The Evolution And It's Rules Of Lingbao Dialect Phonology

In Middle Mandarin ofFenhe section, unlike other sections, the Middle Chinese quanzhuo (voiced obstruents) initials of zeshengfnon-level tones) are devoiced into voiceless aspirated obstruents. Middle Mandarin of Fenhe section only has three distributions namely Lingbao, Shanxian and the Sanmen Gorge in Henan province, while others are all within Shanxi province. This paper is intended to explore the factors influencing the evolution of Lingbao dialect phonology and the way the dialect phonology evolves by comparing some important phonetic features ofLingbao dialect between other dialects of the Fenhe section and non-Fenhe section dialects nearby. Furthermore, the relationship between Fenhe section dialects and surrounding dialects is discussed.Comparison and contrast method is largely adopted in this paper. By synchronic comparison, the consistency and divergence of different dialect phonologies can be investigated, while by diachronic comparison, the evolution of present day phonology can be traced based on the correspondences of Middle Chinese and Mandarin in more than one dialects, and exceptional phonetic phenomena can be explained.According to this paper's analysis, at least before the devoicing of quanzhuo initials and the change to non-initials of Middle Chinese ying.yi consonant, Lingbao dialect has displayed some unique characteristics. Lingbao used to belong to the same administrative district with southern Jin and guanzhong, which shows that historic administrative division plays an important role in the development of dialects. From the phonetic features ofFenhe section dialects, it's quite reasonable for Language Atlas of China to put Fenhe section dialects under Middle Mandarin.Bao Xuling(sociolinguistics)Directed by Zhao Rixin professor...