Research On Phonetic Variation Of Wu Dialect Based On Experimental Analysis

Over the past decades, there are a lot of outcome on Wu dialects study. The former worthies had study Wu dialect deeply by using kinds of theories and approaches. In this dissertation, we discussed the sound change of Wu dialects by using a comprehensive model,based on the experimental analysis of variation of different Wu dialects, especially pay attention to speech perception, in order to propose some opinions which are different from the former worthies.This thesis includes introduction and five chapters. In chapter1, we discuss the theories and methodology taking Wu dialects as the examples. Chapters2to5are four special topics. We chose some controversial topics in the study of Wu dialects, which are Zhi知and Zhang章initial groups with division Ⅲ, Xia匣initial, rusheng rhyme and yangsheng rhymes. We chose three Wu dialects to do experimental phonetic analysis in every topic and refer to the historical documents. In addition, speech perception, variation theory and articulatory phonetics are incorporated into the discussion when studying the sound change of Wu dialects.Chapter1is about theory and method in this paper. First, in this chapter, we explain the origin of the title and answer three questions:Why do we connect variation and sound change? Why do we propose the concept "based on the experimental analysis"? Why do we use a comprehensive model? Then we discuss the theories and methods. Firstly, how to combine field work with document? Second, which is more important between speaker and listener in sound change? Thirdly, we also talked about the universality and personality of speech perception.Chapter2is on the variation of Zhi and Zhang initial groups with division Ⅲ in Changshu Pan’an and Ningbo dialets.Throughing the experimental analysis on Zhi and Zhang initial groups with division Ⅲ in Changshu, Pan’an and Ningbo dialets, we conclude that the earlier phonetic value of Zhi and Zhang initial groups with division Ⅲ in Wu dialect should be tf-/tc-,ts-or ts-later. The process of sound change of Zhi andZhang initial groups with division Ⅲ in Wu dialects is*tf-/tc-> ts-, or*tf-/tc-> ts-. In detail, we find ts-is from tf-in Changshu dialect by observing the age difference. We also analyze the difference between the merger of Zhi知and Zhang章initial groups with division Ⅲ and Jing精and Jian见initial groups in the old and young in Pan’an dialect. Through comparing missionary’s document in the nineteenth century with modern Ningbo dialect, we propose our finding which is different from that of Xu (1991) and Hu (2001).Chapter3is on the variation of Xia匣initial in the Changshu, Changzhou and Haimen dialects in Jiangsu province. In this chapter, we study the Xia initial in Changshu, Changzhou and Haimen by acoustic analysis. We aim to know something as follows:(1) We hope to find the acoustic characteristics of Xia匣initial by comparing it with Ying影initial and Xiao晓initial.(2) On the baisi of data collection, we take statistic analysis to find the difference of Xia匣initial in Changshu, Changzhou and Haimen.(3) We will probe into the phonetic mechanism of sound change of Xia匣initial in the Wu dialects.(4) We will discuss the different ways of sound change of Xia匣initial between northern and southern Wu dialects. Chapter4is on the variation of the monosyllabic word and the first word of bisyllabic words with the rusheng tone in Changshu (in Jiangsu), Wenzhou (in Zhejiang) and Huyang (in Anhui) dialect. First, in this chapter, referring the material of Mixtec (one Navajo language in Central America), we discuss the acoustic feature of the glottal vowel by two parameters:duration and segment (if it has glottal stop). Second, we analyse the acoustic feature of the monosyllabic word and the first word of bisyllabic words with the rusheng tone in Changshu, Wenzhou and Huyang dialects. Through a speech perception experiment, we find that the subjects percept Rusheng rhyme according to duration, but not segment. We discuss why the phonetic feature of the monosyllabic word differs from the first word of bisyllabic words with the Rusheng tone.Chapter5is on the variation of yangsheng rhyme in Changshu, Changzhou and Huyang dialects. The previous studies argue that the nasalization and denasalization easier take place after low vowel than high vowel. In this chapter, we design some perception experiments on the yangsheng rhyme in Changshu, Changzhou and Huyang dialects. We find that the nasal after [a] is the most difficult to drop nasal ending. The nasal ending after high vowel [i] and [u] is also easy lost and it has something to do with the listener’s perception. In addition, we also mention the phenomenon of nasal ending epenthesis in Chinese dialects.