Research On Suffix Of "zi(子)" Of Shanxi Dialects

This thesis researches on suffix of “zi(子)” in Shanxi dialects. It takes sounds ofspeech of suffix of “zi(子)” as the main research object.The suffix of “zi(子)” in Shanxi dialects has the character. It is the complexityof sounds of speech of suffix of “zi(子)”. Sounds of speech of suffix of “zi(子)” inShanxi dialects has two types. They are “zi-wei(子尾)” and “zi-bian(子变)”.“Zi-wei(子尾)” is the phenomenon that sounds of speech of suffix of “zi(子)” canbe independently into syllable.“Zi-bian(子变)” is the phenomenon that sounds ofspeech of suffix of “zi(子)” can’t be independently into syllable. The complexity ofsounds of speech of Suffix of “zi(子)” in Shanxi dialects is the focus of theattention and the research. It is more than30years. The historical ties of“zi-bian(子变)” in Shanxi dialects and Henan dialects has been the focus more than30years, too. This thesis researches on suffix of “zi(子)” in107dialects of Shanxidialects. It researches on the types and the geographical distribution of sounds ofspeech of suffix of “zi(子)”. It researches on the grammatical function of suffix of“zi(子)”. It researches on the process and the direction of the change of sounds ofspeech of suffix of “zi(子)”. It researches on the historical ties of “zi-bian(子变)” inShanxi dialects and Henan dialects. It researches on the process of thegrammaticalization of suffix of “zi(子)”, too. This thesis uses the theories andmethods. They are the descriptive linguistics, linguistic geography, historical andcomparative linguistics.The thesis is made up of five chapters. The main body of the thesis is two tofive chapters.The contents of the first chapter is the introduction. It generalizes the zone ofShanxi dialects. It generalizes the characters of sounds of speech of Shanxi dialect. Itgeneralizes the characters of suffix of “zi(子)” in Shanxi dialects. It generalizes theresearch status of suffix of “zi(子)”. It generalizes the the research contents，purpose and meaning of the thesis. It defines the some of the concepts such as suffixof “zi(子)”,“zi-wei(子尾)” and “zi-bian(子变)”. It explains the source of material ofthe thesis.The contents of the second chapter is the research that the types and thegeographical distribution of sounds of speech of “zi-wei(子尾)”. It explains the two types and source of sounds of speech of suffix of “zi(子)”. It takes the type and thegeographical distribution of “zi-wei(子尾)” as the main research object, it includesthe initial and the final of “zi-wei(子尾)”. It explains the phenomenon of variantpronunciation of “zi-wei(子尾)” in the same place. The initial of “zi-wei(子尾)” inShanxi dialects has six types. They are the affricate, stop, fricative, lateral, nasal,zero-initial(零声母). Their patterns of distribution in regional space has the character.The affricate distribues the vast area of the province in the middle as the core, it isabout two-thirds of the whole province area. The stop and lateral mainly distribuesthe south of the whole province area. The fricative mainly distribues the north of thewhole province area. The zero-initial(零声母) distribues the south and the north ofthe whole province area, its area is smaller. The final of “zi-wei(子尾)” in Shanxidialects has four types.They are “zero-coda(无尾韵)”,“vowel-coda(元音尾韵)”,“nasal-coda(鼻音尾韵) and nasal-final(鼻音声化韵)(the final is the nasal)”,“stop-coda(塞音尾韵)”. Their patterns of distribution in regional space has thecharacter. The “stop-coda(塞音尾韵)” distribues the area of Jin dialects. The othertypes distribue the area of mandarin dialects.The contents of the third chapter is the research that the types and thegeographical distribution of sounds of speech of “zi-bian(子变)”. It describes thefinal varied pattern and the character of “zi-bian(子变)” in14dialects of Shanxidialects. It analyses the type and the character of “zi-bian(子变)”. It summarizes thedistribution and the character of “zi-bian(子变)”. The final varied pattern of“zi-bian(子变)” distribues the area of Shang-dang(上党) grouping dialects andDa-bao(大包) grouping dialects of Jin dialects. The final varied pattern of“zi-bian(子变)” distribues the area of Fen-he(汾河) grouping dialects of mandarindialects. The final varied pattern of “zi-bian(子变)” can be analyzed three types onits vocal feature. They are the merger, syncretism, long sounds. The position of longsounds is mostly the nucleus. The type of merger distribues the area ofShang-dang(上党) grouping dialects of Jin dialects and Fen-he(汾河) groupingdialects of mandarin dialects. It merges the [u] and [] of sounds of speech. The [u] is mostly type. The [u] has back and round features. The syncretism mostlydistribues all of the abrupt tone of Jin dialects. The syncretism distribues the lax ofShang-dang(上党) grouping dialects of Jin dialects and Fen-he(汾河) groupingdialects of mandarin dialects. It seems Shang-dang(上党) grouping dialects higher than Da-bao(大包) grouping dialects of Jin dialects and Fen-he(汾河) groupingdialects of mandarin dialects on merge degree of the final varied pattern of“zi-bian(子变)”.The contents of the fourth chapter is the research that the change of sounds ofspeech of suffix of “zi(子)”. It takes the change of the initial and the final of“zi-wei(子尾). It takes the historical ties of “zi-bian(子变)” in Shanxi dialects andHenan dialects as the main research object, too. It gives the brief summary of thechange of the initial of “zi-wei(子尾)”:The contents of the fifth chapter is the research that the grammatical functionand grammaticalize of suffix of “zi(子)” in Shanxi dialects. It describes the functionof suffix of “zi(子)” in Shanxi dialects. It researches on the productivity of suffixof “zi(子)” in Shanxi dialects. It describes the process of the grammaticalization ofsuffix of “zi(子)” according to historical literature and existing research results. Itdiscusses the origin of the function of suffix of “zi(子)”. It analyzes the character ofthe innovation of the grammaticalization of suffix of “zi(子)” in regional space. Thesuffix of “zi(子)” can form the noun in Shanxi dialects,it can form the quantifier andsome adjective in Shanxi dialects. It gives the brief summary of the word-formationability of suffix of “zi(子)” in Shanxi dialects,it is stronger in the area of“zi-wei(子尾)” than “zi-bian(子变)” in Shanxi dialects. The word-formationability of suffix of “zi(子)” slowly decaying in some area of “zi-bian(子变)” inShanxi dialects. The suffix of “zi(子)” has inherited the almost all of the grammaticalfunction of the modern Chinese in Shanxi dialects.It is the innovation that suffix of“zi(子)”can be as an adjective labeling,it is the common innovation in the northwestdialects including shanxi dialects, it reflected the long history of close relationshipin the northwest dialects.