Unpacking the history of Middle Chinese *ɣu- in the Yue dialects in Guangdong: a dialect geographical analysis

The main focus of this dissertation is the developments of the Middle Chinese sequence *ɣu- in 54 Yue dialects in Guangdong. The reflexes of MC *ɣu- sequence invites attention because (a) the traditional dialect description does not capture the developments of this sequence across all the dialects systematically, (b) the phonological history of *ɣu- in Yue remains in the descriptive stage without reference to sound changes involved between Middle Chinese and present day Yue dialects and (c) the inter- and intra-dialect variation of the reflexes of *ɣu- is still unexplored. I use Yue dialect survey data (Zhan & Cheung 1987, Zhan & Cheung 1994, Zhan & Cheung 1998, Shao 2016 and Beijing University Linguistics Faculty 1989) to answer the following research questions: 1) Are there geographical patterns for the variation of the reflexes of MC *ɣu- in Yue? 2) Do all the words have the same MC *ɣu- reflex within one dialect? 3) How many steps were involved in the changes from Middle Chinese to present day varieties? 4) Were there specific phonological contexts for certain changes to occur? 5) Was there contact or diffusion of these changes between Yue and other neighbouring varieties such as Hakka? 6) Did linguistically similar but geographically distant patterns develop from the same changes? The data shows that based on the reflexes of MC *ɣu--, (1) Yue dialects in Guangdong can be divided into four groups, (2) there can be more than one reflex for MC *ɣu- within a dialect, (3) different dialect groups have different number of steps from MC *ɣu- to the present day reflex, (4) most dialects show that MC *-u- triggers ɣ loss in the history of Yue , ( I propose that the current geolinguistic pattern resulting from the contact with Hakka is unlikely; the current dialect landscape was created by contact between Yue varieties, and lastly (6) two groups of dialects (Bao’an and Maoming type dialects) appear to be linked historically despite them being separated by the Taishan type dialect geographically

Lexical tones and morphotonology

Yongning Na, also known as Mosuo, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Southwest China. This book provides a description and analysis of its tone system, progressing from lexical tones towards morphotonology. Tonal changes permeate numerous aspects of the morphosyntax of Yongning Na. They are not the product of a small set of phonological rules, but of a host of rules that are restricted to specific morphosyntactic contexts. Rich morphotonological systems have been reported in this area of Sino-Tibetan, but book-length descriptions remain few. This study of an endangered language contributes to a better understanding of the diversity of prosodic systems in East Asia. The analysis is based on original fieldwork data (made available online), collected over the course of ten years, commencing in 2006

Norms of translating fiction from English into Chinese (1979-2009) : the case of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations

This study investigates the norms in the translation of fiction from English into Chinese in the period 1979 to 2009 by considering five Chinese translations of Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations produced by Wang Keyi (1979), Luo Zhiye (1994), Chen Junqun (1997), Zhu Wan and Ye Zun (2004) and Jin Changwei (2009). In addition, and in order to give proper weighting to para-textual elements, three adaptations for younger readers form the second part of the main analysis: those produced by Liu Lianqing and Zhang Zaiming (1980), Huang Qingyun (1990) and Wang Bei (2004). An examination of Chinese versions of Great Expectations (first published in 1861) is worthwhile for three reasons: 1.) it was the first novel by Dickens to appear in print after the Cultural Revolution which had not been published before in Chinese; 2.) it held a special meaning for Chinese readers due to its deep cultural resonance, especially in China after 1976; 3.) since the translations of the novel have hitherto not been examined by scholars in the field of Translation Studies, it offers an ideal opportunity to consider Gideon Toury’s norm theory within a non-European cultural context. There is a particular focus in this study on norms in the linguistic aspect of the eye-dialect words, malapropisms, sociolects, idiolects, slang, and cultural references; translation strategies form a key part of the main analysis; para-textual elements will provide additional evidence. The conclusion argues for an expansion of Toury’s original model to include greater emphasis on the extra-linguistic, historical and sociological context. Building on the work of other leading TS scholars, it is argued that a ‘hybrid Toury model’, including multi-level norm analysis, is necessary for any consideration of the complexities of a Chinese case study