Topics in Chinese Linguistics: Introduction to Chinese Unit 2: Dialects in China.

Topics in Chinese Linguistics: Topics in Chinese Linguistics: Introduction to ChineseIntroduction to Chinese

Unit 2: Dialects in China

What is a dialect?What is a dialect?

a. A regional variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, esp. a variety of speech differing from the standard literary language or speech pattern of the culture in which it exists: Cockney is a dialect of English.

  b. A variety of language that with other varieties

constitutes a single language of which no single variety is standard: the dialects of Ancient Greek.

What is a dialect?What is a dialect? The language peculiar to an occupational group or a paricular

social class: the dialect of science.  The manner or style of expressing oneself in language or the

arts.  A language considered as part of a larger family of languages

or a linguistic branch: Spanish and French are Romance dialects.

(American Heritage Dictionary, Second edition, 1982, 1985)

Eight Chinese DialectsEight Chinese Dialects Northen (Beijing) 647,000,000 Wu (Shanghai) 77,000,000 Yue (Guangzhou) 47,000,000 Xiang (Changsha) 46,000,000 Min South (Xiamen) 28,000,000 Min North (Fuzhou ) 11,000,000 Hakka (Mei Xian) 37,000,000 Gan (Nanchang) 22,000,000

(Hu Yushu, 1962 Modern Chinese)

Eight Chinese DialectsEight Chinese Dialects Northern (Mandarin) 715 million (71.5%) Jiangsu-Zhejiang (Wu) 85 million (8.5%) Cantonese (Yue) 50 million (5%) Hunan (Xiang) 48 million (4.8%) Hakka 37 million (3.7%) Southern Min 28 million (2.8%) Jiangxi (Gan) 24 million (2.4%) Northern Min 13 million (1.3%)

(DeFrancis (1984) The Chinese Language p. 58 )

Seven Chinese DialectsSeven Chinese Dialects Mandarin 679,250,000 (71.5%) Wu 80,750,000 (8.5%) Gan 22,800,000 (2.4%) Xiang 45,600,000 (4.8%) Hakka 35,150,000 (3.7%) Yue 47,500,000 (5.0%) Min 38,950,000 (4.1%)

(Ramsey (1987) The Languages of China p. 87. )

Chinese Dialect MapChinese Dialect Map

This map contains some errors. Can you find them out?

What is mislabeled?

What is missing?

Characteristics of Chinese Characteristics of Chinese dialects dialects

PronunciationVocabularyGrammar

Pronunciation Pronunciation

Mutual unintelligible Northern dialects do not have voice sounds b-, d-,

g-, z-, v- and entering tone –p, -t, -k -? Wu dialect has voiced sounds, entering tones and

makes no distinction between z, c, s and zh, ch, sh Cantonese has entering tones, but no voiced

sounds.

Tonal differencesTonal differences

The number of tones vary in various dialects

Mandarin – 4 tones

1 2 3 4

Yīn Píng Yáng Píng Shǎng Shēng Qù Shēng

55 35 214 51

媽 麻 馬 罵

Tones in Wu and CantoneseTones in Wu and Cantonese

Wu Dialect –5 tones

1 2 3 4 5Yīn Píng Yīng Qù Yáng Qù Yīn Rù Yáng Rù

53 34 13 5 12

詩 使 時 識 食

Tones in Wu and CantoneseTones in Wu and Cantonese

Cantonese – 9 tones

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Yīn Yáng Yīn Yáng Yīn Yáng Yīn Zhōng YángPíng Píng Shàng Shàng Qù Qù Rù Rù Rù

55, 53 21, 11 35 13 33 22 55 33 22

詩,夫 時, 扶 使苦 市婦 試富 事父 識忽 泄法 食佛

Vocabulary differences Vocabulary differences

Same concept - different words corn - yùmǐ: bàngzi, bāogǔ, bāomǐ, zhēnzhūmǐ

match - huǒchái: yánghuǒ, zìláihuǒ, qǔdēngr

drink tea - hē chá: chik zo (Shanghai), yam cha (Cantonese)

Vocabulary differencesVocabulary differences

Same word - different concepts

阿爹：父親（嘉興），祖父（蘇州），外祖父（廣西）

ādiē means:father (Jiaxing, Wu), grandfather from father’s side (Suzhou, Wu), grandfather from mother’s side (Guangxi)

Vocabulary differencesVocabulary differences

Dialect sun thing clothing wife we know

太陽 東西 衣服 妻子 我們 知道tàiyáng dōngxi yīfu qīzi wǒmen zhīdào

太陽 物事 衣裳 家主婆 阿拉 曉得tayang mez yizang kazibu ala xiaode

熱頭 野 衫 老婆 我地 知yaktou ye sam lopo ngodi ji

Putonghua

Shanghai

Cantonese

Grammar differences are minor Grammar differences are minor

Word order:

給你錢：俾錢你（廣州）Putonghua: give you money.Shanghai: give you money. Cantonese: give money you.

你先走：你行先（廣州）Putonghua: you first go. Shanghai: you first go.Cantonese: you go first.

More grammatical examplesMore grammatical examples

I am as tall as you.

Putonghua 我同你一樣高 I with you same tall

Shanghai 我搭儂一樣高 I with you same tall

Cantonese 我同埋一樣高 I with you same tall

More grammatical examplesMore grammatical examples

Putonghua 坐飛機比坐火車快 Sit plane comp sit train fast

Shanghai 坐飛機比坐火車快 Sit plane comp sit train fast

Cantonese 坐飛機快過坐火車 Sit plane fast than sit train

More grammatical examplesMore grammatical examples

Putonghua 我給你一本書 I give you a book

Shanghai 我撥儂一本書 I give you a book

Cantonese 我俾本書佢 I give a book him

Samples of dialectsSamples of dialects

Mandarin

Shanghai

Cantonese

Hakka

Chiuchou

The North Wind and the Sun

Once upon a time the North Wind and the Sun were arguing over which one’s power was greater. Just then a man wearing a very warm coat happened to pass by. [Seeing him,] the two of them decided to make an agreement” whichever one had the power to make the man take off that coat of his first, then the power of that one would be regarded as greater. Thereupon the North Wind blew with all his strength. Who would have thought that the harder he blew the tighter the man pulled his coat around his body! Finally, seeing that it was all of no use, the North Wind gave up. Then, the Sun sent out some really warm heat, and the man walking down the road immediately took off his coat. In this way, the North Wind was forced to admit that the Sun was greater than he was. (Ramsey, 1987, p.107)

How were dialects formed? How were dialects formed?

Population distribution 人口的分佈Migration 集體遷移Geographical barrier 地理障礙Language contact 語言接觸

Two theoriesTwo theories

Wang, James S. Y. Wave theory – language change starts in the center and radiates to peripheral areas like waves spread.

Kaufman and Thomason (1988, in Wadley, 1996) - Language borrowing and language shift theory – a) languages contact and borrow words from each other; b) groups of people move and learn the second language, their second language is a pidgin, then the pidgin was accepted by the target language speakers causing changes.

Research on dialects Research on dialects

The earliest study of dialects was concentrated on vocabulary use. Yang Xiong’s “Dialects” (53 BC-AD18, Western Han) recorded words dating from Zhou and Qin Dynasties to the end of Western Han. It has 13 volumes, with 11,9000 words. Each word has a description of its use of area.

Research on dialectsResearch on dialects

In 1924, Dialect Investigation Association was established in Beijing University. The alphabet used to describe dialects was developed.

In 1956, large scale investigation of dialects started.

In 1960, beginning of editing and compling the Descriptions of Dialects

Research on dialectsResearch on dialects

Japan :Tokyo Foreign Language University, Asia and Africa Language and Culture Research Institute is the major research institute

How to study dialects How to study dialects

Investigation of dialects: field work Analysis and description of dialect systems Publication of dialect description book and

map Use of computer to analyze dialects

PutonghuaPutonghua (Common Speech)(Common Speech)

Need of Putonghua: The need for a unified language in China is obvious. Without a unified language (spoken), people will not be able to communicate. The question is which dialect to select as the standard language.

Definition of PutonghuaDefinition of Putonghua

It is the Common Language (Putonghua), which has as its standard pronunciation the Peking pronunciation, as its basic dialect the Northern dialect, and as its grammatical model the exemplary literary works written in the modern colloquial.

Promotion of PutonghuaPromotion of Putonghua

Means of instruction Mass media Language for aviation, railway and

other transportation vehiclesMilitary forces

Questions and ConcernsQuestions and Concerns

Can Putonghua become native language of Chinese people?

Does Putonghua replace all dialects?

Is bilingualism viable?

Reading assignments and Reading assignments and activitiesactivities

1. Ramsey: Chapter 1 (pp. 1-18) and Chapter 6 (pp 87-95, pp 98-107. Focus on Mandrin, Wu and Yue) (concise and clear description);

2. Optional: Norman: Chapter 8.1-4, 8.6, 8.8, 9.2 ( more detailed information about dialects), 10.1;

3. Surf the Internet and find some web sites related to Chinese dialects. Record the URLs.

Review questions Review questions

1. What is a dialect? 2. How many major dialects are there in China? Are they mutually

intelligible? 3. What different features are observed in various dialects in terms of

pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar? 4. What is the major difference between Northern and Wu dialect and

Cantonese? 5. What factors influence the formation of dialects? 6. How and why to study dialects? 7. What is Putonghua? Why does China need Putonghua? 8. Do you think that Putonghua will finally become a unified

language? 9. Do you think that bilingualism/bidialectalism possible?