1. Introduction
1. 引言
Chung-yu. Chen 陈重瑜

Abstract 摘要
Mandarin tonal evolution is an old topic in Chinese historical phonology. However, this study differs from all previous works in terms of methodology and underlying conceptions, as well as in theoretical assertions. Therefore, the findings obtained from this study not only redefine all the phonological rules that have hitherto enjoyed universal acceptance in the field but also discover types and orders of changes that have until now been buried in oblivion. All the claims made in this study are based on large numbers of attested examples and concrete statistics.

1. Introduction
1.1. Methodological Departure
1.1.1. Inadequacies in the conventional approach to historical phonology and dialectology
1.1.2. Characteristics of the present study
1.2. Conceptual Differences
1.2.1. Linkage between prestige languages of successive stages in history
1.2.2. A probe into the routes of Ru-sheng transitions before Middle Chinese
1.3. A Theoretical Egress – A System-Internal Version of Lexical Diffusion
1.4. The Findings