- 230 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
A History of the Chinese Language
About this book
A History of the Chinese Language provides a comprehensive introduction to the historical development of the Chinese language from its Proto-Sino-Tibetan roots in prehistoric times to Modern Standard Chinese. Taking a highly accessible and balanced approach, it presents a chronological survey of the various stages of the Chinese language, covering key aspects such as phonology, syntax, and semantics.
The second edition presents a revised and updated version that reflects recent scholarship in Chinese historical linguistics and new developments in related disciplines.
Features include:
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- Coverage of the major historical stages in Chinese language development, such as Old Chinese, Middle Chinese, Early Modern Chinese, and Modern Standard Chinese.
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- Treatment of core linguistic aspects of the Chinese language, including phonological changes, grammatical development, lexical evolution, vernacular writing, the Chinese writing system, and Chinese dialects.
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- Inclusion of authentic Chinese texts throughout the book, presented within a rigorous framework of linguistic analysis to help students to build up critical and evaluative skills and acquire valuable cultural knowledge.
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- Integration of materials from different disciplines, such as archaeology, genetics, history, and sociolinguistics, to highlight the cultural and social background of each period of the language.
Written by a highly experienced instructor, A History of the Chinese Language will be an essential resource for students of Chinese language and linguistics and for anyone interested in the history and culture of China.
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access A History of the Chinese Language by Hongyuan Dong in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Languages & Linguistics & Languages. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- List of tables
- List of figures
- List of syntax labels
- Preface to the second edition
- 1 Overview
- 2 Prehistory
- 3 Old Chinese: the elegant speech
- 4 Middle Chinese: the poetic language
- 5 Old Mandarin of Yuan dynasty dramas
- 6 Classical Chinese grammar
- 7 Vernacular writing
- 8 Lexical and semantic changes
- 9 Formation of Modern Standard Chinese
- 10 Modern Chinese dialects
- 11 The Chinese writing system
- References
- Appendix I: major chronological divisions of Chinese history
- Appendix II: articulatory phonetics and International Phonetic Alphabet
- Appendix III: Chinese pīnyīn pronunciation guide
- Appendix IV: correspondence charts of pīnyīn and International Phonetic Alphabet symbols
- Index