Xiamen Dialect Dictionary

Author: Li Rong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-12-01
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 proper, preceded by an introduction and followed by a category index and a character stroke index. The introduction generally includes the following eight items:
1. The history, geography, and population of the local area.
2. The geographical and age differences within the dialect, with the pronunciation in this dictionary classified by dialectal groups.
3. The phonology (consonants, vowels, and tones) of the dialect, including continuous changes in phonology. If there are variations, their patterns and functions are explained.
4. A table of single-character pronunciations, which reflects the construction of character sounds through the combination of consonants, vowels, and tones. This table can be used to verify the comprehensiveness of the established phonemic system and identify any sounds that are difficult to place. Characters traditionally pronounced as light tones or onomatopoeic words that fall outside the general phonetic system can be explained before the table 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 table and record all characters that have phonetic meaning but no common written forms. This is an effective method for collecting linguistic data. Characters that are not written but only spoken are often commonly used in spoken language and can supplement the deficiencies of single-character 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, and definition in the dictionary, the distinction between large and small characters, the usage of various symbols, and so on.
7. Annotations of commonly used characters in the example sentences of the dictionary.
8. A table of syllables.
The main body of the dictionary is arranged by phonetic order, following the sequence of rhyme, initial consonant, and tone 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.