Semantic-tonal processes in Cantonese, Taishanese, Bobai, and Siamese
广东,台山,博白及暹罗语中有关意义的变调现象
Tak Him Kam 甘德谦

Abstract 摘要
A semantic-tonal process or change is defined as one in which a regular pattern of tonal change is accompanied by a regular pattern of semantic change. Besides the more usual works on phonemic and lexical correspondence, this paper attempts to open up a new area of research in comparative Chinese-Tai linguistics by pursuing the subject at a more generalizing level of linguistic processes. Using Cantonese as the base-dialect of reference, it studies the distribution of four types of semantic-tonal processes in Cantonese, Taishanese, Bobai (spoken in Guangxi), and Siamese (representative of S.W. Tai). The four types of semantic-tonal processes studied are: 1. Derivation by tone change; 2. Reduplication of adjectives; 3. Semantic-tonal processes connoting smallness and insignificance; 4. Semantic-tonal processes connoting intimacy and affecting surnames.

本文尝试在中国南方方言的研究开拓一个新的研究范围．传统的比较研究较为偏重音位及词汇的异同．本文引用了四种在意义方面不同的变调现象．首先将广东方言，广西博白方言，台山方言及暹罗语中的变调现象做了个别详细的分析，然后进一步探讨了它们的历史来源．这四种变调现象是：（1）变调引起的基本意义转变；（2）形容词重叠；（3）表示不重要及渺小的变调；（4）表示亲切，关于姓氏的变调；根据变调后的调值，作者初步将这些变调现象归纳成以下五个系统：1）广东－广西－暹罗系（→非高升中调）；2）广东－广西系（→高升调）；3）台山－暹罗系（→非高升低调）；4）广东系（→非高升高调）；5）暹罗系（→升降调）。

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