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Topics in Chinese Linguistics:
Introduction to Chinese
Unit 2: Dialects in China
What is a dialect?

a. A regional variety of a language
distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or
vocabulary, esp. a variety of speech differing
from the standard literary language or speech
pattern of the culture in which it exists:
Cockney is a dialect of English.
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b. A variety of language that with other varieties
constitutes a single language of which no single
variety is standard: the dialects of Ancient Greek.
What is a dialect?

The language peculiar to an occupational group or a
paricular social class: the dialect of science.

The manner or style of expressing oneself in language
or the arts.

A language considered as part of a larger family of
languages or a linguistic branch: Spanish and French
are Romance dialects.
(American Heritage Dictionary, Second edition, 1982,
1985)
Eight Chinese Dialects
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Northen (Beijing)
Wu (Shanghai)
Yue (Guangzhou)
Xiang (Changsha)
Min South (Xiamen)
Min North (Fuzhou )
Hakka (Mei Xian)
Gan (Nanchang)
647,000,000
77,000,000
47,000,000
46,000,000
28,000,000
11,000,000
37,000,000
22,000,000
(Hu Yushu, 1962 Modern Chinese)
Eight Chinese Dialects
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Northern (Mandarin) 715 million
Jiangsu-Zhejiang (Wu) 85 million
Cantonese (Yue)
50 million
Hunan (Xiang)
48 million
Hakka
37 million
Southern Min
28 million
Jiangxi (Gan)
24 million
Northern Min
13 million
(71.5%)
(8.5%)
(5%)
(4.8%)
(3.7%)
(2.8%)
(2.4%)
(1.3%)
(DeFrancis (1984) The Chinese Language p. 58 )
Seven Chinese Dialects
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Mandarin
679,250,000
(71.5%)
Wu
80,750,000
(8.5%)
Gan
22,800,000
(2.4%)
Xiang
45,600,000
(4.8%)
Hakka
35,150,000
(3.7%)
Yue
47,500,000
(5.0%)
Min
38,950,000
(4.1%)
(Ramsey (1987) The Languages of China p. 87. )
Chinese Dialect Map
This map
contains
some errors.
Can you
find them
out?
What is
mislabeled?
What is
missing?
Characteristics of Chinese
dialects

Pronunciation
 Vocabulary
 Grammar
Pronunciation

Mutual unintelligible
 Northern dialects do not have voice sounds b-, d-,
g-, z-, v- and entering tone –p, -t, -k -?
 Wu dialect has voiced sounds, entering tones and
makes no distinction between z, c, s and zh, ch, sh
 Cantonese has entering tones, but no voiced
sounds.
Tonal differences

The number of tones vary in various dialects
Mandarin – 4 tones
1
2
3
4
Yīn Píng Yáng Píng Shǎng Shēng Qù Shēng
55
35
214
51
媽
麻
馬
罵
Tones in Wu and Cantonese
Wu Dialect –5 tones
1
2
3
4
5
Yīn Píng Yīng Qù Yáng Qù Yīn Rù Yáng Rù
53
34
13
5
12
詩
使
時
識
食
Tones in Wu and Cantonese
Cantonese – 9 tones
1
Yīn
Píng
55, 53
詩,夫
2
Yáng
Píng
21, 11
時, 扶
3
Yīn
Shàng
35
使苦
4
Yáng
Shàng
13
市婦
5
Yīn
Qù
33
試富
6
Yáng
Qù
22
事父
7
Yīn
Rù
55
識忽
8
Zhōng
Rù
33
泄法
9
Yáng
Rù
22
食佛
Vocabulary differences
Same concept - different words
 corn - yùmǐ: bàngzi, bāogǔ, bāomǐ, zhēnzhūmǐ
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match - huǒchái: yánghuǒ, zìláihuǒ, qǔdēngr
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drink tea - hē chá: chik zo (Shanghai), yam cha
(Cantonese)
Vocabulary differences
Same word - different concepts
阿爹：父親（嘉興），祖父（蘇州），外祖
父（廣西）
ādiē means:
 father (Jiaxing, Wu),
 grandfather from father’s side (Suzhou, Wu),
 grandfather from mother’s side (Guangxi)
Vocabulary differences
Dialect
sun
Putonghua 太陽
tàiyáng
Shanghai
太陽
tayang
Cantonese
熱頭
yaktou
thing
東西
dōngxi
物事
mez
野
ye
clothing
衣服
yīfu
衣裳
yizang
衫
sam
wife
妻子
qīzi
家主婆
kazibu
老婆
lopo
we
我們
wǒmen
阿拉
ala
我地
ngodi
know
知道
zhīdào
曉得
xiaode
知
ji
Grammar differences are minor
Word order:
給你錢：俾錢你（廣州）
Putonghua: give you money.
Shanghai: give you money.
Cantonese: give money you.
你先走：你行先（廣州）
Putonghua: you first go.
Shanghai: you first go.
Cantonese: you go first.
More grammatical examples
I am as tall as you.
Putonghua
我同你一樣高 I with you same tall
Shanghai
我搭儂一樣高 I with you same tall
Cantonese
我同埋一樣高 I with you same tall
More grammatical examples
Putonghua
坐飛機比坐火車快
Sit plane comp sit train fast
Shanghai
坐飛機比坐火車快
Sit plane comp sit train fast
Cantonese
坐飛機快過坐火車
Sit plane fast than sit train
More grammatical examples
Putonghua
我給你一本書
I give you a book
Shanghai
我撥儂一本書
I give you a book
Cantonese
我俾本書佢
I give a book him
Samples of dialects
Mandarin
Shanghai
Cantonese
Hakka
Chiuchou
The North Wind and the Sun
Once upon a time the North Wind and the Sun were arguing
over which one’s power was greater. Just then a man
wearing a very warm coat happened to pass by. [Seeing
him,] the two of them decided to make an agreement”
whichever one had the power to make the man take off that
coat of his first, then the power of that one would be
regarded as greater. Thereupon the North Wind blew with
all his strength. Who would have thought that the harder he
blew the tighter the man pulled his coat around his body!
Finally, seeing that it was all of no use, the North Wind gave
up. Then, the Sun sent out some really warm heat, and the
man walking down the road immediately took off his coat.
In this way, the North Wind was forced to admit that the
Sun was greater than he was. (Ramsey, 1987, p.107)
How were dialects formed?
Population distribution 人口的分佈
 Migration 集體遷移
 Geographical barrier 地理障礙
 Language contact 語言接觸
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Two theories
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Wang, James S. Y. Wave theory – language change
starts in the center and radiates to peripheral areas
like waves spread.
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Kaufman and Thomason (1988, in Wadley, 1996) Language borrowing and language shift theory – a)
languages contact and borrow words from each
other; b) groups of people move and learn the
second language, their second language is a pidgin,
then the pidgin was accepted by the target
language speakers causing changes.
Research on dialects
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The earliest study of dialects was
concentrated on vocabulary use. Yang
Xiong’s “Dialects” (53 BC-AD18, Western
Han) recorded words dating from Zhou and
Qin Dynasties to the end of Western Han. It
has 13 volumes, with 11,9000 words. Each
word has a description of its use of area.
Research on dialects
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In 1924, Dialect Investigation Association
was established in Beijing University. The
alphabet used to describe dialects was
developed.
 In 1956, large scale investigation of dialects
started.
 In 1960, beginning of editing and compling
the Descriptions of Dialects
Research on dialects
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Japan :Tokyo Foreign Language University,
Asia and Africa Language and Culture
Research Institute is the major research
institute
How to study dialects
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Investigation of dialects: field work
 Analysis and description of dialect systems
 Publication of dialect description book and
map
 Use of computer to analyze dialects
Putonghua (Common Speech)
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Need of Putonghua: The need for a unified
language in China is obvious. Without a
unified language (spoken), people will not
be able to communicate. The question is
which dialect to select as the standard
language.
Definition of Putonghua
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It is the Common Language (Putonghua),
which has as its standard pronunciation the
Peking pronunciation, as its basic dialect the
Northern dialect, and as its grammatical
model the exemplary literary works written
in the modern colloquial.
Promotion of Putonghua
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Means of instruction
 Mass media
 Language for aviation, railway and
other transportation vehicles
 Military forces
Questions and Concerns
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Can Putonghua become native
language of Chinese people?
 Does Putonghua replace all
dialects?
 Is bilingualism viable?
Reading assignments and
activities
1.
2.
3.
Ramsey: Chapter 1 (pp. 1-18) and Chapter 6 (pp
87-95, pp 98-107. Focus on Mandrin, Wu and
Yue) (concise and clear description);
Optional: Norman: Chapter 8.1-4, 8.6, 8.8, 9.2
( more detailed information about dialects),
10.1;
Surf the Internet and find some web sites related
to Chinese dialects. Record the URLs.
Review questions
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1. What is a dialect?
2. How many major dialects are there in China? Are they mutually
intelligible?
3. What different features are observed in various dialects in terms of
pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar?
4. What is the major difference between Northern and Wu dialect and
Cantonese?
5. What factors influence the formation of dialects?
6. How and why to study dialects?
7. What is Putonghua? Why does China need Putonghua?
8. Do you think that Putonghua will finally become a unified
language?
9. Do you think that bilingualism/bidialectalism possible?