Research in Tōng-Tài dialect phonology

The Tong-Tài dialects are a branch of the Jiang-Huái Mandarin dialects located in the Tàizhou region on the northern side of the Yangtze watershed in Jiangsu. Located just across the river from the Wú dialect region to the south, the Tong-Tài dialects form the southernmost edge of the vast Mandarin dialect area to the north. The Tong-Tài dialects are the most complex variety of Mandarin, evidencing characteristics of great value to the understanding of the history of Mandarin and Chinese dialect phonology. The present study, Research in Tong-Tài Dialect Phonology, by Gù Qián of Nánjing University is based on extensive fieldwork in the region and is the most comprehensive study of this dialect group available. It begins with a brief introduction to the dialect area’s geography, population, and history, followed by an overview of historical studies of the Tong-Tài dialects. The core of the book is a comparative synchronic and diachronic study of Tong-Tài dialect phonology, including the initial consonants, main vowels and endings, tones, and rhyme structure. The book also contains a comprehensive presentation of the common Tong-Tài phonological system, with reference to Middle Chinese and within the context of Mandarin in general. The Appendices to the volume provide a comprehensive inventory of Tong-Tài morphosyllables as well as an extensive lexicon of forms and words unique to the Tong-Tài dialects. ISBN 9783862886258 (Hardbound). LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 84. 400pp. 2015.