A Study On Cantonese Phonetic Vocabulary

Cantonese Phonetic Vocabulary,written by John Chalmers in 1855,was in a key period in the evolution from Early Cantonese to Modern Cantonese.This dissertation will explore its many transitional features,trace back to the history from Fan-Wan to modern Canton and observe the evolution process of Cantonese phonetics.In the first chapter,this dissertation generalizes the initials,vowels,tones,and syllabary of homophones through over eight thousand Fan-Qie.There are totally twenty-one initials in the original work and the dissertation adds to twenty-five by complementing*kw、*khw、*hw、*w.There are totally fifty-two vowels in the original work and the dissertation adds to fifty-five by complementing*?、*ε?、*εk.Information about tones is limited and the dissertation chooses to be consistent with the original work,i.e.,eight tones including four upper tones and four lower tones.In the second chapter,the dissertation discusses the features of initials,including Jing Series(MC*ts),Zhi Series(MC*t),Zhuang Series(MC*t?),Zhang Series(MC*tc),the Xia initial(MC*y),the Ri initial(MC*nz)and the Yi initial(MC*?).Section one firstly discusses the contrast between Jing Series,Zhuang Series(including open-mouth rhythms of the Zhi-Category only)and Zhi Series,Zhang Series,Zhuang Series(Except open-mouth rhythms of the Zhi Category).Section one secondly discusses the merge-order of Zhuang Series,Zhi Series and Zhang Series in modern Cantonese.Section two discusses the conservative features of the Xia initial which remains pronouncing velars fricatives*h in the Xie Category,Shan Category,Guo Category and Dang Category.Section three discusses the conservative features of the Ri initial and Yi initial which remains pronouncing nasals in the third and fourth division.The rate of*n>j change is faster in inner rhythms than in out er rhythms,i.e.,*n is much easier to change into j when before*(?),*θ,*e,*o than*i,*y,*ε,*?.In the third Chapter,the dissertation discusses the features of vowels,including Zhi category,Yu Category,Xiao Category,Xian Category and Geng Category.Section one firstly discusses the contrast in open-mouth rhythms of the Zhi Category between Jing Series,Zhuang Series(EC*ts(?))and Zhi Series,Zhang Series(EC*t?i).Section one secondly discusses the order of*i vowel breaking into diphthongs ei,i.e.,Bang Series taking the lead and being followed by Ni Series,Jing Series(maybe Zhuang Series included)and Jian Series.Section two firstly discuss the order of*y vowel breaking into diphthongs θy,i.e.Ni Series taking the lead and being followed by Jing Series and Jian Series in the third division of Yu Category.Section two secondly discusses the tide of Closed-mouth rhythms of Xie Category and Zhi Category merging into diphthongsey.Section three firstly discusses the order of*u vowel breaking into diphthongs ou,i.e.,Duan Series and Ni Series taking the lead and being followed by Jing Series and Bang Series.Section three secondly discusses two kinds of merger between Mu Rhythm(MC*u)and Hao Rhythm(MC*ou).One kind of merger is started by Mu Rhythm(*u>ou)and the other kind of merger is started by Hao Rhythm(*?u>u).The former is partly merged except Jian Series and the latter is wholly merged.Canton itself is the representation of the first kind and FanWan is the representation of the second kind.Section four infers that there was a round vowel in the first division of Xian Category through evidence from ancient documents,modern dialects,and the scheme of four divisions in MC.With regard to the literary tendency shown in ancient documents,section five discusses the problem whether conversational pronunciation forms of the third and fourth division of Geng Category*ε? and*εk exist or not and how the authors deal with it.In the last chapter there is a conclusion of features of initials and vowels in Cantonese Phonetic Vocabulary.There is an introspection as well.