Chongming Dialect Source Of Discussion

Up till now, studies on Chongming dialect are mainly concerned with its phonology, vocabulary and grammar, and the fruits of these stuides can be found in Chongming Dialect Dictionary and Chongming Dialect Research. However, the study on the origin of Chongming dialect still remains a blank. According to historical documents, the first batch of emmigrants of Chongming came from Jurong. Consequently, this thesis is to be written with the purpose to prove that Chongming dialect originates from Jurong dialect.From the standpoint of social and cultrual research, we are going to give proof the interrelationship bewteen the two counties of Chongming and Jurong based on records such as the process of historical adminstrative changes and development, the forming process of historical geography, the source of migrants and folk customs as well.Considering that modern Jurong dialect has turned into one branch of Jianghuai Mandarin, we are going to make a comparison with Chongming dialect and Dangyang dialcet, which has a close similarity to Jurong dialect historically while still belongs to Wu dialect in modern time. Paying attention to its Wu dialect substratum in Jurong dialect, difference from Jurong dialect and Jianghuai Mandarin in its peripheral areas will also be noted. Also, we are going to prove the correlationship between Chongming dialect and Jurong dialect from the standpoint of phonology system, vocabulary and grammar.Generally, this thesis is mainly composed of three Chapters. First of all, there is the Preface, which consists of three parts, a retrospect of studies on dialects of Chongming, Jurong and Danyang as well as the studies on the source of dialect, the introduction of research theory and an outline of our research. Secondly, there is an introduction of Chongming's social history and culture, which includes the process of historical adminstrative changes and development, the forming process of historical geography, the source of migrants and folk customs as well. The third chapter is mainly on the source of Chongming dialect, including a brief introduction on the dialect of the immigration place and emigration place, the similarities in phonology, vocabulary and grammar between these two dialects. Last but not least, there is the conclusion of whole thesis, that is Chongming originates form Jurong dialects in middle Chinese.