Shu Yu Phonetic System Research

Shu Yu is China’s first dialect vocabulary book which write only one place dialect, written in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty, author of Lishi, the late Ming in Suining, Sichuan Province. The emergence of Shu Yu,ending the history of sporadic records in Sichuan dialect, is a valuable material for the study of ancient dialects in Sichuan. Lishi created Shu Yu from the living language at that time. Shu Yu faithfully record 565 spoken dialect vocabularies, and among this vocabularies, there are 507 have phonetic,by using Zhiyin, Fanqie, Biaodiao and other kinds of ways, reflect the basic appearance of the Ming Dynasty in Sichuan dialect.This thesis is divided into six chapters:The first chapter, introduction. This paper mainly introduces the author Li Shi and the Shu language’s value in many aspects,introducing the value of Shu Yu,combing the existing Shu Yu’s research results, describing the significance of this study and research steps.The second chapter, The form of Shu Yu’s vocabulary and note. This chapter will collate and describebe the form of Shu Yu’s vocabulary and note, throughout the vocabulary and note material,we can have a clear understanding of Shu Yu.The third chapter, Shu Yu’s initial system. Through the induction and arrangement of Shu Yu’s initial materials,This chapter will mainly dicussed in 7aspects:Firstly,the full-voiced initials devocing and it is not an individual phenomenon in late Ming.Secondly,the division and combination of labial.Thirdly,the relationship between the initial Ni、Niang、Ri、Lai.Fourthly,the integration of group Zhi and group Zhao.Fifthly, the Jian department and Jing group are not palatalized,sharp and rounded sounds are not mixed.Sixthly,the separation of Zhi、Zhao group and Jing group,and the relationship with the produceof alice tongue initials in Sichuan dialect.Seventhly,the combination of zero initial.Finally,we will summarize 20 consonants in Shu Yu.The fourth chapter, the vowel system of Shu Yu. In Chinese middle ancient language, they divided vowels into sixteen categories, called sixtee She,in this chapter,Through the induction and arrangement of Shu Yu’s vowel materials,we will analyse every She in Shu Yu’s situation,and finally,we find, the vowel system of Shu Yu have five characteristics.Firstly,the coda [-m] disappear. Secondly,the coda[-n] has confused with coda [-?].Thirdly,the coda of entering tone was disappearing.Fourthly,the second medials is palatalized after laryngal and velar sound.Fifthly,the doublets are combined. Finaly,we summed up the Shu Yu has 39 vowels.The fifth chapter, the tone system.of Shu Yu. Through the induction and arrangement of Shu Yu’s tione materials,this chapter will discuss Shu Yu’s tone system in 3 parts.Firstly,we found the level tone in Shu Yu is divided into level tone and rising tone.Secondly,the voiced sounds of the falling-rising tone turned into falling tone.Thirdly,the entering tone in Shu Yu is independent. Finally,we find Shu Yu has 5 tones.The sixth chapter, explore the origin of Shu Yu. This chapter Through to the discuss of Shu Yu’s text and Li Shi’s biography, this chapter demonstrates the Shu Yu is not the Huguang dialect. In the aspect of geographical, we make a contrastive analysis between Shu Yu’s phonetic features and the Sichuan dialect survey report,In order to find the trace of Shu Yu in Sichuan dialect today. In the aspect of Phonological, we will compare Shu Yu and Nanlu dialect. Finally, we come to the conclusion that Shu Yu is the Nanlu dialect.