THE INTENSIVE CONTROVERSY ON CHINESE HISTORICAL PHONOLOGY: REFUTATION OF THE LIQUID MEDIAL FOR DIVISION-2 IN OLD CHINESE Cover Image

THE INTENSIVE CONTROVERSY ON CHINESE HISTORICAL PHONOLOGY: REFUTATION OF THE LIQUID MEDIAL FOR DIVISION-2 IN OLD CHINESE
THE INTENSIVE CONTROVERSY ON CHINESE HISTORICAL PHONOLOGY: REFUTATION OF THE LIQUID MEDIAL FOR DIVISION-2 IN OLD CHINESE

Author(s): Jingyi Gao
Subject(s): Theoretical Linguistics, Phonetics / Phonology, Historical Linguistics, Comparative Linguistics, Philology
Published by: Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus
Keywords: academic controversy; academic war; Chinese historical phonology; Old Chinese; division-2 (division-II, div. II); liquid medial; vocalic medial; Sino-Tibetan; Sino- Vietnamese; Sino-Uralic;

Summary/Abstract: The present paper reports the intensive controversy on Chinese historical phonology that broke out in 2002. After sorting through over 150 Chinese papers on the intensive controversy by the Sino-linguists’ side and the descriptivists’ side, the present study suggests that we should investigate a history of the new hypotheses, and discuss them in a logical order. The hypothesis of the liquid medial for division-2 in OC of the descriptivists’ side is refuted with philological arguments and a negative control of comparative evidence. The hypothesis of the vocalic medial for division-2 in OC of the Sino-linguists’ side is supported with Sino-Vietnamese and Sino-Uralic comparative evidence. Using etymological methods, the present study has identified nine (9) Sinitic and Uralic shared etymologies. Four (4) Shennong (Sino-Uralic) etymologies belong to a rhyme correspondence. Five (5) Shennong (Sino-Uralic) etymologies belong to another rhyme correspondence. These two (2) regular sound correspondences validate the etymological connections between Sinitic and Uralic.

  • Issue Year: XXV/2021
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 101-148
  • Page Count: 48
  • Language: English