Research on the Historical Layers of the Kei-Gan Dialect

Author: Liu Zemin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: This book is a monograph that provides a comprehensive analysis of the historical strata of the (phonetic) features of the Hakka and Gan dialects. The historical strata analysis is a new perspective and methodology in dialectal history, which argues that modern Southeastern Chinese is not a result of pure divergence but rather an evolution of both divergence and integration. The Southern Chinese dialects have long been influenced horizontally by Northern Chinese dialects, forming multiple "heterogeneous" historical strata within the synchronic system. Therefore, the study of the history of Southern Chinese dialects absolutely cannot simply apply the historical comparative method; it must first conduct a historical strata analysis and then perform historical comparisons within the same stratum. To conduct large-scale historical strata analysis of the Hakka and Gan dialects, the author utilizes database technology to compile materials from over 110 dialect points into a database. All the analyses presented in this paper are based on a comprehensive and exhaustive comparison of the dialectal materials.