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Towards a new dialectology of Situ Gyalrong

 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University
 | Trinity College Dublin
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Abstract
This article proposes a refined dialectological framework for Situ Gyalrong and pursues two primary objectives. First, by identifying shared innovations, it delimits the external boundaries of Situ within the Gyalrongic subgroup, thereby resolving debates about the affiliation of its northern dialects spoken around Barkam with those of the southern regions. Second, building on Gong’s (Gong, Xun. 2017. Mariëlle Prins: A grammar of rGyalrong, Jiǎomùzú (Kyom-kyo) dialects: A web of relations. (Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library.) xxiv, 782 pp. Leiden: Brill, 2016. €197. ISBN 978 9 004 32456 5. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 80(2). 393–394. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; . 2018. Le rgyalrong zbu, une langue tibéto-birmane de Chine du Sud-ouest: Une étude descriptive, typologique et comparative. Paris: Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO). (Doctoral dissertation.)) distinction between deprenasalizing and leniting dialects, the paper argues that both deprenasalization and lenition occurred multiple times in Situ dialects. It identifies distinct strata of deprenasalization separating southern and northern varieties within the deprenasalizing group and demonstrates that lenition of voiceless stops defines a Bragbar-Kyomkyo subclade within the leniting group. While the proposed classification provides a foundation for future research, the sound changes examined, deprenasalization, lenition, and fortition, also contribute to Gyalrongic historical linguistics and to the areal typology of sound changes in the Qiangic-speaking region.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Previous classification
    • 2.1Gates (2014)
    • 2.2Gong (2017; 2018)
    • 2.3Terminology and data of the present study
  • 3.Situ as a subgroup of Gyalrong proper
    • 3.1Phonological innovations
      • 3.1.1Neutralization of Proto-Gyalrong uvular and velar consonants
      • 3.1.2Palatalization of Proto-Gyalrong numeral ‘ten’
      • 3.1.3Palatalization of alveolar affricates and fricatives
    • 3.2Lexical innovations
      • 3.2.1Lexical and morpho-lexical innovations
      • 3.2.2Kinship terminology
      • 3.2.3Orientation system
    • 3.3Morphological innovations
      • 3.3.1Generic use of first-person plural possessive forms
      • 3.3.2Collectives of reciprocal social relations
  • 4.Deprenasalization in Situ A
    • 4.1Deprenasalization as a shared innovation of Situ A
      • 4.1.1Labial prenasalized stop *ⁿb-
      • 4.1.2Velar prenasalized stop *ⁿg-
      • 4.1.3Alveolar prenasalized consonants *ⁿd- and *ⁿdz-
    • 4.2Deprenasalization as independent innovations within Situ
  • 5.Fortition and lenition in Situ B
    • 5.1Phonological innovations of Situ B
      • 5.1.1*j- fortition
      • 5.1.2*ts- > z- lenition
      • 5.1.3Palatal obstruent voicing
    • 5.2Lenition as independent innovations within Situ B
      • 5.2.1Lenition of *p-
      • 5.2.2Lenition of *k-
      • 5.2.3Lenition of *t-
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • List of abbreviations
  • References
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