• 2025 Volume 24 Issue 1
    Published: 01 January 2025
      

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  • Liu Li Zhu Guangxin
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    In the current mainstream Chinese grammar, it is generally believed that “jiran(既然)and “yinwei(因为)”sentences belong to causal complex sentences, while “ruguo(如果)”sentence belong to conditional (or hypothetical) complex sentences, and they are opposite. Through the in-depth analysis of linguistic facts, this paper holds that “jiran” sentence actually has two different usages: “jiran1” sentence expresses causality, and its syntactic and semantic characteristics are consistent with “yinwei” sentence, which is a causal sentence. The “jiran2” sentence expresses the conditional relationship, and its syntactic and semantic characteristics are consistent with the “ruguo”sentence, which is a conditional sentence.
  • Li Xiaojun
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    Based on the relationship with behavior events, time adverbs can be divided into two categories: time manner and time frame. This paper discussed the semantic sources and formation mechanisms of 27 time adverbs. The semantics of the verbs that evolved into adverbs of time manner were comprehensive, and the process of semantic evolution was that other semantic elements disappeared and only one semantic element left: manner. At the same time, it went through the process of tracing the action conditions of itself to the time conditions of the verbal elements modified, which belonged to the pure metaphorical process. the verbs that evolved into time frame adverbs, meaning as a whole into time meaning. When it evolved into a time frame adverb, it first needed to enter the sequence of events and formed a time frame relationship with events in the discourse, so as to obtained time functions. This path basically had a stage of reanalysis, and the semantic evolution was a metonymy process.
  • Luo Zhuosi
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    Modern linguistics, alongside disciplines such as computational science, psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience, is considered a subfield of cognitive science. However, as the cornerstone of modern linguistics, theoretical linguistics has primarily adhered to the categorial approach since its inception, distinguishing itself from other cognitive science subfields where probability theory is more prevalent. By introducing pioneering theoretical linguistic research that integrates probability theory, this paper seeks to draw the attention of theoretical linguists in China to these innovative approaches. The ultimate goal is to foster the advancement of theoretical linguistics both domestically and internationally and to contribute to ongoing interdisciplinary discussions.
  • Liu Wen Dong Wenqi
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    Tonal variation is a central topic in the field of sociophonetics. Huantai dialect belongs to the Zhanghuan sub-group of the Canghui group of Jilu Mandarin. Traditional linguistic surveys suggested that the Yangpingshang in the Huantai dialect is a high-level tone, denoted as /55/. Acoustic studies by Dong & Liu (2021) indicated that the Yangpingshang is not a typical high-level tone, showing phonetic variation between the old and young speakers. This study examines Yangpingshang’s variation through acoustic and perceptual experiments. Acoustic analysis reveals a downward trend in the pitch curve of theYangpingshang, with the old showing a more significant decrease than the young. Additionally, there is a partial overlap in pitch distribution among the three tones, i.e., the Yangpingshang, the falling, and the entering tone. Regarding tone perception, the identification and discrimination experiments indicate a categorical perception between the Yangpingshang and the falling tone, while a quasi-categorical perception pattern exists between the Yangpingshang and the entering tone. According to the perceptual judgment scheme of level tones, this result suggests that, compared to the falling tone, the Yangpingshang is closer to the entering tone in terms of tone contour. Combining the results of acoustic and perceptual experiments, the rate of sound change is faster in the young than in the old, and the female exhibits a faster rate than the male. Regarding the direction of sound change, the overall tone contour of the Yangpingshang changes from falling to level, especially the young females. Lastly, combined with the dispersion theory, this study argues that native speakers adopt different discrimination strategies in different tonal contrasts to distinguish theYangpingshang, which is undergoing variation, from other tones in the tonal system.
  • Liu Chuntao Ni Boyang
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     In Hainan’s Zhonghe and Guantian garrison dialects, despite both being influenced by the Tai-Kadai languages and Min and Yue dialects, they exhibit distinct differences in whether implosive consonants have been adopted and how the initial system has evolved. By the historical comparison of the relevant categories of consonant classes, it can be found that the chain shifts exist in both coronal initial systems of the two garrison dialects, yet the links of evolution chains are distinct. The mechanisms that trigger trigger the evolution are related to social factors of language contact, while subsequent stages in the evolution chain may reflect the consistency of the two as Mandarin’s phonological category structure.
  • Wang Yanhong〓Bi Qianqi
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    This paper analyzes three parameters related to aspirated voiceless stop onsets in 8 dialects of the Dong language: VOT, F0 and harmonic difference H1 H2,which respectively represents the length of aspiration, the pitch of vowels and breathy voice degree. It is found that the similar class of sound from audio impression, the three parameters is not exactly the same in different dialects, even in different tone categories in the same dialect. Basing on these differences we speculate that the process of tone split which caused by aspiration of onsets, is due to the gradual disappearance of aspiration of the onsets and the continuous breathing of the vowels. With the gradual strengthening of breathing, the pitch of the tone gradually lowers, and then divided into different tone categories. At last, the aspiration and difference of phonation disappear completely at some time. It can be seen that the process of tone split caused by aspirated voiceless onsets in Dong language is a complex gradual change process based on multiple features.