Explorations in the phonological reconstruction of proto-qiandong-hmongic onsets
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2012
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Abstract
This thesis concerns itself with the reconstruction of Proto-Qiandong-Hmongic onsets. It compares fieldwork data from two sources and 24 dialects of the Qian dong subgroup, spoken in China's Guizhou province, in order to synthesize a set of onsets for their common ancestor. The reconstruction has twofold relevance, in terms of both elucidating Hmong-Mien language history and bettering understanding of the typology of diachronic development of aspirated spirants, the most distinctive feature of the Qiandong dialects. 34 onsets are reconstructed at the Proto-Qiandong-Hmongic level, including aspirated spirants, five distinct liquids, and prenasalized stops. The typology of fricative development is expanded by determining sources for multiple different aspiration contrasts in spirants, namely a reductive chain shift for the aspirated alveolars and palatals, palatalized bilabials for the aspirated labiodentals, and spirantizing aspirated liquids for the aspirated lateral fricative. Those developments are determined to have occuned prior to Proto-Qiandong-Hmongic in at least two prior stages.
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Bibliography: p. 110-117
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Carveth, V. (2012). Explorations in the phonological reconstruction of proto-qiandong-hmongic onsets (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/4921