The Investigation And Analysis Of The Phonetic Evolution Of The Newest Variety Of Shanghai Urban District Dialect

This thesis is a detailed investigation and research of the phonology and the phonetic evolution of the newest variety of Shanghai urban district dialect1 conducted in the theoretical and methodological frames of sociolinguistics.Compared with the previous Shanghai dialect phonology studies, the present study has the following features: Firstly we only investigate the phonetic evolution of the native speakers who are from 10 years old to 35 years old in Shanghai urban district. This age group belongs to the latest variety of Shanghai dialect2. Secondly the difference among the old variety, the mid variety and the new variety phonology of Shanghai dialect is the focal point of in Wu dialect study But there is still no clear explanation what makes the phonetic evolution take place The research of this thesis attempts to find the reasonable explanation for the phonetic evolution. We can offer some new materials and the train of thought for this question Thirdly it is a scientific and reasonable method that I study the law of phonetic evolution of Shanghai urban dialect by using sociolinguistics method. We can popularize the method to the researches of other dialects even to languages. It is valuable that the material is accumulated in this respect. Fourthly we utilize the method of experimental phonetics to use the phonetics software to determine the sounds which we are not sure by the sense of hearing We shoot palate location photo to verify the difference on the sense of hearing Fifthly we compare the appearance state of the mistakes when Shanghai native speakers say mandarin with he appearance state of the phonetic evolution of Shanghai dialect. In the course of the dialect and common language contacting we can find the influence that the common language develops to the dialect pronunciation. The whole thesis is divided into seven chapters. Chapter one the introduction explains and summarizes thinking and achievement that other linguists' research on the phonology and the phonetic evolution of Shanghai dialect, introducing the research purpose of the thesis and theoretical foundation. Chapter two introduces how the social investigation of the newest variety of Shanghai urban dialect is developed and explains briefly the various kinds of phonetic evolution we found in the two investigations. Chapter three discusses the changes and the reasons of initial consonants. Chapter four discusses the changes and the reasons of simple or compound vowels. Chapter five discusses the changes and the reasons of the tones. Chapter six compares the appearance state of the mistakes when Shanghai native speakers say mandarin with he appearance state of the phonetic evolution of Shanghai dialect and finds the influence that the common language develops to the dialect pronunciation in the course of the dialect and common language contacting Chapter seven gets the conclusion explaining the trend of the phonetic evolution of Shanghai dialect and it tends to bring what kind of enlightenment in the study of dialects...