Xinyang Area Phonetic Study

Xinyang region is located south of Henan Province, is located at the junction of Hubei Province, Henan Province and Anhui Province. About Xinyang regional dialect has ever been investigated and studied, but the investigation always was confined to the dialect of one Place, published articles rarely far from revealing the whole features of Xinyang regional dialect, resulting in what it should belong to is being debated.The paper investigates 15 locations, and reveals comprehensively the phonetic features of Xinyang regional dialect, then on this basis to discuss the synchronic and diachronic phonetic features of 15 locations, discuss the classification. The same time, the paper try to use the theories and methods of modern linguistics to explain some phonetic phenomena, trying to find some new problems.Xinyang regional dialect has internal differences, and can be divided into the western, central, eastern and the northern dialect subgroup. Historically, the western dialect subgroup, the central dialect subgroup and the eastern dialect subgroup more consistent in the past, and now the difference is due to the speed of evolution, the northern dialect is different from the others subgroups because it was different from the others before.Only Kafang Town and a few other towns in the south of Xinyang region has entering, six tones, and entering is a tones alone, departing is divided into upper departing tone and lower departing tone, other places don't have entering, four tones. Every location of Xinyang region has 20 initials or so, 40 finals or so, colloquial-literary strata not rich, containing tone sandhi less, r-suffixation phenomenon is not prominent, relatively close to Wuhan dialect, belongs to a simple phonetic structural system.In the respect of initials, the paper discusses mainly the similarities and differences between Xiao-set(晓组)and Fei-set(非组)；the similarities and differences between Ni-initial and Lai-initial; the similarities and differences of Jing-set(精组),Zhi-set(知组),Zhuang-set(庄组)and Zhang-set(章组)；the present pronunciation of Ying-initial and Yi-initial.Xiao-set and Fei-set can be divided into two types of difference and similarity. The type of similarity can be divided into f-type and x-type, Xinyang City represents f-type, and Huangchuan County represents x-type. The feature of f-type is Xiao-set read Fei-set, only the degree is different, and Xinyang City is most serious, all grade one and grade two Hekou of Xiao-set characters read Fei-set characters, the degree of Shawo Town of Xin County and Baiqueyuan Town of Guangshan County is most minimum, and only the present u final read Fei-set characters. The feature of x-type is all Fei-set characters read Xiao-set characters, so the type of locations has not f initial. Xiao-set and Fei-set evolves the f-type is relate to the medial-u, and Xiao-set and Fei-set evolves the x-type is not relate to the medial-u.The similarities and differences of Jing-set, Zhi-set, Zhuang-set and Zhang-set can be divided into three types:(1)Jing-set, Zhi-set, Zhuang-set and Zhang-set merger [ts]-set; (2)Jing-set, Zhuang-set and Zhi-Er merger [ts]-set, Zhi-San and Zhang-set merger [ts]-set; (3)Zhang-set characters of Zhi-Kai-San and Jing-set, Zhi-Er and Zhuang-set merger [ts]-set, Zhi-San and else Zhang-set characters merger [ts] set. If through the pronunciation of Zhi-set, Zhuang-set and Zhang-set of Zhi-Kai-San, we can find (2) is the type of Nanjing, and (3) is the type of ChangxuYing-initial and Yi-initial are Zero-initial before even teeth, close mouth, pursed mouth, only this time slightly different before open mouth finals, and some locations are (?)-initial, some locations are y-initial. On the surface, the Ying-initial and Yi-initial in Xinyang regional dialect merger as same as the northern dialect, but a deeper look, the open mouth of Yi-initial have been read (?)-initial, and does not merger with Ying-initial, but Recently, Yi-initial is identical to Ying-initial because the impact of Mandarin Chinese.In the respect of finals, the paper mainly discusses the similarities and differences between Zeng-set(曾摄),Geng-set(梗摄)and Shen-set(深摄),Zhen-set(臻摄)；the present pronunciation of Dang-set(宕摄),Jiang-set(江摄)and evolution; the present pronunciation of De rhyme(德韵),Mo rhyme(陌韵)and Mai rhyme(麦韵)；(?)-type finals and theirs source; the present pronunciation of ancient Hekou characters(古合口字).Zeng-set, Geng-set and Shen-set, Zhen-set can be divided into two types of difference and similarity. And the type of similarity can be divided into two types:(1)Zeng-set, Geng-set and Shen-set, Zhen-set read pre-nasal ending-n; (2)Zeng-set, Geng-set and Shen-set, Zhen-set read post-nasal ending-(?). The type of difference and the type (1) of similarity are related to historical reasons, and the type (2) of similarity is related to Shanxi immigrants in the reign of emperor of Zhuyuanzhang.In the respect of De rhyme, Mo rhyme and Mai rhyme, the paper discuses the present pronunciation of them and they are identical to other characters. At the same time also discusses the high front vowel phenomena of Jian-group characters(见系字)in Gushi County and Shangcheng County, and think it is the diphthongization of the type a final. And the same time, the paper accords to the present pronunciation of De rhyme, Mo rhyme and Mai rhyme, and think these rhymes did not have-i ending before, as the same as Jianghuai Mandarin, the individual words of a few places has-i ending because the result of the impact of Zhengzhou and other authority dialects.Only Shihe District, Guangshan County and Xin County in Xinyang region have (?)-type finals, (?)-type finals mainly consist (?), (?)an,-qen, (?)e finals, and its source is the sound changes of high vowel y.The ancient Hekou characters of Duan-group(端系)and Zhi-group(知系)in Xinyang region are very different:Shihe District, Luoshan County, Guangshan County and Xin County read mostly open mouth; Gushi County and Huangchuan County only some of the characters read close mouth; Pingqiao District and Xi County read more close mouth. These characters have the medial-u in middle Chinese, now Shihe District, Luoshan County and Gushi County read open mouth, the medial-u losses. The order of it disappearance is related to between the tongue position of the initials and the nuclear vowel of finals.In the respect of tones, the paper discusses the present toneme of the ancient entering in Xinyang region and the two reading of voiceless, semi-muddy entering tone characters in Gushi County and Shangcheng County.The present toneme of ancient entering tone characters in Xinyang region is quite different: the Shawo Town of Xin County read mostly upper even tone; Wuhe Town of Shangcheng County read mostly lower even tone, the muddy entering tone characters in Shihe District, Pingqiao District, Luoshan County, Huangchuan County, Xi County and Huaibin County read lower even tone; the voiceless and semi-muddy entering tone characters read upper even tone; the voiceless and semi-muddy entering tone characters in Guangshan read mostly upper even tone, the half of muddy entering tone characters read upper even tone and half read lower even tone; the muddy entering tone characters in Gushi County and Shangcheng County read lower even tone, and the half of voiceless and semi-muddy entering tone characters read upper even tone, and half read lower even tone.Only the entering tone characters of voiceless initials and semi-muddy initials in Gushi County and Shangcheng County have two reading phenomenon, and muddy entering characters don't have. The paper passes a synchronic comparison and thinks it is a discrete phonetic change.The paper discusses the classification of Xinyang regional dialect not only on the base of the present toneme of ancient entering tone characters, but also considers the features of initials and finals, and the same regards the history, geography, immigration, economic and cultural level factors. Through discussion, the paper think Xinyang regional dialect is a dialect mixing zone, can not all be classified Zhongyuan Mandarin. Shihe District, Pingqiao District, Luoshan County, Huangchuan County, Xi County, Huaibin County belongs to Zhongyuan Mandarin, Guangshan County, Xin County belongs to Jianghuai Mandarin, Gushi County, Shangcheng County belongs to the southwest Mandarin.