The Mechanism of Sino-Korean Palatalization
中古知系与端系声母在韩国汉字音颚化过程
Ik-sang Eom 严翼相

Abstract 摘要
This article examines Korean pronunciation of Chinese characters with Middle Chinese retroflex stop (Zhi) and alveolar stop (Duan) initials from the fifteenth century through the twentieth century. The palatalization of Middle Chinese retroflex stop initials was noticeable in Sino-Korean as early as 1448 although it had become more apparent by 1720. This change seems to have been completed, at the latest, by 1751. Middle Chinese alveolar stop initials also underwent palatalization in Sino-Korean from 1751. The active change, however, took place from the late nineteenth century and was completed by the beginning of the twentieth century. Through a close observation of the mechanism of Sino-Korean palatalization, this study demonstrates that Sino-Korean palatalization was an internal change within Korean and diffused across the Sino-Korean lexicon in a gradual manner for centuries. Accordingly, this article concludes that Sino-Korean palatalization complies with the scenario of sound change that the Lexical Diffusionists propose.

Article 文章

<< Back 返回

Readers 读者