Historical Changes In Macao Cantonese Phonology And Their Causes

abstract:Modern Macao Cantonese has few differences with Guangzhou Cantonese (which is the same with Hong Kong Cantonese). Guangzhou has only one more Shang Tone and one more syllabic nasal (η) than Macao. Though geographically Macao is adjacent to Zhongshan (Shiqi) and Zhuhai, modern Macao Cantonese is much different from the dialects in those two areas, but is quite similar to Guangzhou Cantonese, while Guangzhou is relatively far from Macao. This fact makes one curious about the causes of its historical development.Macao Cantonese, highly similar to Guangzhou Cantonese, has always been classified to Cantonese of Guangfu cluster, whose representative is Guangzhou dialect.In Zhuhai (Tangjiawan) Cantonese, which is geographically adjacent to Macao, the ancient Ri-initialed and Yi-initialed characters having Xiyin-finals can have the velar nasal initial (?)(二(?),月(?)yt(?)); Media u is not included in the phonology(瓜加。ka); The literary pronunciations of Divisions Zhen, Zeng, Geng only have one main vowel (?) in them(真津(?)ts(?)n,曾精(?)ts(?)) in general, regardless of Hongyin or Xiyin; The pronunciations of Yi-initialed characters in Division Yu, Closed, Grade I are merged into those of Division Tong(误瓮υη(?))；And Zhuhai Cantonese only have six tones (试事si(?)、市史(?)si). All these features are not shared with Guangzhou Cantonese.The dialect in Zhongshan is intermediate between those in Zhuhai and Guangzhou. There Ri and Yi-initialed characters with Xiyin finals can have the velar nasal initial (?)(二(?)i(?)); Media u is included in the phonology, but characters with media u is numerically fewer in Zhongshan than those in Guangzhou(瓜(?)kwa,光(?)k(?)); Division Zhen has two main vowels ((?),(?)), and characters with vowel (?) are numerically fewer in Zhongshan than those in Guangzhou(津(?)ts(?)n,润j(?)n(?)); There is a difference in the literary pronunciations between finals of Hongyin and Xiyin in Divisions Zeng and Geng, which is the same as Guangzhou Cantonese; And there is no distinction of Yin and Yang categories in Shang and Qu tones(试事si(?),市史(?)si).Lots of features in Zhongshan and Zhuhai Cantonese are not shared with Guangzhou Cantonese, consequently Zhongshan and Zhuhai dialects, which originally belonged to Guangfu cluster, have been separated to be an independent dialect cluster by some works, called Xianshan cluster, since Dialect review of the Pearl River Delta (1990). We do not agree with this approach, but rather prefer that the Xiangshan cluster is inferior to Guangfu cluster, called Xiangshan sub-cluster. Other areas at the same level with Xiangshan in the original Guangfu cluster should be called Yuehai sub-cluster.Having systemizing historical missionary literature of Macao, Zhongshan and Guangzhou, this paper aims to respectively generalize the development courses of Cantonese in these three districts, and then analyze the changes of Macao Cantonese in different periods to search out their causes. This paper consists of the six following chapters:Chapter1is the Introduction. In this chapter, the humanities profile of Macao and the attributes of modern Macao dialect are introduced, and the significance of the topic selected, as well as the materials and methods used in this paper are explained. Then we propose the typical representative of Xiangshan Cantonese——The dialect of Tangjiawan, Zhuhai.Chapter2and Chapter3show the present and past of Macao Cantonese. Firstly, we thoroughly describe the situation of modern Macao Cantonese, including the differences and similarities of new and old pronunciations. Then we trace each historical document of Macao Cantonese, and finally we generalize the development course of its changes. Macao Cantonese changed little in the19th century, but it changed much in the first half of the20th century, and not so much in the second half.In Chapter4we discourse on historical phonology of Macao Cantonese and its relations with Zhongshan and Gaungzhou Cantonese in historical times in detail. They are compared phonologically in four periods. After precise comparison, we find that the period from1897to1941was particularly crucial to Macao Cantonese. Right in this period, it changed from the Xiangshan type to the Guangzhou type. In1897, Macao Cantonese was still typical Cantonese of Xiangshan sub-cluster, but in1941, it had already turned into that of Yuehai sub-cluster.In Chapter5we have made detailed descriptions of historical phonology of Zhongshan and Guanghzou:Firstly, we discuss about the present and past of Zhongshan Cantonese. We begin with describing the present situation of modern Zhongshan and Zhuhai Cantonese, then we trace historical literature of Zhangshan dialect, and finally we generalize the changing course of Zhongshan Cantonese. The Cantonese of Xiangshan sub-cluster has gone through few changes in the last two hundred years in general. Compared to Xiangshan dialect recorded in literature, the city center Shiqi has changed more, and the dialects of Tanjiawan and other places has hardly changed. Then we discuss about the present and past of Guangzhou Cantonese. We thoroughly analyze and generalize the development history of Guangzhou Cantonese, using rhyming dictionary series Fen Yun Cuo Yao. Generally speaking, Guangzhou Cantonese has mainly evolved by its own, barely influenced by other dialects. In the respective of initials, the main changes are that the two sets of alveolar consonants emerged to one, and that the Ri-initial faded away. And in finals, the main change is the diphthongization of high vowels:i→ei, u→ou, and y→ey.The last chapter discusses the causes of the changes in Macao Cantonese. The external and internal causes are analyzed in detail, in view of immigration, media and historical factors.