In Hengyang Dialect

The increasing contact between different languages has inevitably brought influence to people's language use. Language variation and change have been appearing in people's language usage, and as for all elements of languages themselves, there also will be variation and change, especially in terms of vocabularies. As the improvement of social productivity and social culture, Hengyang dialect and Putonghua have intensified their contact, which gives rise to the variation and change in frequently used classifiers of Hengyang dialect.The present study aims to investigate the following three questions:(1) What is the variation and change in terms of frequently used quantifiers?(2) How do different social factors like age, gender, education level, occupation and occasion affect the variation and change of frequently used quantifiers in Hengyang dialect?(3) What kind of language attitudes do local people have when they use different forms of frequently used classifiers?Under the guidance of the theory of language variation and change in sociolinguistics and based on pertinent studies of classifiers, the research analyzes the usage of frequently used classifiers of 90 Hengyang natives by adoption of the method of interview and observation, two forms of field research. A total 225 tokens have been gathered, and then to supply the research, a questionnaire survey is conducted to gain people's attitudes towards the change. All data collected is processed statistically by GoldVarb X and Excel(2007).According to the investigation, the use of nominal classifiers and verbal classifiers from traditional language are slowly decreasing, while the use of nominal classifiers and verbal classifiers from modern language are gradually increasing. The reason for the change not only is related to internal factors of classifiers themselves but also is connected to the combined action of all social variables.On one hand, females are more inclined to use the altered classifiers than males; the highest frequency of the change frequently used classifiers emerges in people aged between18 and 40; and students and people of other occupations turn out to be the main force of the altered frequently used classifiers. Besides, the subjects with an educational background of college and above are more possible to tend to use the changed classifiers; what's more,people in formal occasions more favor the changed ones than those in informal occasions. On the other hand, although the nominal classifiers and verbal classifiers of Hengyang dialect arestill on the edge, the corresponding classifiers of Putonghua tend to expand in people's daily use. The using situation of classifiers among people is gradually changing. From the above variation and change, we can conclude certain regulation that is of all the five chosen social variables, age and educational level have relatively less influence. From the outcome of questionnaire on language attitudes, an absolutely large proportion of people accept the altered frequently used classifiers because they think it is necessary for practical social interaction. Meanwhile, quite a few quinquagenarians express that it is of great significance to inherit the local dialect.The variation and change of frequently used classifiers in local dialect is a mirror to the cultural alternation in local community. The study gives a unique glimpse into the frequently used classifiers in Hengyang dialect and provides some enlightening thoughts to dialectal research and preservation. Owing to the limitations of objective and subjective factors, the corpus of the study are confined to limited amount and the perspective remains to be deepened and enhanced.