Jinhua Dialect Dictionary: Modern Chinese Dialect Dictionary·Volume

Author: Li Rong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1996-12-01
Features: The requirements for a dialect dictionary are twofold: one is to prepare conditions for a comprehensive dialect dictionary, and the other is to reflect the characteristics of the dialect. The content of a dialect dictionary is divided into three parts: the main body is the dictionary entries, preceded by an introduction and followed by a category index and a stroke index of entry first characters. The introduction generally includes the following eight items:
1. The local history, geography, and population.
2. The geographical and age differences within the dialect, with the pronunciation in this dictionary classified by dialectal groups.
3. The phonology, phonotactics, and tones of the dialect, including continuous changes in phonology, phonotactics, and tones. If there are variations, their patterns and functions are explained.
4. A monosyllabic phonemic chart, which reflects the construction of syllable sounds. This chart can be used to verify the completeness of the phonemic system and identify any sounds that are difficult to arrange. Words that are traditionally pronounced as light tones or onomatopoeic words that fall outside the general phonetic system can be explained before the chart without being included in it. Pay attention to their usage when they function as independent syllables. Carefully investigate the meaning of the sounds represented by the blank spaces in the chart and record all words that have phonemic and semantic meanings but no common written forms. This is an effective method for collecting linguistic data. Words that are not written but commonly spoken are often frequently used in colloquial speech and can supplement the deficiencies of monosyllabic and word surveys.
5. The characteristics of the dialect in terms of phonology, grammar, and other aspects. Characteristics refer to the features that distinguish this dialect from other dialects, especially neighboring ones.
6. General rules, explaining the methods of entry selection, phonetic annotation, semantic definition, size distinction of characters, usage of various symbols, and so on.
7. Annotations for commonly used words in example sentences of the dictionary.
8. A phonemic chart.
The main body of the dictionary is arranged by phonetic order, following the sequence of rhymes, initials, and tones of the local dialect. For convenience of reference, two indexes are provided after the main body. The category index is roughly based on the classification and order of the Linguistic Survey of Chinese Dialects.