Bai and Old Western Chinese

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2774409
AutoresM H Lee (0000-0003-2896-4840, Chinese University of Hong Kong, autor correspondente)
Ano2024
Volume87
Fascículo3
Páginas533-555
Data de publicação2024-10-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoBulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0041-977X • E-ISSN: 1474-0699
EditoraCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0041977x24000259
OpenAlexW4402446925
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas2
Referências citadas8

Several scholars noted that the pronunciations of 天 "sky" tiān and 風 "wind" fēng in Bai appear to be akin to the western variants of the words attested in the paronomastic gloss dictionary Shìmíng 釋名. I will demonstrate in the current study that there are additional commonalities shared by both Bai and the ancient western dialect, termed Old Western Chinese (OWC) in this study. In both languages, one can identify words with zy- in Middle Chinese (MC) that are pronounced j-. Bai and Old Western Chinese use the same word (椹 shèn) for "fungus". Furthermore, Old Chinese (OC) cluster *-p/t-s yields -t in both languages in lieu of yielding -j as observed in Middle Chinese. Last but not least, it appears that in both languages, words with *lʕ- (whence MC d-) and -ʔ (whence MC rising tone) are distinct from other words with d- in Middle Chinese. Hence, this paper puts the claim that Bai is akin to Old Western Chinese on a stronger footing. As a side note, judging from the fact that 四 "four" sì contains -t in Old Western Chinese and early Bai, its Old Chinese form most likely ends in *-[t]-s

Traditional medicine · China's Ethnic Minorities and Relations · Chinese history and philosophy · Linguistics and Cultural Studies · Medicine