The Decline of [ǝ], [ɨ] and the Restructuring of the Vowel System of Old Tong’an-Based Southern Min in Hsinchu
Vol. 49 No. 3 9/2019
|
Title |
The Decline of [ǝ], [ɨ] and the Restructuring of the Vowel System of Old Tong’an-Based Southern Min in Hsinchu |
|
Author |
Chen Shu-chuan |
|
Genre |
Article |
|
Pages |
545-576 |
|
DOI |
10.6503/THJCS.201909_49(3).0005 |
|
Download |
|
|
Language |
Chinese |
|
Key words |
Old Tong’an 老同安-based dialect, central vowels, vowel system, language contact, Hsinchu Quanzhou-based dialect |
|
Abstract |
This study investigates Old Tong’an 老同安-based Southern Min in Hsinchu city and Xinfeng Hongmaogang 新豐紅毛港. Despite both being Quanzhou-based dialect areas, evidence shows that various factors differentiate the decline of the central vowels [ǝ] and [ɨ] in the two regions. In Xinfeng Hongmaogang, [ǝ] in some rhyme groups is preserved much better than [ɨ], which conforms to the trend of world vowel development. However, in Hsinchu city, [ǝ] disappeared earlier than [ɨ]. Three factors favor this [ɨ] against decline. First, in comparison to [ǝ], which is used only in colloquial readings, the vowel [ɨ], which is rooted in both literary and colloquial readings of the dialect pronunciations, has greater resistance against pressure from other prestige dialect variations. Second, influence from Mandarin pronunciation also contributes to the preservation of [ɨ] in the “Ju/Ju literary 居艍文” rhyme group. Third, in order to avoid the confusion of [ɤ] in the “Dao/Gao colloquial 刀高白” rhyme group with the Old Quan mid vowel [ǝ], [ǝ] disappeared much faster than [ɨ] in Hsinchu city. In addition, due to the decline of the two mid vowels within the asymmetric structure, the six-vowel system in the two regions has been restructured. Language contact drives the systematic transition to /i, e, a, u, ɤ, ɔ/ in Hsinchu city, while the vowel system in Xinfeng Hongmaogang converges to a five-vowel one (/i, e, a, u, ɔ/). |