Four-stage evolution of Jìn Chinese entering tones: from Lǚliáng to Bìngzhōu

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the evolution of entering tones in Jìn Chinese. A “flip-flop” phenomenon has been observed in the entering tone systems of Jìn dialects. Both Lǚliáng and Bìngzhōu Jìn possess two entering tones: Yīnrù and Yángrù. In Bìngzhōu Jìn, the entering tones display a “Yīn-low vs. Yáng-high” contrast, which is the reverse of the Lǚliáng pattern of “Yīn-high vs. Yáng-low”. Recordings from 34 native speakers of Lǚliáng and Bìngzhōu Jìn were acoustically and phonologically analysed. Based on these findings, the study reconstructs a four-stage developmental pathway illustrating how the Lǚliáng “Yīn-high vs. Yáng-low” contrast evolved into the Bìngzhōu “Yīn-low vs. Yáng-high” contrast.