The Evolution Of The Henan Dialect Voice Level,

The phonological structure of dialects is composed of initials, finals and tones, of which each of these elements is found within the relationship of combinations, and the discrepancy between dialects is decided by this very relationship. Language, however, is not a homogenous system; it is a type of orderly heterogeneous structure. Variation is not just "the destructive force that makes language composition gradually destroyed," but is a type of source with order, and is a structure where the language within an orderly variation continuously improves itself. There are mainly two types of sound changes in dialect: one is primary sound change that comes from inside the language, and is the phonological transition within the homogeneous structure; the other is sound change that is initiated by language contact, with most expressed as the reduplication of a heterogeneous structure within the same source system.As a main component of Central Mandarin, Henan dialect is different from southern Chinese dialects in terms of expression, evolutionary form, conditions, direction and layers of phonological structure. In southern dialects most expressions and sound changes initiated by dialect contact have many literary and colloquial readings. The basic nature of literary and colloquial readings is the reduplication of the same type of source sounds of different systems, and the differences in literary and colloquial readings conceal the time layers of language development. Since for a long time the Zhongyuan region had been the center of politics, the economy and culture in China, from the Qin and Han Dynasty to the Tang and Song Dynasty the Zhongyuan ya-yin of the He-Luo area was China's standard language. Since Zhongyuan culture had always been superior to the surrounding cultures, the culture was transmitted outwards through language, and as a result Zhongyuan speech continued to influence the speech of surrounding areas. As an "exporter" of culture and language, Central Mandarin has a comparatively small "outside historical layer" and lacks literary and colloquial readings. The historical layer of dialectal homogenous structure, the "internal historical layer," is in fact themain form of showing the transition of the Henan dialect phonological structure.But Central Mandarin has not always been an "exporter" of language and has never "imported." For a long time northern Chinese dialects have blended with the languages of minority groups, so it is impossible not to leave some mark. After that, Jin, Mongols, and Manchu Qing invaded the Central region in succession. This would inevitably influence northern dialects. Thus Central Mandarin would not just simply have inner historical change, and not have a reduplication of a different source created by language contact.Using the research method of historical comparisons and Internal reconstruction, combining western modern phonological theories, using "Qie Yun" and "Zhongyuan Yin-Yun" as historical references, and combining comparisons of family dialects and comparisons within Central Mandarin dialects, this dissertation seeks to explain the form, condition, direction and layers concerning the evolution of Henan dialect's phonological structure. Through discussing the relationship between Central Mandarin and "Zhongyuan Yin-Yuan," the dissertation also provides new evidences to the conclusion of "the basic dialect of "Zhongyuan Yin-Yuan" is the dialect of Bianluo in Song and Yuan dynasty, which is old Central Mandarin. While making the grammatical sound change as the focus of the study, this dissertation also studied"the rules of sound change within the homogeneous structure", and the historical layers of the heterogeneous structure formed through language contact.This dissertation has seven chapters. Chapter One consists of general remarks with an introduction to the history of the Henan dialect, the geography, brief account of the people and culture, and administrative divisions. The chapter also gives a general introduction to the Henan dialect: the historical makeup of the Henan dialect, territorial scope as well as the research background and significance behind the research for this dissertation.Chapter Two mainly investigates the theoretical issues related to sound change in order to explain the sound change rules of the Henan dialect, and to delve deeply into its historical layer to provide a theoreticalfoundation.Chapter Three looks at the characteristics of Henan dialect's phonological structure, divided into tonal, initial and final structural system and initial-final combinations, and investigates the basic characteristics of Henan dialect's phonological structure in order to further study Henan dialect's sound change rules and historical layer to provide a material foundation.Chapter Four concerns the changes and layers of Henan dialect's initial, mainly investigating the distribution and forms of "Jian / tuan" sound in Henan dialect as well as discusses the evolution and layers of the initials of Zhi series, Jian series, and Ying and Yi. At the same time, this chapter studies the unique sound interconvert in the Henan dialect - the rules of the sound interconvert between ancient initial of Fei group and Xiao group.Chapter Five studies the evolution and layers of finals, researches the historical layers of i-medialed final of divisions 1 and 2 of Jian series in the Henan dialect, the readings and evolution in Henan dialect of Zeng, Geng final category the characters of De Mo Mai (德陌麦) finals, and phonological form and historical evolution of Yu (鱼) final.Chapter Six covers the relationship between Central Mandarin and "Zhongyuan Yin-Yuan", and combines the phonetic characteristics of Henan dialect and Central Mandarin, thus making new discussions on the relationship between Central Mandarin and "Zhongyuan Yin-Yuan;" it is considered that the basic dialect of "Zhongyuan Yin-Yuan" is the "Bianluo dialect" in the Song and Yuan Period, now modern day Central Mandarin.Chapter Seven researchs the grammatical sound change and morphology category of Henan dialect. By investigating the rich final change of verbs, a kind of internal inflection, which can present the grammatical meanings by changing the verbs' finals, and reviewing the forms of finals change of nouns and their process of decline, this Chapter discusses on the nature of grammatical sound change in Henan dialect - it is considered that grammatical sound change of the Henan dialect is not from the internal inflection of Old Chinese, but rather a new phenomenonin the process of diachronic changes of phonology. The chapter also combines the forms of internal inflection in other dialects in Chinese, looks deeply into the origins of these internal reflections: keeping the old form or creating the new one, as the starting point, discusses the theory of "Old Chinese is an inflective language."...