Exploration of Beijing Dialect (New Edition)

Author: Hu Mingyang
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: The study of modern Chinese grammar has encountered many difficulties. One of the challenges is that the research is based on written language, yet modern Chinese written language is severely impure and highly non-standard, interspersed with various dialectal elements, ancient Chinese components, and various European-influenced grammatical structures. To organize order from such a heterogeneous object is indeed extremely difficult, and even if some order is established, anyone can easily pick up numerous "exceptions" to criticize. Therefore, for a long time, I have wanted to choose a relatively pure object for analysis and research, and finally selected Beijing dialect. Relatively speaking, Beijing dialect is quite pure, especially the spoken form used in daily life. Although it cannot be as pure as a chemical element and individual differences are also very obvious, compared to modern Chinese written language, it can also be considered quite "pure." This is the reason why I started studying Beijing dialect. However, once I began researching Beijing dialect, I encountered a series of new problems and new research methods, gradually deviating from my initial ideas.
Beijing dialect, as a regional dialect, holds a special status and unique value, so the study of Beijing dialect itself is highly meaningful. To study Beijing dialect, in a certain sense, is also to study modern Chinese. Additionally, few people have studied Beijing dialect in the past, so there are many research topics available. Unfortunately, although I have lived in Beijing for over thirty years, I am not a native Beijingerner, and to study Beijing dialect, I must frequently consult native Beijing speakers and conduct surveys, which inevitably leads to inefficient work and potential errors. However, the effort also has its benefits—it allows for the exploration of new research methods and helps avoid excessive subjectivity.
The essays included in this small book are some that I have written in recent years, most of which have not been formally published. These essays may still hold some reference value for those who want to understand Beijing dialect and are interested in researching it. Therefore, I have boldly published them to "throw a brick to attract jade" and seek feedback from readers and experts.