An empirical study on tone clock in Northern Wu Chinese

• Project/Area Number: 26770145
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Linguistics
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: MASUDA MASAHIKO 九州大学, 人文科学研究科(研究院), 研究員 (40614053)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000)
• Keywords: 中国語 / 呉方言 / 北部呉方言 / 無錫方言 / トーン / トーンサンディー / パターン代入 / トーンクロック / 蘇州方言

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Northern Wu Chinese dialect is spoken in Shanghai, the Southern Jiangsu province, and the Northern Zhejiang province. The Wuxi dialect, one of the Northern Wu dialects, is spoken with unique tonal alternations, that are called "tone clocks". For example, pattern A may change into pattern B, pattern B may change into pattern C, and pattern C may change into pattern A. This study examined the mechanism of the "tone clock" in Wuxi by conducting a field survey. The survey covered not only the central area of Wuxi, but also its surrounding areas.