Diminutive tone in Changjiang dialect of northern Guangdong province and the particular sound change of *b-and *d-involved
In Changjiang dialect of Northern Guangdong province,there exists a diminutive form with a particular high rising tone.Although all MC voiced initials would become aspirated when pronounced as stops and affricates in modem Changjiang dialect,in diminutive forms,MC voiced labials and glossals may become aspirated or unaspirated depending on whether the tone is even or not.In comparison with surrounding dialects,the unaspirated diminutives in Changjiang dialect represents an earlier pronunciation.Their division from the aspirated initials suggests that the devoicing of *b-and *d-is later than that of the other MC voiced initials in Changjiang dialect.It follows the order of uneven＞even and the devoicing process might also have been affected by language contact.The diminutives in Changjiang dialect enable us to better comprehend the evolution of MC voiced initials and their relation in dialects at the border of Guangdong and Hunan provinces.
Changjiang dialectdiminutive toneMC voiced labials and glossalssequence and direction of devoicingevolution types
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
