Investigation of undescribed langauges in the eastern Tibetosphere and their geolinguistic research

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H04774
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Linguistics
• Research Institution: National Museum of Ethnology
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Hiroyuki 国立民族学博物館, 人類基礎理論研究部, 外来研究員 (10593006)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: チベット語 / チベット・ビルマ諸語 / 言語接触 / 混合語 / 地理言語学 / 記録言語学 / フィールドワーク / 中華人民共和国

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the eastern Tibetosphere, there are many Tibetic and non-Tibetic Tibeto-Burman languages, which have been insufficiently described, and many dialects remain undescribed. In this project, we conducted field surveys in Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai and Tibet Autonomous Regions of China, and focused on the description of undescribed dialects of Tibetic languages (Khams and Amdo) and three undescribed languages (Lamo, Larong sMar, and Drag-yab sMar), and clarified the basic language structure and lexical features of each. In addition, we have made linguistic maps with the linguistic data obtained from this survey together with the previous linguistic data and carried out a geolinguistic study. Then we have presented more detailed analyses of the relationship between the languages and dialects.

Free Research Field

言語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

（1）これまで未記述であったチベット文化圏東部チベット・ビルマ系諸言語を記述することができ、また、各言語の歴史言語学的位置づけについて検討を行い、同諸語についての理解を深めることができた。（2）ラモ語の方言２種の文法構造について、踏み込んだ分析を行い、チベット系諸言語との対照を通じて、文法体系の一部が形態統語的に類似する特徴を見せることを記述し、翻訳借用の可能性を提起した。（3）本研究に必要なフィールドワークをネイティブ研究者との協働で行い、現地研究者の育成に寄与した。