The Phonetic Analysis Of Chinese Borrowings In Oxford English Dictionary

As English and Chinese belong to different language systems, they have different phonetic systems and pronunciation rules. When Chinese words come into the English system, the source language will generate reformation in its pronunciation and phonetic system in order to fit into the recipient language system. Therefore, the analysis and study to borrowings can deepen the understanding of the different phonetic systems and help learners learn the two languages. The discussion of the borrowings is restricted by the current research situation and the modification of the language itself, which provides helpful advice for the compilation of Oxford English Dictionary.Oxford English Dictionary is so far the most comprehensive and authoritative English dictionary and records the majority of borrowing words into English with highlights of their origins and variations. This essay is based on Chen Shengli’s article The Number of Chinese Loanwords in Oxford English Dictionary, and through the analysis of vowels and consonants discusses the phonetic features, phonetic rules and spelling rules of all the Chinese words borrowed into English.The essay is divided into six chapters. Chapter One mainly introduces the conception and research result of present Chinese borrowings and phonology. Chapter Two compares Chinese and English consonants and vowels, and it generates the difference between the two languages. Chapter Three analyzes the consonant phonetic system and spelling correspondence rule of Chinese borrowings in Oxford English Dictionary. Chapter Four analyzes the vowel phonetic system and spelling correspondence of Chinese borrowings in Oxford English Dictionary. Chapter Five concludes the phenomenon of borrowings increasing and decreasing syllables during borrowing the words. Chapter Six draws the conclusion and points out the shortcomings of the essay.