Issues in classification of Prinmi dialects

Abstract

The pioneer works on Prinmi (or Pumi, the exonym in Mandarin) conducted by Lu Shaozun and Sun Hongkai in the 1950s and 1980s describe seven varieties of the following localities: 1. Q¯inghu¯a (Lánpíng, Yunnan), 2. Lˇudi¯an (Yùlóng, Yunnan), 3. X¯inyíngpán (southern Nínglàng, Yunnan), 4. Táob¯a (Mùlˇi, Sichuan), 5. Tu¯oq¯i (northern Nínglàng, Yunnan), 6. Zuˇosuˇo (Yányuán, Sichuan) and 7. S¯anyánlóng (Jiˇulóng, Sichuan). Lu (1983; 2001) proffers a geographically-based classification, which divides them into Southern Prinmi (1. to 3.) and Northern Prinmi (4. to 7.). Northern Prinmi includes all varieties spoken in Sichuan and northern part of Ninglang in Yunnan; other varieties spoken elsewhere in Yunnan are regarded as belonging to Southern Prinmi. Under this classification scheme, however, no consistent characteristics can be found among the seven varieties. Using data from his fieldwork and others such as Matisoff (1997), Ding (2011) proposes a three-way dialectal grouping based on phonological features: Central Prinmi (with rhoticized velars as relics of *gr and *kr in ProtoTibeto-Burman), Western Prinmi (with fricative-initial consonant clusters), and Northern Prinmi (with none of these). The biggest shortcoming of this improved scheme lies in its focus on retained features instead of innovated ones. The purpose of the present study is two-fold: submitting a dialectal classification based on innovated phonological features, and discussing some difficulties in Prinmi dialectology. The latter includes: (a) scanty of data available from varieties spoken in Sichuan, in spite of its being the core speaking region of Prinmi, and (b) limitation of the shared innovation principle in consideration of contact-induced sound change and parallelism in language development. Ding, Picus. 2011. A Preliminary Classification of Prinmi Dialects. Presented at the 17th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, September 6-9, Kobe, Japan. Lu, Shaozun. 1983. Pumiyu jianzhi [A brief account of the Pumi language]. Beijing: Nationalities Publisher. Lu, Shaozun. 2001. Pumiyu fangyan yanjiu [A dialectal study of the Pumi language]. Beijing: Nationalities Publisher. Matisoff, James. 1997. Dàyáng Pumi phonology and adumbrations of comparative Qiangic. In Suwilai Premsrirat et al (Ed.), Memorial Volume for Paul K. Benedict (Mon-Khmer Studies 27) (pp. 171-213). Bangkok: Mahidol University.