Chinese Language(s)
eBook - PDF

Chinese Language(s)

A Look through the Prism of The Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects

  1. 296 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Chinese Language(s)

A Look through the Prism of The Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects

About this book

The major aim of the book is to trace the current structuring of the Chinese language(s) on the ground of Chinese linguistics. The research presented is based on the newest and most renowned sources, namely The Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects, and the Language Atlas of China.

The author discusses the role The Great Dictionary plays in analyzing the spectrum of linguistic differentiation in China and gives a detailed account of the kind of information the dictionary provides. As background, she sketches the development and current state of Chinese dialectology and dialect research. One of the author's aims is to show respect for the grand achievement the Dictionary undoubtedly is, but also to emphasize a critical distance to some of the views presented in it.

Apart from being an analysis of this particular Dictionary, the book presents data about the state of modern Chinese dialectology. It provides information about different classifications of the dialects and explains on what basis the classifications are made. Looking at Chinese dialectology from a Western point of view, the author aims to understand and present the Chinese perspective.

The book fills an important gap in the field of Western sinology. So far, despite lively discussions concerning the status of the varieties of Chinese and their taxonomy, full-scale studies on Chinese dialects have been almost non-existent in the Western World.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
  • Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
  • Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Both plans are available with monthly, semester, or annual billing cycles.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
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 Chinese Language(s) by Maria Kurpaska in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Languages & Linguistics & Linguistics. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Contents
  3. Abbreviations
  4. List of tables, diagrams and illustrations
  5. Chapter 1. Defining terminology
  6. Chapter 2. Languages of China
  7. Chapter 3. The language policy of the People’s Republic of China regarding the dialects of Chinese
  8. Chapter 4. Chinese historical phonetics
  9. Chapter 5. Classifications of Chinese dialects
  10. Chapter 6. The classification of Chinese dialects according to The Language Atlas of China
  11. Chapter 7. Guidelines for field research of Chinese dialects
  12. Chapter 8. Analysis of The Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects
  13. Chapter 9. Information gathered from The Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects
  14. Chapter 10. Summary and conclusions
  15. Backmatter