On the Great Vowel Shift as a Drag Chain Occurring During the Eastern Han Dynasty: Based on the Evidence of Phonological Classes and Phonological Values in the He-Luo Region
Bian Tiangang, Lu Lu
Center for Studies of History of Chinese Language, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Abstract The first Great Vowel Shift in the history of Chinese is generally considered to have occurred as a push chain sound change between the post-Western Jin Period and the early Northern Dynasties. However, documentary evidence suggests that this first Great Vowel Shift in Chinese history was a drag chain triggered by the vowel split *uu>?uu>aau, and the initial sound change of *uu>?uu>aau splitting began as early as the Western Han Period. The entire sound change process had largely been completed by the Eastern Han Period, much earlier than previously thought. This chain sound change is evident in both the refined pronunciations of the He-Luo and Qi-Lu regions during the Eastern Han Dynasty, albeit with slight differences in the pace of change, with the changes of Qi-Lu pronunciation occurring slightly later. This paper focuses on the reorganization of phonological classes and rhyme sections presented in the Eastern Han He-Luo region, as well as the phonological values of the original languages corresponding to reliable translated scriptural transliterations, to describe and explain the situation of the Great Vowel Shift within the Eastern Han He-Luo refined pronunciation. It is clearly stated that for the Eastern Han He-Luo refined pronunciation, each link in the chain of the Great Vowel Shift had been profoundly developed, and might have been completely finished. The Great Vowel Shift significantly restructured the structure and number of Old Chinese rhyme categories, together with the adjustments in the initial consonant system, propelled the transition from the Old Chinese phonological system to a completely new Middle Chinese framework. The phonological quality changes that occurred during the Eastern Han period marked a watershed between Old and Middle Chinese, aligning with the periodization recognized in the fields of lexicon and grammar.
Bian Tiangang,Lu Lu. On the Great Vowel Shift as a Drag Chain Occurring During the Eastern Han Dynasty: Based on the Evidence of Phonological Classes and Phonological Values in the He-Luo Region[J]. JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY, 2024, 54(6): 120-136.
2024, Vol. 54 
