Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-gq7q9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-17T09:14:35.076Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

On some endangered Sinitic languages spoken in Northwestern China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 December 2017

Alain Peyraube
Alain Peyraube*
Affiliation:
Centre de recherches linguistiques sur l’Asie orientale, 105 Boulevard Raspail, F-75006 Paris, France. E-mail: alain.peyraube@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper will examine one of the most characteristic syntactic properties of languages, namely the case system for the following three Sinitic languages spoken in Northwestern China: Línxià (or Hézhōu), Tāngwāng, Gāngōu, which have been sometimes viewed as ‘mixed languages’. An answer to the following main questions will be tentatively suggested in the conclusion: do we really have case suffixes in these languages (cases are a morphological notion) or simply thematic roles expressed by postpositions (thematic roles are a semantic notion)? Do we really have a Qinghai-Gansu linguistic area (Sprachbund), as has been suggested? Can these Sinitic languages be characterized as being mixed languages?

Type
Focus: Language Endangerment and Revitalization
Information
European Review , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , February 2018 , pp. 130 - 146
Copyright
© Academia Europaea 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References and Notes

1.See Corbett who summarizes the ‘long-running and still vital debate’ concerning the way in which one can determine the number of cases (case values) in one language. G. Corbett (2008) Determining morphosyntactic feature values: The case of case. In: G. Corbett and Michael Noonan (Eds.), Case and Grammatical Relations – Studies in Honor of Bernard Comrie (Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins), pp. 1–34. See also L. Hjelmslev (1935–1937) La catégorie des cas; étude de grammaire générale (Aarhus: Universitets-vorlaget); J. Kuryłowicz (1949) Le problème du classement des cas. Biuletyn Polskiego Towarzystwa Językoznawczego, 9, pp. 20–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.For more details, see Ma Shujun (1982) Linxiahua zhong de ming + ha jiegou [The structure Noun + ha in Linxia]. Zhongguo yuwen, 1, pp. 72–73; Ma Qiping (1984) Linxia fangyan yufa chutan [Preliminary explorations on the grammar of the Linxia dialect]. Lanzhou xuekan, 1, pp. 79–85; Xie Xiaoan and Zhang Shuming (1990) Gansu Linxia fangyan de yiwen ju [On the interrogatives in the Linxia Dialect of Gansu]. Lanzhou daxue xuebao, 3, pp. 141–146; A. Dwyer (1992) Altaic elements in the Linxia dialect: Contact-induced change on the Yellow-River Plateau. Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 20(1), pp. 160-178; Wang Seng (1993) Gansu Linxiahua zuo buyu de xia [On the complement xia in Gansu Linxia]. Zhongguo yuwen, 5, pp. 374–376; Xie Xiaoan, Hua Kan and Zhang Shuming (1996) Gansu Linxia hanyu fangyan yufa zhong de Anduo zangyu xianxiang [Elements of Amdo Tibetan in the grammar of the Chinese dialect of Linxia in Gansu]. Zhongguo yuwen, 4, pp. 273–280; Luo Peng (2004) Hezhouhua yufa – yuyan jiechu de jieguo [Grammar of the Hezhou dialect – outcomes of language contact]. Xibei shida xuebao, 41(4), pp. 30–32.Google Scholar
3.The transcriptions are given here in the Chinese official system pīnyīn for Standard Mandarin, as Línxià is undoubtedly a Sinitic language belonging to the one of the large Mandarin subgroups. Consequently, no transcription has ever been proposed for it. It goes without saying, however, that the initials, finals and tones in Línxià are quite different from Standard Mandarin.Google Scholar
4. Peyraube, A. (1986) Shuang binyu jiegou – cong Han dai zhi Tang dai de lishi fazhan (Double-object constructions – Historical development from Han times to the Tang dynasty). Zhongguo yuwen, 3, pp. 204–216.Google Scholar
5. Shujun, MA (1984) Hanyu Hezhouhua yu Aertai yuyan [The Chinese Hezhou dialect and Altaic languages]. Minzu yuwen, 2, pp. 50–55.Google Scholar
6.Baonan, not mutually intelligible with Standard Mongolian (also known as Khalkha), is one of the ten recognized Mongolic languages, along with Khalkha, Buriat, Oirat, Kalmyk, Moghol, Dagur, Monguor, Santa, Eastern Yugur. See N. Poppe (1955) Introduction to Mongolian Comparative Studies (Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura). For a good description of the cases in Middle Mongolian (13th–16th CE), including a historical overview, see I. Gruntov (2013) The accusative case in Mongolian languages: A diachronic approach (MS, Russian State University for Humanities); and also I. Gruntov (no date) Middle Mongolian dialects and modern Mongolian languages in regard to their special case systems. Monumenta Altaica. MS.Google Scholar
7. Janhunen, J., Peltomaa, M., Sandman, E. and Dongzhou, Xiawu (2008) Wutun (München: Lincom Europa); E. Sandman (2012) Bonan grammatical features in Wutun Mandarin. In: L. Jalara, J. Saarikivi, E. Sandman and T. Hyytiäinen (Eds), Per Urales as Orientem. Iter Polyphonicum multilingue (Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura), pp. 375–387.Google Scholar
8. Hugjiltu, Wu (2003) Bonan. In: J. Janhunen (Ed.), The Mongolic Languages (London and New York: Routledge), pp. 325–345.Google Scholar
9.For the notions of ‘transfer’, ‘model language’, ‘replica language’ in contact-induced change, see B. Heine and T. Kuteva (2005) Language Contact and Grammatical Change (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press); see also for Chinese Wu Fuxiang (2013) Yufa fuzhi yu jiegou yanbian [Grammatical replication and structural changes]. In: Wu Fuxiang and Xing Xiangdong (Eds), Yufahua yu yufa yanjiu [Grammaticalization and research on Grammar] 6 (Beijing: Shangwu yinshuguan), pp. 329–359.Google Scholar
10.For more information on the Santa (Dōngxiāng) language, see Xu Dan, Wen Shaoqing and Xie Xiaodong (2012) Dongxiangyu he Dongxiang ren [The Dongxiang language and the Dongxiang people]. Minzu yuwen, 3, pp. 59–65.Google Scholar
11.For more on the general characteristics of Tāngwāng, see A. Ibrahim (Chen Yuanlong) 1985 Gansu jing-nei Tangwanghua jilüe [Summary of the Tangwang language in the Gansu province]. Minzu yuwen, 6, pp. 33–47; Xu Dan and A. Peyraube (2009) Case markers in the Tangwang Language. Paper delivered at the 17th International Conference of the International Association of Chinese Linguistics, Paris, 2–4 July; Xu Dan (2011) Tangwanghua de ge biaoji [The case markers in the Tangwang language]. Zhongguo yuwen, 2, pp. 145–154; R. Djamouri (2014) Incorporation de l’objet et caractéristiques typologiques du Tangwang. Paper delivered at the Centre de Recherches Linguistiques sur l’Asie Orientale, Paris, 27 January.Google Scholar
12.The transcriptions also use Mandarin pīnyīn for Tāngwāng. For the differences between the initials, finals and tones in Tāngwāng and in Standard Mandarin, see Xu Dan (2015) Tangwang Initials. In: Cao Guangshun, R. Djamouri and A. Peyraube (Eds), Languages in Contact in North China – Historical and Synchronic Studies (Paris: Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales), pp. 319–338.Google Scholar
13. Dan, Xu (2015) Sinitic languages of Northwest China: Where did their case marking come from? In: Cao Guangshun, R., Djamouri and A. Peyraube (Eds.), Languages in Contact in North China – Historical and Synchronic Studies (Paris: Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales), pp. 217–243.Google Scholar
14. Lide, See Feng and Stuart, K. (1992) Inter-ethnic cultural contact on the Inner Asian frontier: The Gangou people of Minhe county, Qinghai. Sino-Platonic Papers, 33, pp. 4–8.Google Scholar
15. Yongzhong, Zhu, Chuluu, Üjiyediin and Stuart, K. (1995) The Frog Boy: An example of Minhe Monguor. Orientalia Suecana, XLIII–XLIV, pp. 197–207; Zhu Yongzhong, Üjiyediin Chuluu, K. Slater and K. Stuart (1997) Gangou Chinese dialect: A comparative study of a strongly altaicized Chinese dialect and its Mongolic neighbor. Anthropos, 92, pp. 433–450; K. Slater (2003) A Grammar of Mangghuer – A Mongolic language of China’s Qinghai-Gansu Sprachbund (London: Routledge-Curzon).Google Scholar
16.The examples, the transcriptions and the literal English translation are taken from Zhu Yongzhong, Üjiyediin Chuluu, K. Slater and K. Stuart (1997) Gangou Chinese dialect: A comparative study of a strongly altaicized Chinese dialect and its Mongolic neighbor. Anthropos, 92, pp. 433–450. The Chinese characters and most of the glosses are mine.Google Scholar
17. Stassen, L. (1985) Comparison and Universal Grammar (Oxford: Blackwell).Google Scholar
18. Heine, B. and Kuteva, T. (2002) World Lexicon of Grammaticalization (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).Google Scholar
19. Danqing, Liu (2003) Yuxu leixingxue yu jieci lilun [Word order typology and the theory of prepositions] (Beijing: Shangwu yinshuguan).Google Scholar
20. Chappell, H., Peyraube, A. and Yunji, Wu (2011) A comitative source for object markers in Sinitic languages – kai55 in Waxiang and kang7 in Southern Min. Journal of East Asian Linguistics, 20(4), pp. 291–338.Google ScholarPubMed
21. Chappell, H. and Peyraube, A. (2015) The comparative construction in Sinitic languages: Synchronic and diachronic variation. In: H. Chappell (ed.), Diversity in Sinitic Languages (Oxford: Oxford University Press), pp. 134–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22. Heine, B. (2009) Grammaticalization of cases. In: A. Malchukov and A. Spencer (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Case (Oxford: Oxford University Press), pp. 458–469.Google Scholar
23. Comrie, B. (1986) On delimiting cases. In: R.D. Brecht and J.S. Levine (Eds.), Case in Slavic (Columbus, OH: Slavica Publishers), pp. 86–106.Google Scholar
24. Spencer, A. (2008) Does Hungarian have a case system? In: G. Corbett and M. Noonan (Eds), Case and Grammatical Relations – Studies in honor of Bernard Comrie (Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins), pp. 35–56; A. Spencer (2009) Case as a morphological phenomenon. In: A. Malchukov and A. Spencer (Eds), The Oxford Handbook of Case (Oxford: Oxford University Press), pp. 85–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25. Kulikov, L. (2009) Evolution of case systems. In: A. Malchukov and A. Spencer (Eds), The Oxford Handbook of Case (Oxford: Oxford University Press), pp. 440–457.Google Scholar
26. Guangshun, Cao and Hsiao-jung, Yu (2006) Hanyu yufashi zhong de yuyan jiechu yu yufa bianhua [Language contact and grammatical change in Chinese historical grammar]. In: Cao Guangshun and Yu Hsiao-jung Zhonggu hanyu yufa shi yanjiu (Chengdu: Bashu shushe), pp. 138–149.Google Scholar
27.Dryer, however, admits the possibility of ‘remote genetic relationships’: ‘By linguistic area, I intend an area in which at least one linguistic property is shared more often than elsewhere in the world to an extent which is unlikely to be due to chance, but which is probably due either to contact or remote genetic relationships.’ M. Dryer (1989) Large linguistic areas and language sampling. Studies in Language, 13, pp. 257–292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28. Emmeneau, M. (1956) India as a linguistic area. Language, 32, pp. 3–16.Google Scholar
29. Thomason, S. (2001) Language Contact – An Introduction (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press).Google Scholar
30. Aikhenvald, A. and Dixon, R.M.W. (2001) Introduction. In: A. Aikhenvald and R.M.W. Dixon (Eds), Areal Diffusion and Genetic Inheritance (Oxford: Oxford University Press), pp. 1–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31. Enfield, N. (2005) Areal linguistics and Mainland Southeast Asia. Annual Review of Anthropology, 34, pp. 181–206.Google Scholar
32. Matisoff, J. (1991) Areal and universal dimensions of grammatization in Lahu. In: E.C. Traugott and B. Heine (Eds), Approaches to Grammaticalization. Volume 2: Focus on Types of Grammatical Markers (Amsterdam: John Benjamins), pp. 383–454.Google Scholar
33. Chappell, H. (2015) Linguistic areas in China for differential object marking, passive, and comparative constructions. In: H. Chappell (Ed.), Diversity in Sinitic Languages (Oxford: Oxford University Press), pp. 13–52.Google Scholar
34. Peyraube, A. (2015) A comparative analysis of the case system in some Northwestern Sinitic languages. In: Cao Guangshun, R. Djamouri and A. Peyraube (Eds), Languages in Contact in North China – Historical and Synchronic Studies (Paris: Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales), pp. 191–216.Google Scholar