The Wuhan dialect : a hybrid Southwestern Mandarin variety of Sinitic

Abstract

The Sinitic family has been under constant discussion in previous linguistic studies. Through extant research, a North-South demarcation line has been basically discovered within and phenomena of language contact been evidently observed beyond the borders. As academic awareness increases of the plurality in the Sinitic family, the transitional varieties within it require more attention. Wuhan dialect, found in the easternmost point in Southwestern Mandarin, is one such variety that has been under-researched to date and awaits further investigation.

This thesis analyses an array of non-Mandarin characteristics in Wuhan dialect and discovers intense language contact with neighbouring languages. First it presents an overview of the phonological and morphological features in this dialect. Then, both the aspectual system and the multi-functional pa42 in Wuhan dialect are systematically discussed in a pan-Sinitic manner. Finally, the thesis concludes that Wuhan dialect, as a representative of Southwestern Mandarin, is at a transitional point on the North-South continuum of Sinitic.

Based on the findings from this research, I propose that Wuhan dialect is on a transitional point on the North-South continuum in the Sinitic family. Moreover, the non-Mandarin linguistic idiosyncrasies in Wuhan dialect are due to prolonged language contact with neighbouring languages, especially Changsha Xiang, which has played an important role in the making of Wuhan dialect.