topics in chinese linguistics: introduction to chinese unit 3: pronunciation – phonetics and...
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Topics in Chinese Linguistics: Topics in Chinese Linguistics: Introduction to ChineseIntroduction to Chinese
Unit 3: Pronunciation – Phonetics and Phonology
What is What is Phonetics and Phonetics and Phonology?Phonology?
Phonetics: Study of sounds of human languages. Sounds of human languages have physiological and physical characteristics.
Phonology: Study of sound system of a specific language. Chinese phonology, English phonology – a phonological system of a specific language. It is social.
Physical characteristicsPhysical characteristics
Sound wave Frequency or pitch Intensity or volume
Length or time
Can be measured by instruments and can be “seen” (spectrograph, computer)
How human sounds are How human sounds are classifiedclassified
Place of articulation
Lip Tongue Teeth, alveolar Palate velum Uvula Nasal cavity
•Manner of articulation
•Stop•Fricative•Affricate•Nasal•Aspiration •Voiced/voiceless
Chinese tonesChinese tones
Names of tones陰平 / 陽平 / 上聲 / 去聲Yin Ping, Yang Ping, Shang Sheng, Qu
Shenghigh level, high rising, falling-rising, high
falling
Segmental vs supra-segmental Segmental vs supra-segmental
Segmental: consonants, vowels, diphthongs
a, o, i, b, d, g, p, t, k, ao, ai, ei…
Supra-segmental: stress, tone, intonation
Phones and phonemesPhones and phonemes
Phoneme– Smallest phonological unit which makes
distinctions in meaning in a specific languagePhone
– Each individual sound Allophone
– Sounds which are distinct but similar and do not make distinctions in meaning
Comparison of English and Comparison of English and Chinese consonantsChinese consonants
peak speak beak
[p’] [p] [b]
/p/ /p/ /b/
pa 怕 ba 爸 ?
[p’] [p]
/p’/ /p/
[p’] [p] [b]
Letters vs phonemic notationsLetters vs phonemic notations
English letters IPA
teacher, good /ti:t/, /gud/
Pinyin IPA
lǎoshī, hǎo /lau/, /hau/
Phonological fPhonological features eatures of Chinese of Chinese
Chinese language is syllabic. Chinese is tonal. A syllable has maximum of four sounds. A syllable has no more than two consonants
or there are no consonant clusters such as sp, sl, cl, scr.
Number of syllables is limited.
Syllable structureSyllable structure
Tone
Initial Final
Medial Main vowel
Syllabic ending
声调,声母,韵母,韵头,韵腹,韵尾
tiān
Tone Sandhi (Tone change)Tone Sandhi (Tone change)
nǐhǎo=>níhǎo3+3=>2+3
1=>2 _/4 yī: kuài=> yí kuài1=>4 elsewhere yī zhāng=>yì zhān
yī tiáo=>yì tiáo
yī jiǎo=>yì jiǎo
Chinese PhonologyChinese Phonology
How were Chinese characters represented in ancient times
BoPoMoFoPinyin and other notation systemsHistorical phonological change
读若 读若 ‘‘ read as’ method read as’ method (pronounced as, using (pronounced as, using
homophone characters) homophone characters)
‘ 珝’ , 讀若‘許’ ‘ 倚’,讀若‘以’ ‘ 誕’ , 音‘但’
Problems:1. Impossible to find a character of the same
pronunciation. Then the character of similar pronunciation is used which is not accurate.
2. The homophone characters are rare characters. Their pronunciation is not popular and known to all.
FǎqiFǎqiē ē method method 反切 反切
Select two characters. Combine the initial of the first character with the final (with tone) of the second character.
Example:
“土” (tǔ) 他魯切 formula: tǔ= t(ā)+(l)ǔ
“冬” (dōng) 都宗切 formula: dōng=d(ū)+(z)ōng
Zhuyin fuhao Zhuyin fuhao 注音符号 注音符号 (1913, (1913, ROC)ROC)
土 t + ǔ ㄊ (t) ㄨ (u)
天 t + i+ ān ㄊ (t) ㄧ (i) ㄣ (ān)
窗 chuāng ch + u + āng ㄔㄨㄤ
Other systemsOther systems
Wade-Gile 威妥瑪 (1912)GR Gwoyeu Romatzyh 國語羅馬字
(1928)Latinxua Sinwenz 拉丁化新文字 (1930)Yale 耶魯 (1948)
Various notations of Various notations of 謝謝Zhuyin ㄒ一ㄝ
Pinyin xie
Wade-Gile hsieh
GR shieh
Yale sye
Tongyong sie
Historical changeHistorical change
江雪 柳宗元 Modern Mandarin Classical千山鳥飛絕, Qiān shān niǎo fēi jué zik萬徑人蹤滅。 Wàn jìng rén zōng miè mik孤舟簑笠翁, Gū zhōu suò lì wēng ong獨釣寒江雪。 Dú diào hán jiāng xuě sik
Review questionsReview questions 1. Is the distinction of consonants and vowels as same that of initials
and finals? 2. How to classify the sounds? What are initials, finals, medials, main
vowel and syllabic ending in Chinese phonology? 2. Are b, d, g in Pinyin voiced sounds? 3. What makes tones different? The change of pitch? Itensity or
Duration? 4. In what way the four tones are represented? 5. How many sounds at most does a syllable have in Putonghua? 6. What is tone sandhi? Can you give some examples? 7. What is the major difference between Pinyin and BoPoMoFo? 8. Which is better? Pinyin or BoPoMoFo? 9. In the old times, how did people to represent the sounds of
characters? 10. Why some old poems do not rhyme when it is read in modern
Chinese?