The Analysis Of The Evolution Path Of Voiced Plosive And Affricative Initials In Mediaeval Times In Lvliang Area And Bingzhou Area Of Shanxi Dialects

Initial devoicing is a very import rule in Chinese. The devoicing of voiced plosive and affricative initials in mediaeval times can be classified to seven types in modern Chinese, and there are as many as four types in modern Shanxi dialects as follows:(1) The level tones are aspirated, and the oblique tones are unaspirated. This type distributes in the most area of the southeast and the north of Shanxi province. (2) the level tones are aspirated; some of the oblique tones are aspirated, and some are unaspirated. This type distributes in Fenhe area in the south of Shanxi and Lvliang area in the west of Shanxi. (3) The oblique tones are unaspirated; some of the level tones are aspirated, and some are unaspirated. This type distributes in Bingzhou area of Shanxi. (4) No matter the level tones or the oblique tones, some of them are aspirated, and some are unaspirated. This type distributes in Wutai, Dingxiang, Xinzhou, Yuanping of Wutai area and Datong. Shanyin of Yunzhong area in the north of Shanxi. Of the four types, the first three are typical ones.For Lvliang area and Bingzhou area almost include all the typical types of the devoiced plosive and affricative initials of Shanxi dialects, and these two areas are contiguous geographically, which is preferable for comparing the difference of these two areas, we chose Lvliang area and Bingzhou area as the subjects of the study, trying to analysis the evolution path and the order of the devoiced plosive and affricative initials using modern phonological theories from the points of the rule of phonological evolution and dialect contact, and to predict the changing tendency of the devoiced plosive and affricative initials.On the basis of the rule of phonological evolution and dialect contact, we can know that the evolution path of the devoiced plosive and affricative initials in Lvliang area is that:both the level tones and the oblique tones are aspirated> the level tones are aspirated; some of the oblique tones are aspirated, and some are unaspirated> the level tones are aspirated, and the oblique tones are unaspirated. During the changing process, the devoiced affricates changed firstly from aspirated sound to unaspirated sound, and then the devoiced plosives changed afterwards. The evolution path of the devoiced plosive and affricative initials in Bingzhou area is that:both the level tones and the oblique tones are unaspirated>the oblique tones are unaspirated:some of the level tones are aspirated, and some are unaspirated> the level tones are aspirated, and the oblique tones are unaspirated. Considering that the evolution might be affected by the characteristics of the dialects themselves, some historical, social, geographical factors, and the different deepness of contact in each dialect, during the process, the devoiced plosives and affricates changed without regularity. Both the type "the level tones are aspirated; some of the oblique tones are aspirated, and some are unaspirated" in Lvliang area and the type "the oblique tones are unaspirated; some of the level tones are aspirated, and some are unaspirated" in Bingzhou area are transitional types, they would be replaced by the type "the level tones are aspirated, and the oblique tones are unaspirated". When the replacement finishes, it will change towards the more simple form just like the type "both the level tones and the oblique tones are unaspirated sound", because this type is the most natural type and also conform to the principle of least effort.