A Slang Aunt Dialect Complex Consonant Study

There are three major dialects in Wa language: Braok,Awa and Wa.This paper mainly studies the system of consonant clusters in Awa dialect through intensive filed investigation in its different sub-dialects and analysis on the correspondence of their consonant clusters.This linguistic data analyzed in this paper are collected from seven survey spots and all of them are first-hand data.It is concluded from this research that four corresponding conditions are mainly taken by the consonant clusters in Awa dialect: the first is the basic consonants backward or move forward;the second is to drop off;the third is to be affricated and the fourth is to be gutturalized.In addition,the correspondences vary with one another among four sub-dialects collected from seven survey spots.Their main differences lie in:1.Under Masan sub-dialect branch,Masan dialect shows a stable development and retains sixteen consonant clusters,which is the closest one to Aishuai dialect(considered as the standard Wa).However,the correspondence in Yuesong dialect and Banshuai dialect is much more complicated.As a common feature,the pre-nasalized consonant clusters occur in both the dialects,but the consonant clusters with fricative/?/ in Yuesong dialect changes into uvular,as in k?ak:qak “buffalo”,Second is the basic consonants are post-posed,as in phla?:qhla?“throw”;and the consonant clusters with lateral /l/ in Banshuai dialect transforms in two ways: the one with velar consonant changes into uvular,The rear consonants is to drop off,as in qhla?:qha?“ trousers ” and the one with bilabial consonant is fricationalized,with a contrast between voiced and unvoiced,as in pl??:pfei? “fruit”.2.Under Awalai sub-dialect branch,the unvoiced consonant clusters almost remain the same,the consonant with a nasal sound,basic consonants move forward.as in mli:blei “bracelet”.3.Under Damannuo sub-dialect branch,the post-consonants in Banan dialect tend to be fricationalized,as in pra?:p?a? “mosquito”.Nevertheless,consonant clusters in Longshuai dialect that its basic consonants are post-posed and the voiced fricative tend to be nasalized,as in ?veik “sickle” and mvi “mat”.4.Under Xiyun sub-dialect branch,the consonant clusters with fricative /?/ are all gutturalized,as in p?a?:pia? “mosquito”,accompanied with a contrast betweenvoiced and unvoiced.In general,Awa dialect has a simplification tendency in the consonant clusters correspondence,but its correspondence conditions vary among four sub-dialects branch.Masan sub-dialect branch and Awalai sub-dialect branch ranks first in the corresponding stability and Damannuo sub-dialect branch and iyun sub-dialect branch comes second.Yuesong dialect and Banshuai dialect shows much more rapid and complex tendency in the development and the kinds of sound change are more complex,mainly reflected on the Cl-and Cr-/C?-consonant clusters.Meanwhile,the typological distribution characteristics of consonant clusters and the distribution characteristics of consonant endings in Wa have been comparatively d iscussed in this paper.The characteristics of pre-nasal consonant clusters has also bee n preliminary discussed from the experimental phonetical perspective.To sum up,this paper describes the phonological features of Awa dialect from a synchronic perspective,summarizing the phonology of all its sub-dialects and analysing the correspondences of their consonant clusters.The historical-linguistic methods are also used to sort out the development conditions of Wa’s consonant clusters.Through comparison and analysis,correspondence have been found out in this paper,which is expected to be the reliable material for the future research in this field.