Readers 读者
On the Diminutives in Min Dialects (in Chinese)
论闽语的小称
Zhongmin Chen 陈忠敏
Abstract 摘要
In this paper, I discussed the diminutives in Min dialects by comparing Min dialects with their neighboring dialects. I pointed out that there are three diminutives in Min. The first one is the jian suffix diminutive, which is the native form and is widely distributed in Min dialects. The second one is the er suffix diminutive, derived from the north, which can be divided into two different levels. One of these, with the er suffix, is mainly distributed in the Shaowu area of northwest Min. I call this suffix the new level, which shares the same phonetic features with the neighboring Gan dialects, such as the Lichuan and Nancheng dialects. In the Houlu dialect of Datian county, a subgroup of the southern Mindialects, there is another diminutive also derived from er suffix. It can be called the early level of the er suffix diminutive. This kind of er suffix diminutive was eroded in the most southern Min dialects, resulting in survival of the nasalized finals only in relic forms. The entering-tone characters of the Shaowu are relic forms of the third diminutive, formed by changing tones to express the meaning of the diminutive. These are two kinds of diminutives, the er suffix diminutive and the diminutive by changing tone, in the Shaowu dialect. These two diminutives also exist in some southern Wu, Hue and Gan dialects, the neighboring dialects of the Shaowu, which thereby shows the geographical continuity of this language feature.