1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Language and Linguistics
  4. Volume 26, Issue 2
  5. Article
Volume 26, Issue 2
  • ISSN 1606-822X
  • E-ISSN: 2309-5067
EPUB
PDF

Abstract

In the study of Rma phonology (Eastern Tibeto-Burman < Sino-Tibetan/​Trans-Himalayan), there have been differing perspectives regarding labialized onsets both in synchrony and diachrony. Synchronically, these forms have been treated as or as sequences (Sun 2003). In terms of diachrony, Chang (1967) reconstructs the following set of bilabial-stop initial clusters: *, *, *, *, *, *. Evans (2001; 2006a) reconstructs none of these and proposes that labialized onsets are secondary developments in the dialects that have them.

This paper explores the issue of labialized onsets through the lens of a previously undocumented variety of Rma. It offers a new perspective on the synchronic analysis for these segments as phonologically and contributes to an older discussion about the diachrony of these sounds. The paper finds support for Evans’ (2001) theory that these sounds are secondary developments from *-- elements while also finding sub-group external evidence that some come from *- pre-initials.

© ILAS
Available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00185.sim
2025-03-06
2026-05-20

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/lali.00185.sim
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/lali.00185.sim.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00185.sim&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Andersson, Samuel & Vaux, Bert & Pysipa (Şener), Zihni
    2023 Cwyzhy Abkhaz. Journal of the International Phonetic Association53(1). 266–286. 10.1017/S0025100320000390
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025100320000390 [Google Scholar]
  2. Baxter, William H.
    1992 A handbook of Old Chinese phonology. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110857085
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110857085 [Google Scholar]
  3. Baxter, William H. & Sagart, Laurent
    2014 Old Chinese: A new reconstruction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199945375.001.0001
     https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199945375.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  4. Benedict, Paul K.
    1983 Qiang monosyllabization: A third phase in the cycle. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area7(2). 113–114. 10.32655/LTBA.7.2.08
     https://doi.org/10.32655/LTBA.7.2.08 [Google Scholar]
  5. Butler, Becky Ann
    2014 Deconstructing the Southeast Asian sesquisyllable: A gestural account. Ithaca: Cornell University. (Doctoral dissertation.)
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Chang, Kun
    1967 A comparative study of the Southern Ch’iang dialects. Monumenta Serica26(1). 422–443. 10.1080/02549948.1967.11744974
     https://doi.org/10.1080/02549948.1967.11744974 [Google Scholar]
  7. Collinge, N. E.
    1985 The laws of Indo-European (Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 35). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/cilt.35
     https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.35 [Google Scholar]
  8. Evans, Jonathan P.
    2001 Introduction to Qiang phonology and lexicon: Synchrony and diachrony. Tokyo: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. 2006a Origins of vowel pharyngealization in Hongyan Qiang. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area29(2). 95–123. 10.32655/LTBA.29.2.04
     https://doi.org/10.32655/LTBA.29.2.04 [Google Scholar]
  10. 2006b Vowel quality in Hongyan Qiang. Language & Linguistics7(4). 731–754.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Evans, Jonathan P. & Huang, Chenglong
    2007 A bottom-up approach to vowel systems: The case of Yadu Qiang. Cahiers de Linguistique — Asie Orientale36(2). 147–186. 10.1163/19606028‑90000169
     https://doi.org/10.1163/19606028-90000169 [Google Scholar]
  12. Evans, Jonathan P. & Sun, Jackson T.-S. & Chiu, Chenhao & Liou, Michelle
    2016 Uvular approximation as an articulatory vowel feature. Journal of the International Phonetic Association46(1). 1–31. 10.1017/S0025100315000146
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025100315000146 [Google Scholar]
  13. Gates, Jesse P.
    2021 A grammar of Mazur Stau. Paris: École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. (Doctoral dissertation.)
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Gong, Hwang-cherng
    2003 Tangut. InLaPolla, Randy J. & Thurgood, Graham (eds.), The Sino-Tibetan languages, 602–620. London: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Gong, Xun
    2018 Le rgyalrong zbu, une langue tibéto-birmane de Chine du Sud-ouest: Une étude descriptive, typologique et comparative. Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité. (Doctoral dissertation.)
     [Google Scholar]
  16. 2020 Uvulars and uvularization in Tangut phonology. Language & Linguistics21(2). 175–212. 10.1075/lali.00060.gon
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lali.00060.gon [Google Scholar]
  17. 2022 Nasal preinitials in Tangut phonology. Archiv Orientální89(3). 443–482. 10.47979/aror.j.89.3.443‑482
     https://doi.org/10.47979/aror.j.89.3.443-482 [Google Scholar]
  18. Handel, Zev
    2009 Old Chinese medials and their Sino-Tibetan origins: A comparative study. Taipei: Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Hill, Nathan W.
    2011 An inventory of Tibetan sound laws. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society21(4). 441–457. 10.1017/S1356186311000332
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1356186311000332 [Google Scholar]
  20. 2013 Three notes on Laufer’s law. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area36(1). 57–71. 10.32655/LTBA.36.1.03
     https://doi.org/10.32655/LTBA.36.1.03 [Google Scholar]
  21. 2019 The historical phonology of Tibetan, Burmese, and Chinese. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/9781316550939
     https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316550939 [Google Scholar]
  22. Huang, Bufan & Zhou, Facheng
    2006 Qiangyu yanjiu (Zhongguo Qiangxue Wenku). Chengdu: Sichuan People’s Publishing House.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Jacques, Guillaume
    2004 Phonologie et morphologie du Japhug (rGyalrong). Paris: Université Paris VII — Denis Diderot. (Doctoral dissertation.)
     [Google Scholar]
  24. 2007 La réduplication partielle en japhug, révélatrice des structures syllabiques. Faits de Langues291. 9–21. 10.1163/19589514‑029‑01‑900000003
     https://doi.org/10.1163/19589514-029-01-900000003 [Google Scholar]
  25. 2014 Esquisse de phonologie et de morphologie historique du tangoute. Leiden: Brill. 10.1163/9789004264854
     https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004264854 [Google Scholar]
  26. 2016 Dictionnaire Japhug-Chinois-Français (Version 1.0). Paris: Projet HimalCo. (himalco.huma-num.fr/dictionaries/japhug/dictionary.pdf) (Accessed2024-09-27.)
     [Google Scholar]
  27. 2021a A grammar of Japhug. Berlin: Language Science Press. 10.5281/zenodo.4548232
     https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4548232 [Google Scholar]
  28. 2021b Review of Hill (2019): The historical phonology of Tibetan, Burmese, and Chinese. Journal of Historical Linguistics11(1). 143–158. 10.1075/jhl.20001.jac
     https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.20001.jac [Google Scholar]
  29. Jacques, Guillaume & Chen, Zhen
    2004 The reduplicative forms in Japhug speech. Minzu Yuwen 2004(4). 7–11.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Lai, Yunfan
    2017 Grammaire du khroskyabs de Wobzi. Paris: Université Paris 3 — Sorbonne Nouvelle. (Doctoral dissertation.)
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Lai, Yunfan & Gong, Xun & Gates, Jesse P. & Jacques, Guillaume
    2021 Tangut as a West Gyalrongic language. Folia Linguistica54(s41-s1). 171–203. 10.1515/flih‑2020‑0006
     https://doi.org/10.1515/flih-2020-0006 [Google Scholar]
  32. LaPolla, Randy J. & Huang, Chenglong
    2003 A grammar of Qiang: With annotated texts and glossary. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110197273
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110197273 [Google Scholar]
  33. Li, Fanwen
    (ed.) 1997 A Xixia-Chinese dictionary. Beijing: China Social Sciences Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Liu, Guangkun
    1984 A study of consonant finals in Qiang language. Minzu Yuwen 1984(4). 39–47.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. 1998 Mawo Qiangyu yanjiu. Chengdu: Sichuan People’s Publishing House.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Liu, Huiqiang
    1985 Qiangyu Musuhua yinxi. Qiang Xue1(1). 110–118.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Matisoff, James A.
    2003 Handbook of Proto-Tibeto-Burman: System and philosophy of Sino-Tibetan reconstruction. Berkeley: University of California Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Miyake, Marc Hideo
    2012 Complexity from compression: A sketch of pre-Tangut. InPopova, Irina (ed.), Tanguty v central’noj azii: Sbornik statej v čest’ 80-letija Prof. E. I. Kyčanova, 244–261. Moscow: Oriental Literature.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Ohala, John & Lorentz, James
    1977 The story of [w]: An exercise in the phonetic explanation for sound patterns. InWhistler, Kenneth & Van Valin, Robert D. Jr. & Chiarello, Chris & Jaeger, Jeri J. & Petruck, Miriam & Thompson, Henry & Javkin, Ronya & Woodbury, Anthony (eds.), Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society, 577–599. Berkeley: Berkeley Linguistics Society. 10.3765/bls.v3i0.2264
     https://doi.org/10.3765/bls.v3i0.2264 [Google Scholar]
  40. Sagart, Laurent
    2006 Review of “Handbook of Proto-Tibeto-Burman: System and philosophy of Sino-Tibeto-Burman reconstruction” byJames A. Matisoff. Diachronica23(1). 206–223. 10.1075/dia.23.1.14sag
     https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.23.1.14sag [Google Scholar]
  41. Sims, Nathaniel Aaron
    2023 Vowel harmony in Rma: A diachronic perspective. Folia Linguistica57(s44-s1). 245–280. 10.1515/flin‑2023‑2023
     https://doi.org/10.1515/flin-2023-2023 [Google Scholar]
  42. Sun, Hongkai
    (ed.) 1981 Qiangyu jianzhi. Beijing: Nationalities Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. 1988 On bilingualism in Qiang Nationality — in addition, talking about the influence of Chinese on the Qiang language. Minzu Yuwen 1988(4). 55–65.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Sun, Hongkai & Chen, Shilin & Lu, Shaozun & Zhang, Jichuan & Jiang, Zhuyi & Xu, Xijian
    (eds.) 1991 Zang Mian yu yuyin he cihui. 1st edn.Beijing: China Social Sciences Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Sun, Jackson T.-S.
    2003 Issues in Mawo Qiang phonology. Journal of Taiwanese Languages and Literature1(1). 227–242.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Sun, Jackson T.-S. & Evans, Jonathan P.
    2013 Mawo Qiangyu yuanyin yinxi zai tan. InShi, Feng & Peng, Gang (eds.), Eastward Flows the Great River: Festschrift in Honor of Professor William S-Y. Wang on his 80th Birthday, 135–151. Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. 2015 Qiāng 羌 language. InSybesma, Rint (ed.), Encyclopedia of Chinese language and linguistics online. Leiden: Brill. 10.1163/2210‑7363_ecll_COM_00000347
     https://doi.org/10.1163/2210-7363_ecll_COM_00000347 [Google Scholar]
  48. Wen, Maotao
    2014 The creation of the Qiang ethnicity, its relation to the Rme People, and the preservation of Rme language. Durham: Duke University. (Master’s thesis.)
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Wen, Yu
    1950 An abridged Ch‘iang vocabulary (Chiu Tzu Ying dialect). Studia Serica9(2). 17–54.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Wylie, Turrell
    1959 A standard system of Tibetan transcription. Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies221. 261–267. 10.2307/2718544
     https://doi.org/10.2307/2718544 [Google Scholar]
  51. Zhang, Shuya & Jacques, Guillaume & Lai, Yunfan
    2019 A study of cognates between Gyalrong languages and Old Chinese. Journal of Language Relationship17(1-2). 73–92. 10.31826/jlr‑2019‑171‑210
     https://doi.org/10.31826/jlr-2019-171-210 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00185.sim
Loading
Labialized onsets in Rma
Language and Linguistics 26, 294 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1075/lali.00185.sim
/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00185.sim
/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00185.sim
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): historical linguistics; labialization; phonology; Qiang; Rma; Sino-Tibetan/Trans-Himalayan

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error