A Phonetic Study Of Wenshui Dialect In Shanxi

Wenshui dialect in Shanxi belongs to Jin Yang language in the domain of Jin language. Based on a comparative phonetic description between Chengguan dialect in Wenshui and Mandarin, the author selects another three districts where the dialects are of obviously phonetic difference from Chengguan dialect, they are West Caotou Country, Hulan Town and Kaizha Town. This paper describes the main phonetic differences between Chengguan dialect and dialects of the other three districts so as to present a full view of dialects in Wenshui.Firstly, the phonetic differences between Chengguan dialect and Mandarin are showed as follows:in Chengguan dialect, there are no blade-palatal initial consonant [t(?)][t(?)h][(?)]and labio-dental initial consonant [f]but that of nasal [(?)]and nasal fricatives[nz]; there is no pursed mouths vowel [y] but vowels like [(?)w][uw]; level contour is not divided into yin and yang while in entering tone exists the division of yin-yang; and the dental initial consonant [ts][tsh][s]can be spelled with pursed mouths vowels, etc. Secondly, the phonetic differences between Chengguan dialect and West Caotou Country are showed as follows:in dialect of West Caotou Country, there is no pursed mouths vowel [ya?]and back-nasal vowel [io(?)] but blade-palatal initial consonant [t(?)][t(?)h][(?)]; and the initial consonant [nz] only can be spelled with pursed mouths vowels, etc.Thirdly, the phonetic differences between Chengguan dialect and Hulan Town are showed as follows:the initial consonant [z] in Chengguan dialect is pronounced as [z] in dialect of Hulan Town; besides, there are vowels like [ω][iω] and [iε][yε] in dialect of Hulan Town. Fourthly, the phonetic differences between Chengguan dialect and Kaizha Town are showed as follows:the initial consonant [z] in Chengguan dialect is pronounced as [z] in dialect of Kaishan Town; there are vowels like [y][uy] and pursed mouths vowel [y], etc.This paper analyzed the causation of the phonetic differences and the issues as soft tone and hard tone existing in dialects of Wenshui from the perspective of dialect interaction, which is the major cause leading to phonetic differences among dialects. Soft tone in dialect of West Caotou Country is caused by language phenomenon like high vowel, pure vowel and front vowel, which requires a small mouth opening; however, the less language phenomenon like high vowel, pure vowel and front vowel in Kaizha Town results a bigger mouth opening, which then makes the dialect there hard.