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As the first volume of a multivolume set on Chinese phonetics, this book gives a full picture of the historical development of the Chinese language and studies the phonetics of the early form of Chinese, that is, Old Chinese. Chinese language history is generally split into three phases: (1) Old Chinese, the form of the Chinese language spoken between the 18th century BCE and the 3rd century CE; (2) Middle Chinese, between the 4th century CE to around the 12th century CE; and (3) Modern Chinese, since the 13th century. In this volume, the author first introduces basic issues in Chinese language study, including research objectives, methodology, existing scholarship, periodization, and the distinctive linguistic characteristics of each period. The core chapters then describe and analyze the phonetical systems of Old Chinese, covering the initials system and related eight aspects, two types of rhyme groups, ancient finals, and the tonal system. This comprehensive groundwork on Chinese phonetical history will be a must read for scholars and students studying Chinese language, linguistics and especially for those wishing to become acquainted with Old Chinese phonetics.
As the fourth volume of a multi-volume set on the Chinese language, this book studies the lexical system of Old Chinese and the development of different types of lexicons during the period. Focusing on lexicons in Old Chinese, the early form of the Chinese language used between the 18th century BCE and the 3rd century CE, this volume first introduces the methods of word formation in Old Chinese by analyzing words inscribed in oracle bones of the Shang Dynasty. Illustrated with examples, it then examines the lexical features of Old Chinese and explores the progress and evolutionary features of monosyllabic words, polysyllabic words, lexical meanings, synonyms, and idioms and proverbs over the course of the volume. This comprehensive groundwork on Chinese lexical history is a must-read for scholars and students studying ancient Chinese language, linguistics, and especially for beginning learners of the Old Chinese lexicon.
As the second volume of a multivolume set on Chinese phonetics, this book examines the phonetical systems of Middle Chinese and phonetical changes from Old Chinese to Middle Chinese. Chinese language history is generally split into three phases: (1) Old Chinese, the form of the Chinese language spoken between the 18th century BCE and the 3rd century CE; (2) Middle Chinese, between the 4th century CE to around the 12th century CE; and (3) Modern Chinese, since the 13th century. This volume studies the phonological system of Middle Chinese, including the initials system, finals system, and tonal system, examining the evolution of these systems from the period of Old Chinese to that of Middle Chinese. This comprehensive groundwork on Chinese phonetical history will be a must read for scholars and students studying Chinese language, linguistics and, especially, for beginning learners of Middle Chinese phonetics.
As the third volume of a multivolume set on Chinese phonetics, this book examines the phonetical system of Modern Chinese and phonetical changes from Middle Chinese to Modern Chinese. Chinese language history is generally split into three phases: (1) Old Chinese, the form of the Chinese language spoken between the 18th century BCE and the 3rd century CE, (2) Middle Chinese, between the 4th century CE to around the 12th century CE, and (3) Modern Chinese, since the 13th century. This volume studies the phonetical systems of Modern Chinese, including the initials system, vowel final system, nasal final system, entering final system, and tonal system. The author discusses the distinct change of these systems from the period of Middle Chinese to that of Modern Chinese and studies the formation of the standard pronunciation of the common language of the modern Han nation. This comprehensive groundwork on Chinese phonetical history will be a must read for scholars and student studying Chinese language, linguistics, and especially for beginning learners of Modern Chinese phonetics.
As the sixth volume of a multivolume set on the Chinese language, this book studies the influence of foreign culture on Middle Chinese lexicon and the development of synonyms, idioms, and proverbs during the period. Focusing on lexicons in Middle Chinese, the middle form of the Chinese language used between the 4th century CE and the 12th century CE, this book first analyzes loanwords in Middle Chinese, a product of cultural exchange with western regions on the Silk Road and the impact of Buddhism. It then discusses the differences in meaning between monosyllables and polysyllables. The final chapter describes enriching idioms and proverbs and the major sources of words, including classical works, Buddhist texts, and the spoken language. Illustrated with abundant examples, this comprehensive groundwork on Chinese lexical history will be a must-read for scholars and students studying ancient Chinese language and linguistics and especially for beginning learners of the Middle Chinese lexicon.
As the seventh volume of a multi-volume set on the Chinese language, this book studies the Mongolian influence on neologisms in Modern Chinese and innovations in word formation and lexical meanings during the period. Focusing on lexicons in Modern Chinese, the Chinese language used since the 13th century CE, this book first introduces new monosyllables and the entry of spoken idioms and dialects into the written language as well as the mingling of the Chinese language with the Mongolian and Manchu languages. It then focuses on the development and features of polysyllabic words in Modern Chinese, covering alliterative and rhyming compounds and trisyllabic and four-syllable words. The final chapter discusses the change of lexical meaning systems in Modern Chinese based on an analysis of monosyllables, disyllables and polysyllables. Illustrated with abundant examples, this comprehensive groundwork on Chinese lexical history will be a must read for scholars and students studying the modern Chinese language and linguistics and especially for beginning learners of the modern Chinese lexicon.
As the final volume of a multi-volume set on the Chinese language, this book studies the Western and Japanese influence on the lexicon of Modern Chinese, lexical developments in synonyms, idioms and proverbs in modern times, and lexical developments in contemporary times. This volume first introduces the influence of foreign cultures on the modern Chinese lexicon with an emphasis on loanwords from Japanese and Indo-European languages. It then discusses the synonyms, idioms, and proverbs of Modern Chinese, elucidating their evolution, sources, and composition. The final part centers on the development of the Chinese lexicon after the May Fourth Movement in 1919, marking the beginning of the contemporary phase of the Chinese language. The author analyzes trends and types of neologisms and loanwords and analyzes the blend of Mandarin and dialect words and the necessity of lexical standardization. Illustrated with abundant examples, this comprehensive groundwork on Chinese lexical history will be a must-read for scholars and students studying Modern Chinese language, linguistics, and especially for beginning learners of modern and contemporary Chinese lexicon.
This book is the first of a four-volume set on modern Chinese complex sentences, and is focused on the overall characteristics and the casual complex sentences in the language in particular. Complex sentences in modern Chinese are unique in information and meaning. The author proposes a tripartite classification of Chinese complex sentences according to the semantic relationships between the clauses, that is, coordinated, causal, and adversative. The first part of this volume defines Chinese complex sentences, introduces the properties, scope, and functions of complex sentence relationship markers, and makes detailed comparisons between the tripartite and dichotomous systems for the classification of complex sentences. The second part thoroughly investigates causal complex sentences in their eight typical forms. The book will be a useful reference for scholars and learners interested in Chinese grammar and language information processing.
This book is the first volume of a two-volume set that synchronically and diachronically studies the Jin dialect of Northern Shaanxi Province in China, with a focus on the grammatical features of pronouns, aspect and appearance, and the system of tenses. The Jin dialect of Northern Shaanxi is one of the most ancient, complicated, and representative dialects of the Yellow River region and figures prominently in our understanding of the Jin dialect and northern Chinese dialects as a whole. This volume first elucidates the semantic and dialectal differences in personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, and interrogative pronouns, as well as the special linguistic origins of the pronouns. The following chapter elaborates the different devices to express the status of realizing, accomplishing, lasting, and momentum-reducing as well as differences among similar aspectual markers and dialects. The final chapter examines the tense system, including anterior (past), posterior (future), and simple (present) tenses, the markers of which differ from each other in their syntactic representations. The book will be a useful reference for scholars and students interested in Jin dialects, Chinese dialects, and Chinese linguistics.
This book is the second volume of a two-volume set that synchronically and diachronically studies the Jin dialect of Northern Shaanxi Province in China, with a focus on six grammatical features of the dialect. The Jin dialect of Northern Shaanxi is one of the most ancient, complicated, and representative dialects of the Yellow River region and figures prominently in our understanding of the Jin dialect and northern Chinese dialects as a whole. The book looks into the following six aspects of the dialect: subjunctive mood, expressions of complex sentence relationships, embedded sentence patterns, complex interrogative sentences, the formation of imperative modal particle “zhe”, and the phonetic variation of grammatical constituents. In the final chapter, the author discusses the significance of diachronic comparison as the research method for studying Chinese dialectal grammar. The book will be a useful reference for scholars and students interested in Jin dialects, Chinese dialects, and Chinese linguistics.