Abstract
Francisco Varo's Arte de la Lengua Mandarina (Canton, 1703) is the first Chinese grammar worthy of its name. From the phonological perspective, its significance derives from the fact that it (a) provided the earliest precise formulation of tone sandhi rules in Chinese - at least in a Western language; (b) sought to give plausible phonetic motivations for the pitch changes observed; and (c) offered insightful comments on such topics as underlying vs. surface tones, the function of tonal distinctions and compounding, etc.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-19 |
| Journal | Journal of Chinese Linguistics |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publication details (e.g. title, author(s), publication statuses and dates) are captured on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis at the time of record harvesting from the data source. Suggestions for further amendments or supplementary information can be sent to [email protected].Research Keywords
- Chinese grammar
- History of linguistics
- Sino-Western cultural intercourse
- Tonology
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