Readers 读者
Quantitative Studies in Min Dialects
闽方言计量研究
Chin-Chuan Cheng 郑锦全
Abstract 摘要
A number of dialects are spoken in Fujian Province. Chen and Li (1983) and Li and Chen (1985) have chosen a few hundred morphemes, words, and phrases for comparison to establish a grouping for the 18 localities of Fuzhou, Gutian, Ningde, Zhouning, Fuding, Putian, Xianmen, Quanzhou, Yongchun, Zhangzhou, Longyan, Datian, Youxi, Yongan, Shaxian, Jian’ou, Jianyang, and Songxi. Once they have established the five subgroups of Eastern Min, Pu-Xian, Southern Min, Central Min, and Northern Min they have no formal means to express the inter-group distance except to reiterate the criteria for classification. This inability to express the degrees of closeness among related dialects is a weakness of the traditional language classification. In this paper two methods for quantification are discussed with respect to the dialects of the 18 localities. The first one deals with calculation of correlation. Utilizing the data given in Li and Chen (1985), Lu (1986) computed the correlation coefficients on the basis of sharing or lack of phonological and lexical-syntactic characteristics. A cluster analysis of the coefficients has yielded an affinity tree that is shown on a numerical scale ranging from 0.0 to 1.0, thus providing a way to express degrees of relatedness of these localities. The second method involves the calculation of dialect mutual intelligibility. The method proposed in Cheng (1992, 1994a, 1996) was used to derive the degrees of mutual intelligibility among these 18 localities. It first established sound correspondence patterns in the calculation process. The patterns that cover more morphemes can be thought of as general rules and should be assigned higher values than those covering fewer items. The syllable initials, medial, vowels, endings, and tones of all the items of the established patterns were given some values according to a weight scale established with this principle. The indices of Mutual intelligibility were then derived from these values. They provided a basis for establishing a grouping. The grouping looks much like what Li and Chen have established. But now we have a way to express dialect distance on a numerical scale.