Research on the geographical continuity and diachronic changes of sounds in Chinese dialects

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13032
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02060:Linguistics-related
• Research Institution: Kokushikan University
• Principal Investigator: Yagi Kenji 国士舘大学, 政経学部, 准教授 (60771102)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 中国語 / 方言 / 音韻

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study analyzes the formation and evolution of Chinese phonological structures from a geolinguistic perspective. Chinese dialects occupy typological boundaries of many linguistic constituents, and understanding their formation, changes, and their relation with surrounding languages contributes not only to the understanding of Chinese linguistic history but also to global language formation. Important phenomena related to Chinese phonological history, such as tones and vowels, are examined from both a historical and typological perspective, along with their associated syllable structures and consonant systems. While initial plans included field investigations, the spread of the coronavirus led to a shift in focus towards linguistic geographic research.

Free Research Field

中国語方言学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究はWALSやアジア言語地図等、世界規模での言語研究と個別言語・方言研究との間隙を埋める役割を担う。発展・基礎・萌芽の三段階で研究を進め、着実な研究成果を積み上げつつ研究の裾野を広げ革新的な知見を得る研究継続サイクルを構築することで、より規模の大きな研究を展開するための基盤を強化する効果が期待される。