The Cangnan Very Words Of Speech Research

Cangnan Manhua is spoken along the border area between Zhejiang and Fujian, and features both characteristics of Wu and Ming dialects. As a result, its originality and belonging has been heatedly discussed by scholars in 1980s. This thesis comprehensively investigates the phonetic system of Manhua and aims to explore the history of how a dialect has come into being with the viewpoint of contact-induced change.The focus of the thesis is on linguistic results of contact and the corresponding mechanism rather than on the sociolinguistics. Through the case study of the Manhua, the author is trying to find any possible universal mechanism in contact-induced change, which would devote contribution to the study of southeast dialects in China on their originality and development.The thesis consists of 7 chapters. Chapter 1 is the introduction; Chapters 2 to 4 are detailed descriptions of the phonetic system of Manhua, including the synchronic phonetic characteristics and diachronic phonological features. Those three chapters target to provide an objective, accurate and reliable investigation report of Manhua; Chapters 5 and 6 focus on the types and mechanisms of contact-induced change in Manhua, which the author believes mainly result from the dominant and superior Ou dialect( a variety of Wenzhou dialect), and Chapter 7 is the conclusion part. Through the whole thesis, a conclusion is drawn: Manhua originates from a certain kind of east-Min dialect and it has approached to Ou dialect step by step in ways of controlled evolution and systematic alternation.The Appendix 6 is attached in the disk which includes the recording of more than 3,000 characters of both southern accent and northern accent of Manhua, the disyllabic tone sandhi of northern accent and about 1,500 vernacular proverbs.