The Chinese Language: Its Nature and...
Transcript of The Chinese Language: Its Nature and...
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1
The Chinese Language:
Its Nature and History
David Prager Branner
China Institute
“Teach China”
2011.03.23
![Page 2: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 2
The Chinese Language:
Its Nature and History
David Prager Branner
China Institute
“Teach China”
2011.03.23
![Page 3: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 3
My background
![Page 4: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 4
My background
in high school: computer programming, Latin
![Page 5: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 5
My background
in high school: computer programming, Latin
in college: Chinese, phonetic field methods
![Page 6: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 6
My background
in high school: computer programming, Latin
in college: Chinese, phonetic field methods
graduate school: Chinese dialectology and philology
![Page 7: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 7
My background
in high school: computer programming, Latin
in college: Chinese, phonetic field methods
graduate school: Chinese dialectology and philology
including 3 years’ fieldwork in rural China
![Page 8: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 8
My background
in high school: computer programming, Latin
in college: Chinese, phonetic field methods
graduate school: Chinese dialectology and philology
including 3 years’ fieldwork in rural China
academic life: running a Chinese program (U. Maryland)
![Page 9: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 9
My background
in high school: computer programming, Latin
in college: Chinese, phonetic field methods
graduate school: Chinese dialectology and philology
including 3 years’ fieldwork in rural China
academic life: running a Chinese program (U. Maryland),
research in Chinese philology and lexicography
![Page 10: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 10
My background
in high school: computer programming, Latin
in college: Chinese, phonetic field methods
graduate school: Chinese dialectology and philology
including 3 years’ fieldwork in rural China
academic life: running a Chinese program (U. Maryland),
research in Chinese philology and lexicography
post-academic life: Chinese lexicography, computer
engineering
![Page 11: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 11
I will discuss
![Page 12: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 12
I will discuss
• some of the notable features of Chinese
![Page 13: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 13
I will discuss
• some of the notable features of Chinese
• (and how they are received by the American student)
![Page 14: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 14
I will discuss
• some of the notable features of Chinese
• (and how they are received by the American student)
• (briefly) historical aspects of the features of Chinese
![Page 15: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 15
I will discuss
• some of the notable features of Chinese
• (and how they are received by the American student)
• (briefly) historical aspects of the features of Chinese
• the relevance of the features (and history) to Chinese
civilization
![Page 16: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 16
I will discuss
• some of the notable features of Chinese
• (and how they are received by the American student)
• (briefly) historical aspects of the features of Chinese
• the relevance of the features (and history) to Chinese
civilization
Outline:
![Page 17: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 17
I will discuss
• some of the notable features of Chinese
• (and how they are received by the American student)
• (briefly) historical aspects of the features of Chinese
• the relevance of the features (and history) to Chinese
civilization
Outline: 1. Preliminaries
2. The shape of Chinese words
3. “Dialect”
4. Writing
5. Grammar
6. How Chinese language is written down
7. Consequences for civilization
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 18
1. Preliminaries
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 19
1. Preliminaries
a. “Mandarin”: the standard language only since 1919
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 20
1. Preliminaries
a. “Mandarin”: the standard language only since 1919
i. originally a koin! (de facto common language) of officials
![Page 21: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 21
1. Preliminaries
a. “Mandarin”: the standard language only since 1919
i. originally a koin! (de facto common language) of officials
ii. based on the local speech of Beijing and Nanjing
![Page 22: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 22
1. Preliminaries
a. “Mandarin”: the standard language only since 1919
i. originally a koin! (de facto common language) of officials
ii. based on the local speech of Beijing and Nanjing
(but different from them because first a koin! and later a
promulgated standard language)
![Page 23: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 23
1. Preliminaries
a. “Mandarin”: the standard language only since 1919
i. originally a koin! (de facto common language) of officials
ii. based on the local speech of Beijing and Nanjing
(but different from them because first a koin! and later a
promulgated standard language)
iii. simpler than the majority of historical forms of Chinese
![Page 24: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 24
1. Preliminaries
a. “Mandarin”: the standard language only since 1919
i. originally a koin! (de facto common language) of officials
ii. based on the local speech of Beijing and Nanjing
(but different from them because first a koin! and later a
promulgated standard language)
iii. simpler than the majority of historical forms of Chinese
iv. for our purposes, complicated enough for illustration
![Page 25: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 25
1. Preliminaries
a. “Mandarin”: the standard language only since 1919
i. originally a koin! (de facto common language) of officials
ii. based on the local speech of Beijing and Nanjing
(but different from them because first a koin! and later a
promulgated standard language)
iii. simpler than the majority of historical forms of Chinese
iv. for our purposes, complicated enough for illustration
b. distinguish “language” (spoken) from “writing”/“script”
![Page 26: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 26
1. Preliminaries
a. “Mandarin”: the standard language only since 1919
i. originally a koin! (de facto common language) of officials
ii. based on the local speech of Beijing and Nanjing
(but different from them because first a koin! and later a
promulgated standard language)
iii. simpler than the majority of historical forms of Chinese
iv. for our purposes, complicated enough for illustration
b. distinguish “language” (spoken) from “writing”/“script”
i. to discuss Mandarin language, we use romanization
![Page 27: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 27
1. Preliminaries
a. “Mandarin”: the standard language only since 1919
i. originally a koin! (de facto common language) of officials
ii. based on the local speech of Beijing and Nanjing
(but different from them because first a koin! and later a
promulgated standard language)
iii. simpler than the majority of historical forms of Chinese
iv. for our purposes, complicated enough for illustration
b. distinguish “language” (spoken) from “writing”/“script”
i. to discuss Mandarin language, we use romanization
ii. “Pinyin”: Hàny! P"ny"n, devised in 1950s
![Page 28: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 28
1. Preliminaries
a. “Mandarin”: the standard language only since 1919
i. originally a koin! (de facto common language) of officials
ii. based on the local speech of Beijing and Nanjing
(but different from them because first a koin! and later a
promulgated standard language)
iii. simpler than the majority of historical forms of Chinese
iv. for our purposes, complicated enough for illustration
b. distinguish “language” (spoken) from “writing”/“script”
i. to discuss Mandarin language, we use romanization
ii. “Pinyin”: Hàny! P"ny"n, devised in 1950s
iii. no better or worse than other systems, but widespread
![Page 29: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 29
2. Shape of Chinese words
![Page 30: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 30
2. Shape of Chinese words
a. simple “syllable initial” + simple “syllable final”
![Page 31: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 31
2. Shape of Chinese words
a. simple “syllable initial” + simple “syllable final”
b. final has “tone” (discussed below)
![Page 32: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 32
2. Shape of Chinese words
a. simple “syllable initial” + simple “syllable final”
b. final has “tone” (discussed below)
c. initials: no clusters (*pl-, *str-, etc.)
![Page 33: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 33
2. Shape of Chinese words
a. simple “syllable initial” + simple “syllable final”
b. final has “tone” (discussed below)
c. initials: no clusters (*pl-, *str-, etc.)
d. typically small number of
![Page 34: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 34
2. Shape of Chinese words
a. simple “syllable initial” + simple “syllable final”
b. final has “tone” (discussed below)
c. initials: no clusters (*pl-, *str-, etc.)
d. typically small number of
i. vowels (4-6 contrastively): {a e i o u} or {a ! i u}
![Page 35: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 35
2. Shape of Chinese words
a. simple “syllable initial” + simple “syllable final”
b. final has “tone” (discussed below)
c. initials: no clusters (*pl-, *str-, etc.)
d. typically small number of
i. vowels (4-6 contrastively): {a e i o u} or {a ! i u}
ii. codas (3-9): -n -ng [open]
![Page 36: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 36
2. Shape of Chinese words
a. simple “syllable initial” + simple “syllable final”
b. final has “tone” (discussed below)
c. initials: no clusters (*pl-, *str-, etc.)
d. typically small number of
i. vowels (4-6 contrastively): {a e i o u} or {a ! i u}
ii. codas (3-8): -n -ng [open]
iii. Mandarin has 25 initials (on the high side in Chinese)
![Page 37: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 37
2. Shape of Chinese words
a. simple “syllable initial” + simple “syllable final”
b. final has “tone” (discussed below)
c. initials: no clusters (*pl-, *str-, etc.)
d. typically small number of
i. vowels (4-6 contrastively): {a e i o u} or {a ! i u}
ii. codas (3-8): -n -ng [open]
iii. Mandarin has 25 initials (on the high side in Chinese)
e. examples variously below
![Page 38: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 38
2. Shape of Chinese words
a. simple “syllable initial” + simple “syllable final”
b. final has “tone” (discussed below)
c. initials: no clusters (*pl-, *str-, etc.)
d. typically small number of
i. vowels (4-6 contrastively): {a e i o u} or {a ! i u}
ii. codas (3-8): -n -ng [open]
iii. Mandarin has 25 initials (on the high side in Chinese)
e. examples variously below
![Page 39: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 39
2b. Tone
• contrasting “pitch contours” that distinguish words
![Page 40: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 40
2b. Tone
• contrasting “pitch contours” that distinguish words
• number of tones in a given variety: 2 to 10+
![Page 41: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 41
2b. Tone
• contrasting “pitch contours” that distinguish words
• number of tones in a given variety: 2 to 10+
• standard Mandarin has 5 tones
![Page 42: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/42.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 42
2b. Tone
• contrasting “pitch contours” that distinguish words
• number of tones in a given variety: 2 to 10+
• standard Mandarin has 5 tones
• represented in Pinyin with diacritics (marks over vowels):
![Page 43: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 43
2b. Tone
• contrasting “pitch contours” that distinguish words
• number of tones in a given variety: 2 to 10+
• standard Mandarin has 5 tones
• represented in Pinyin with diacritics (marks over vowels):
l!i ! ‘to strangle’;" ‘to hit’
léi # ‘thunder’; $ ‘earthen vessel’! ‘radium’
l"i ! ‘to pile up’; % ‘bud of flower’ & ‘stone rampart’
lèi " ‘category’; # ‘tears’ ' ‘tired’
lei $ [particle used at end of sentences]
![Page 44: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 44
2b. Tone
• contrasting “pitch contours” that distinguish words
• number of tones in a given variety: 2 to 10+
• standard Mandarin has 5 tones
• represented in Pinyin with diacritics (marks over vowels):
l!i ! ‘to strangle’;" ‘to hit’
léi # ‘thunder’; $ ‘earthen vessel’! ‘radium’
l"i ! ‘to pile up’; % ‘bud of flower’ & ‘stone rampart’
lèi " ‘category’; # ‘tears’ ' ‘tired’
lei $ [particle used at end of sentences]
• the tones themselves have no meaning, but help distinguish
different words; they are not optional!
![Page 45: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/45.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 45
2b. Tone
• contrasting “pitch contours” that distinguish words
• number of tones in a given variety: 2 to 10+
• standard Mandarin has 5 tones
• represented in Pinyin with diacritics (marks over vowels):
l!i ! ‘to strangle’;" ‘to hit’
léi # ‘thunder’; $ ‘earthen vessel’! ‘radium’
l"i ! ‘to pile up’; % ‘bud of flower’ & ‘stone rampart’
lèi " ‘category’; # ‘tears’ ' ‘tired’
lei $ [particle used at end of sentences]
• the tones themselves have no meaning, but help distinguish
different words; they are not optional!
• the contrast persists in longer words:
![Page 46: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/46.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 46
2b. Tone: 4 relatively common 2-syllable words (recognizable
in speech), with pronunciations differing only by
tone:
![Page 47: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/47.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 47
2b. Tone: 4 relatively common 2-syllable words (recognizable
in speech), with pronunciations differing only by
tone:
q#fu () ‘to mistreat’
qífú *+ ‘to pray for good fortune’
q$fú ,- ‘ups and downs in life’
qìfù ./ ‘abandoned wife’
![Page 48: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/48.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 48
2b. Tone: 15 relatively common 2-syllable words (not all
recognizable in speech), with 9 pronunciations
differing only by tone:
![Page 49: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/49.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 49
2b. Tone: 15 relatively common 2-syllable words (not all
recognizable in speech), with 9 pronunciations
differing only by tone:
y#sh# %& ‘doctor’
y#shí 0' ‘in accordance
with the facts’
12 ‘clothing and
food’
yísh# "3 ‘to lose’
"# ‘posthumous
poetry’
yíshì (4 ‘ceremony, ritual’
56 ‘one generation’
y$shì 78 ‘therefore’
yìshi 9$ ‘mentality’
yìshí 5) ‘a period of time’
:) ‘diachronic’
yìsh$ %; ‘courier’
yìshì :< ‘a strange matter’
&' ‘translate and
explain’
=> ‘scholar who
withdraws from
civilization’
![Page 50: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/50.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 50
2b. Tone: Examples of tonal contrasts in longer words:
![Page 51: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/51.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 51
2b. Tone: Examples of tonal contrasts in longer words:
ji%ncháyuán (?) ‘supervisor’
ji&ncháyuán *@) ‘inspector’
ji&ncháyuàn *?A ‘procuratorate’
qi%nz&i yìshí B+5) ‘once in a thousand years’ (said of
an opportunity or achievement)
qiánzài yìshi *C9$ ‘subconscious’
xi%nx# wúyí +DE" ‘to be detailed and without
omissions’ (of reports)
xiánxí w'yì ,-F, ‘to be skilled at martial arts’
![Page 52: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/52.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 52
2b. Tone
![Page 53: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/53.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 53
2b. Tone
How received by the American student?
![Page 54: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/54.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 54
2b. Tone
How received by the American student?
• natural for some
![Page 55: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/55.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 55
2b. Tone
How received by the American student?
• natural for some
• impossible for others
![Page 56: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/56.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 56
2b. Tone
How received by the American student?
• natural for some
• impossible for others
(yet tone-deaf people in China learn them correctly)
![Page 57: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/57.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 57
2b. Tone
How received by the American student?
• natural for some
• impossible for others
(yet tone-deaf people in China learn them correctly)
• generally an object of fascination
![Page 58: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/58.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 58
2b. Tone
How received by the American student?
• natural for some
• impossible for others
(yet tone-deaf people in China learn them correctly)
• generally an object of fascination
• practice listening to oneself helps
![Page 59: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/59.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 59
3. Dialect
![Page 60: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/60.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 60
3. Dialect
a. some now insist on term “topolect”, with political freight
![Page 61: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/61.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 61
3. Dialect
a. some now insist on term “topolect”, with political freight
b. let’s agree that by this we mean “regional variant”
![Page 62: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/62.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 62
3. Dialect
a. some now insist on term “topolect”, with political freight
b. let’s agree that by this we mean “regional variant”
c. range of what we are talking about:
![Page 63: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/63.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 63
3. Dialect
a. some now insist on term “topolect”, with political freight
b. let’s agree that by this we mean “regional variant”
c. range of what we are talking about:
i. may merely be non-standard pronunciation of Mandarin
![Page 64: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/64.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 64
3. Dialect
a. some now insist on term “topolect”, with political freight
b. let’s agree that by this we mean “regional variant”
c. range of what we are talking about:
i. may merely be non-standard pronunciation of Mandarin
ii. or separate “Sinitic” languages, including some that are
![Page 65: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/65.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 65
3. Dialect
a. some now insist on term “topolect”, with political freight
b. let’s agree that by this we mean “regional variant”
c. range of what we are talking about:
i. may merely be non-standard pronunciation of Mandarin
ii. or separate “Sinitic” languages, including some that are
#. mutually unintelligible
![Page 66: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/66.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 66
3. Dialect
a. some now insist on term “topolect”, with political freight
b. let’s agree that by this we mean “regional variant”
c. range of what we are talking about:
i. may merely be non-standard pronunciation of Mandarin
ii. or separate “Sinitic” languages, including some that are
#. mutually unintelligible
$. structurally distinct (grammar, lexicon, phonology)
![Page 67: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/67.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 67
3. Dialect
a. some now insist on term “topolect”, with political freight
b. let’s agree that by this we mean “regional variant”
c. range of what we are talking about:
i. may merely be non-standard pronunciation of Mandarin
ii. or separate “Sinitic” languages, including some that are
#. mutually unintelligible
$. structurally distinct (grammar, lexicon, phonology)
%. historically divergent (non-Chinese substrate, creole, etc.)
![Page 68: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/68.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 68
3. Dialect
a. some now insist on term “topolect”, with political freight
b. let’s agree that by this we mean “regional variant”
c. range of what we are talking about:
i. may merely be non-standard pronunciation of Mandarin
ii. or separate “Sinitic” languages, including some that are
#. mutually unintelligible
$. structurally distinct (grammar, lexicon, phonology)
%. historically divergent (non-Chinese substrate, creole, etc.)
d. how many? figuring an average of one per Chinese county,
2800
![Page 69: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/69.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 69
3. Dialect
a. some now insist on term “topolect”, with political freight
b. let’s agree that by this we mean “regional variant”
c. range of what we are talking about:
i. may merely be non-standard pronunciation of Mandarin
ii. or separate “Sinitic” languages, including some that are
#. mutually unintelligible
$. structurally distinct (grammar, lexicon, phonology)
%. historically divergent (non-Chinese substrate, creole, etc.)
d. how many? figuring an average of one per Chinese county,
2800
e. too big a subject for today…
![Page 70: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/70.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 70
4. Writing: Characters
![Page 71: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/71.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 71
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
![Page 72: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/72.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 72
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
![Page 73: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/73.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 73
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
![Page 74: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/74.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 74
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice
![Page 75: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/75.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 75
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice *not kidding
![Page 76: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/76.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 76
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice *not kidding
i. their study responds well to rote study
![Page 77: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/77.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 77
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice *not kidding
i. their study responds well to rote study
ii. how do Americans respond to that?
![Page 78: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/78.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 78
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice *not kidding
i. their study responds well to rote study
ii. how do Americans respond to that?
iii. how might rote study be marketed to American students?
![Page 79: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/79.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 79
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice *not kidding
i. their study responds well to rote study
ii. how do Americans respond to that?
iii. how might rote study be marketed to American students?
e. major simplification movement (1928-1986)
![Page 80: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/80.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 80
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice *not kidding
i. their study responds well to rote study
ii. how do Americans respond to that?
iii. how might rote study be marketed to American students?
e. major simplification movement (1928-1986)
i. originally intended to replace characters with Pinyin (?!)
![Page 81: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/81.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 81
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice *not kidding
i. their study responds well to rote study
ii. how do Americans respond to that?
iii. how might rote study be marketed to American students?
e. major simplification movement (1928-1986)
i. originally intended to replace characters with Pinyin (?!)
ii. some savings of time when writing
![Page 82: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/82.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 82
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice *not kidding
i. their study responds well to rote study
ii. how do Americans respond to that?
iii. how might rote study be marketed to American students?
e. major simplification movement (1928-1986)
i. originally intended to replace characters with Pinyin (?!)
ii. some savings of time when writing
iii. no savings of time when reading (per measurements)
![Page 83: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/83.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 83
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice *not kidding
i. their study responds well to rote study
ii. how do Americans respond to that?
iii. how might rote study be marketed to American students?
e. major simplification movement (1928-1986)
i. originally intended to replace characters with Pinyin (?!)
ii. some savings of time when writing
iii. no savings of time when reading (per measurements)
iv. essentially no effect on the structure of the system
![Page 84: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/84.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 84
4. Writing: Characters
a. We know far more about historical writing than historical
pronunciation (and so writing is discussed in detail below)
b. numerous, diverse, very complicated to learn
c. high prestige — the crown jewel of Chinese civilization
d. require enormous* amount of practice *not kidding
i. their study responds well to rote study
ii. how do Americans respond to that?
iii. how might rote study be marketed to American students?
e. major simplification movement (1928-1986)
i. originally intended to replace characters with Pinyin (?!)
ii. some savings of time when writing
iii. no savings of time when reading (per measurements)
iv. essentially no effect on the structure of the system
v. not much help for Americans…
![Page 85: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/85.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 85
5. Grammar
![Page 86: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/86.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 86
5. Grammar
a. deceptively simple
![Page 87: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/87.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 87
5. Grammar
a. deceptively simple
b. many Chinese people say there is none!
![Page 88: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/88.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 88
5. Grammar
a. deceptively simple
b. many Chinese people say there is none!
c. “isolating typology”:
![Page 89: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/89.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 89
5. Grammar
a. deceptively simple
b. many Chinese people say there is none!
c. “isolating typology”:
i. no derivational affixes
![Page 90: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/90.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 90
5. Grammar
a. deceptively simple
b. many Chinese people say there is none!
c. “isolating typology”:
i. no derivational affixes
ii. parts of speech determined by syntax
![Page 91: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/91.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 91
5c. Isolating typology
![Page 92: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/92.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 92
5c. Isolating typology
• no “derivational morphology”
![Page 93: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/93.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 93
5c. Isolating typology
• no “derivational morphology”
• i.e., words do not change form with change in meaning
English: book/books; mouse/mice (plural of nouns)
![Page 94: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/94.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 94
5c. Isolating typology
• no “derivational morphology”
• i.e., words do not change form with change in meaning
English: book/books; mouse/mice (plural of nouns)
English: see/sees/saw/seen (forms of verb)
seeing (participle and verbal noun)
sight (noun)
![Page 95: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/95.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 95
5c. Isolating typology
• no “derivational morphology”
• i.e., words do not change form with change in meaning
English: book/books; mouse/mice (plural of nouns)
English: see/sees/saw/seen (forms of verb)
seeing (participle and verbal noun)
sight (noun)
• Chinese has:
![Page 96: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/96.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 96
5c. Isolating typology
• no “derivational morphology”
• i.e., words do not change form with change in meaning
English: book/books; mouse/mice (plural of nouns)
English: see/sees/saw/seen (forms of verb)
seeing (participle and verbal noun)
sight (noun)
• Chinese has:
• no plurals or declensions
![Page 97: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/97.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 97
5c. Isolating typology
• no “derivational morphology”
• i.e., words do not change form with change in meaning
English: book/books; mouse/mice (plural of nouns)
English: see/sees/saw/seen (forms of verb)
seeing (participle and verbal noun)
sight (noun)
• Chinese has:
• no plurals or declensions
• no tenses or conjugations
![Page 98: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/98.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 98
5c. Isolating typology
• no “derivational morphology”
• i.e., words do not change form with change in meaning
English: book/books; mouse/mice (plural of nouns)
English: see/sees/saw/seen (forms of verb)
seeing (participle and verbal noun)
sight (noun)
• Chinese has:
• no plurals or declensions
• no tenses or conjugations
• no visible distinction between the same word used in
different parts of speech
![Page 99: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/99.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 99
5c. Isolating typology
• no “derivational morphology”
• i.e., words do not change form with change in meaning
English: book/books; mouse/mice (plural of nouns)
English: see/sees/saw/seen (forms of verb)
seeing (participle and verbal noun)
sight (noun)
• Chinese has:
• no plurals or declensions
• no tenses or conjugations
• no visible distinction between the same word used in
different parts of speech
• parts of speech are determined by syntax
![Page 100: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/100.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 100
5c. Isolating typology, continued:
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 101
5c. Isolating typology, continued:
Example: xi"n wéi rén zh# ./GH ‘little known’. Usage:
![Page 102: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/102.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 102
5c. Isolating typology, continued:
Example: xi"n wéi rén zh# ./GH ‘little known’. Usage:
• verb IJKL./GHMThe hundred year-old house is little known.
![Page 103: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/103.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 103
5c. Isolating typology, continued:
Example: xi"n wéi rén zh# ./GH ‘little known’. Usage:
• verb IJKL./GHMThe hundred year-old house is little known.
• noun NOPQ0R1SO./GHMIts charm comes from the ‘little-knownness’ of the
pattern [= the fact that the pattern is little known].
![Page 104: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/104.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 104
5c. Isolating typology, continued:
Example: xi"n wéi rén zh# ./GH ‘little known’. Usage:
• verb IJKL./GHMThe hundred year-old house is little known.
• noun NOPQ0R1SO./GHMIts charm comes from the ‘little-knownness’ of the
pattern [= the fact that the pattern is little known].
• adverb TUVW2-OX<YZ./GH[\3]^MThe story of Little Japan being fed to crocodiles has
been ‘little-knownly’ passed down to the present day
[= without becoming widely known].
![Page 105: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/105.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 105
5c. Isolating typology, continued:
Example: xi"n wéi rén zh# ./GH ‘little known’. Usage:
• verb IJKL./GHMThe hundred year-old house is little known.
• noun NOPQ0R1SO./GHMIts charm comes from the ‘little-knownness’ of the
pattern [= the fact that the pattern is little known].
• adverb TUVW2-OX<YZ./GH[\3]^MThe story of Little Japan being fed to crocodiles has
been ‘little-knownly’ passed down to the present day
[= without becoming widely known].
Yoga-like circumlocution is often needed in English translation.
![Page 106: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/106.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 106
5d. Compositional word-structure
![Page 107: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/107.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 107
5d. Compositional word-structure
• many words can be analyzed as compounds of smaller words
![Page 108: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/108.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 108
5d. Compositional word-structure
• many words can be analyzed as compounds of smaller words
• fewer opaque words
![Page 109: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/109.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 109
5d. Compositional word-structure
• many words can be analyzed as compounds of smaller words
• fewer opaque words
English Chinese composed of
bull g$ngniú _` ‘male’ + niú ‘ox’
cow m%niú a` ‘female’ + niú ‘ox’
steer y&nniú b` ‘castrated’ + niú ‘ox’
calf xi"oniú T` ‘young’ + niú ‘ox’
heifer xi"om%niú Ta` ‘young’ + ‘cow’
beef niúròu `c niú ‘ox’ + ‘meat’
![Page 110: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/110.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 110
5d. Compositional word-structure
• many words can be analyzed as compounds of smaller words
• fewer opaque words
English Chinese composed of
bull g$ngniú _` ‘male’ + niú ‘ox’
cow m%niú a` ‘female’ + niú ‘ox’
steer y&nniú b` ‘castrated’ + niú ‘ox’
calf xi"oniú T` ‘young’ + niú ‘ox’
heifer xi"om%niú Ta` ‘young’ + ‘cow’
beef niúròu `c niú ‘ox’ + ‘meat’
! ? niú ` [general word]
![Page 111: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/111.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 111
5d. Compositional word-structure
• many words can be analyzed as compounds of smaller words
• fewer opaque words
English Chinese composed of
bull g$ngniú _` ‘male’ + niú ‘ox’
cow m%niú a` ‘female’ + niú ‘ox’
steer y&nniú b` ‘castrated’ + niú ‘ox’
calf xi"oniú T` ‘young’ + niú ‘ox’
heifer xi"om%niú Ta` ‘young’ + ‘cow’
beef niúròu `c niú ‘ox’ + ‘meat’
! ox? cow?niú ` [general word]
cattle? kine?
![Page 112: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/112.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 112
5d. Compositional word-structure
• many words can be analyzed as compounds of smaller words
• fewer opaque words
English Chinese composed of
bull g$ngniú _` ‘male’ + niú ‘ox’
cow m%niú a` ‘female’ + niú ‘ox’
steer y&nniú b` ‘castrated’ + niú ‘ox’
calf xi"oniú T` ‘young’ + niú ‘ox’
heifer xi"om%niú Ta` ‘young’ + ‘cow’
beef niúròu `c niú ‘ox’ + ‘meat’
! ox? cow?niú ` [general word]
cattle? kine?
• technical terminology often easier to figure out in Chinese
than in English
![Page 113: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/113.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 113
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
![Page 114: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/114.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 114
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
a. “logographic” script
![Page 115: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/115.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 115
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
a. “logographic” script
• represents whole words (of the ancient language)
![Page 116: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/116.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 116
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
a. “logographic” script
• represents whole words (of the ancient language)
b. or “syllabo-morphemic” script
![Page 117: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/117.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 117
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
a. “logographic” script
• represents whole words (of the ancient language)
b. or “syllabo-morphemic” script
• represents “morphemes,” mostly one syllable in form
![Page 118: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/118.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 118
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
a. “logographic” script
• represents whole words (of the ancient language)
b. or “syllabo-morphemic” script
• represents “morphemes,” mostly one syllable in form
• (morpheme: meaningful unit of language, not nec. oral
language)
![Page 119: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/119.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 119
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
a. “logographic” script
b. or “syllabo-morphemic” script
![Page 120: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/120.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 120
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
c. Chinese is read…
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 121
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
c. Chinese is read…
i. not (!) in a process of decipherment!!
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 122
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
c. Chinese is read…
i. not (!) in a process of decipherment!!
ii. rather, in a process that produces sound and meaning in the
brain through recognition (demonstrated experimentally)
![Page 123: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/123.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 123
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
c. Chinese is read…
i. not (!) in a process of decipherment!!
ii. rather, in a process that produces sound and meaning in the
brain through recognition (demonstrated experimentally)
iii. recognition is fostered by familiarity (practice…, rote-
learning…)
![Page 124: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/124.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 124
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
c. Chinese is read…
i. not (!) in a process of decipherment!!
ii. rather, in a process that produces sound and meaning in the
brain through recognition (demonstrated experimentally)
iii. recognition is fostered by familiarity (practice…, rote-
learning…)
iv. fantasies persist (in China & the West) about it being
“semantic script”, “ideograph”, etc.
![Page 125: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/125.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 125
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
c. Chinese is read…
i. not (!) in a process of decipherment!!
ii. rather, in a process that produces sound and meaning in the
brain through recognition (demonstrated experimentally)
iii. recognition is fostered by familiarity (practice…, rote-
learning…)
iv. fantasies persist (in China & the West) about it being
“semantic script”, “ideograph”, etc.
v. Neo-Platonic ideal (originally imposed on Egyptian, in
Herodotus’s Histories) about a “philosophical script”
![Page 126: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/126.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 126
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
c. Chinese is read…
i. not (!) in a process of decipherment!!
ii. rather, in a process that produces sound and meaning in the
brain through recognition (demonstrated experimentally)
iii. recognition is fostered by familiarity (practice…, rote-
learning…)
iv. fantasies persist (in China & the West) about it being
“semantic script”, “ideograph”, etc.
v. Neo-Platonic ideal (originally imposed on Egyptian, in
Herodotus’s Histories) about a “philosophical script”
![Page 127: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/127.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 127
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 128
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 129
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 130
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!
![Page 131: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/131.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 131
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
![Page 132: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/132.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 132
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
e {tsyeik3b} (modern grammar particle)
![Page 133: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/133.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 133
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
e {tsyeik3b} (modern grammar particle)
H {tri3b} ‘to know, be aware of’
![Page 134: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/134.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 134
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
e {tsyeik3b} (modern grammar particle)
H {tri3b} ‘to know, be aware of’
f {tsyi3b} ‘branch’; ‘to support’
![Page 135: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/135.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 135
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
e {tsyeik3b} (modern grammar particle)
H {tri3b} ‘to know, be aware of’
f {tsyi3b} ‘branch’; ‘to support’
g {tsyi3b} ‘branch (of tree)’
![Page 136: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/136.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 136
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
e {tsyeik3b} (modern grammar particle)
H {tri3b} ‘to know, be aware of’
f {tsyi3b} ‘branch’; ‘to support’
g {tsyi3b} ‘branch (of tree)’
h {tsyi3b} ‘limb of the body’
![Page 137: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/137.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 137
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
e {tsyeik3b} (modern grammar particle)
H {tri3b} ‘to know, be aware of’
f {tsyi3b} ‘branch’; ‘to support’
g {tsyi3b} ‘branch (of tree)’
h {tsyi3b} ‘limb of the body’
i {tsyek3} ‘to weave’
![Page 138: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/138.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 138
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
e {tsyeik3b} (modern grammar particle)
H {tri3b} ‘to know, be aware of’
f {tsyi3b} ‘branch’; ‘to support’
g {tsyi3b} ‘branch (of tree)’
h {tsyi3b} ‘limb of the body’
i {tsyek3} ‘to weave’
j {tsyep3} ‘sap, juice, gravy’
![Page 139: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/139.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 139
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
e {tsyeik3b} (modern grammar particle)
H {tri3b} ‘to know, be aware of’
f {tsyi3b} ‘branch’; ‘to support’
g {tsyi3b} ‘branch (of tree)’
h {tsyi3b} ‘limb of the body’
i {tsyek3} ‘to weave’
j {tsyep3} ‘sap, juice, gravy’
k {tsyi3d} in zh!ma ‘sesame’,
![Page 140: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/140.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 140
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
e {tsyeik3b} (modern grammar particle)
H {tri3b} ‘to know, be aware of’
f {tsyi3b} ‘branch’; ‘to support’
g {tsyi3b} ‘branch (of tree)’
h {tsyi3b} ‘limb of the body’
i {tsyek3} ‘to weave’
j {tsyep3} ‘sap, juice, gravy’
k {tsyi3d} in zh!ma ‘sesame’,
" " in língzh! ‘a kind of medicinal mushroom’
![Page 141: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/141.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 141
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
zh!d {tsyi3d} (literary grammar particle)
e {tsyeik3b} (modern grammar particle)
H {tri3b} ‘to know, be aware of’
f {tsyi3b} ‘branch’; ‘to support’
g {tsyi3b} ‘branch (of tree)’
h {tsyi3b} ‘limb of the body’
i {tsyek3} ‘to weave’
j {tsyep3} ‘sap, juice, gravy’
k {tsyi3d} in zh!ma ‘sesame’,
" " in língzh! ‘a kind of medicinal mushroom’
l {tri3b} in zh!zh" ‘spider’
![Page 142: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/142.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 142
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 143
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
ii. many characters represent more than one different word
![Page 144: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/144.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 144
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
ii. many characters represent more than one different word
#. d zh! ‘to go’ (ancient meaning);
![Page 145: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/145.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 145
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
ii. many characters represent more than one different word
#. d zh! ‘to go’ (ancient meaning);
(literary grammar particle)
![Page 146: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/146.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 146
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
ii. many characters represent more than one different word
#. d zh! ‘to go’ (ancient meaning);
(literary grammar particle)
$. m jié ‘ “node” of bamboo’;
![Page 147: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/147.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 147
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
ii. many characters represent more than one different word
#. d zh! ‘to go’ (ancient meaning);
(literary grammar particle)
$. m jié ‘ “node” of bamboo’;
‘joint (of the body’;
![Page 148: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/148.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 148
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
ii. many characters represent more than one different word
#. d zh! ‘to go’ (ancient meaning);
(literary grammar particle)
$. m jié ‘ “node” of bamboo’;
‘joint (of the body’;
‘segment, division’;
![Page 149: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/149.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 149
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
ii. many characters represent more than one different word
#. d zh! ‘to go’ (ancient meaning);
(literary grammar particle)
$. m jié ‘ “node” of bamboo’;
‘joint (of the body’;
‘segment, division’;
‘holiday, festival’;
![Page 150: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/150.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 150
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
ii. many characters represent more than one different word
#. d zh! ‘to go’ (ancient meaning);
(literary grammar particle)
$. m jié ‘ “node” of bamboo’;
‘joint (of the body’;
‘segment, division’;
‘holiday, festival’;
‘to save on, be frugal with’;
![Page 151: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/151.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 151
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
ii. many characters represent more than one different word
#. d zh! ‘to go’ (ancient meaning);
(literary grammar particle)
$. m jié ‘ “node” of bamboo’;
‘joint (of the body’;
‘segment, division’;
‘holiday, festival’;
‘to save on, be frugal with’;
‘moral integrity; sexual chastity’
![Page 152: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/152.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 152
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
i. distinguished by meaning and in the past (sometimes) by sound
ii. many characters represent more than one different word
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 153
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 154
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
![Page 155: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/155.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 155
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
#. n dé ‘to obtain’; ‘success’;
![Page 156: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/156.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 156
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
#. n dé ‘to obtain’; ‘success’;
d#i ‘must, have to’;
![Page 157: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/157.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 157
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
#. n dé ‘to obtain’; ‘success’;
d#i ‘must, have to’;
de (modern grammar particle)
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 158
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
#. n dé ‘to obtain’; ‘success’;
d#i ‘must, have to’;
de (modern grammar particle)
$. o shu$ ‘to say; explanation’;
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 159
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
#. n dé ‘to obtain’; ‘success’;
d#i ‘must, have to’;
de (modern grammar particle)
$. o shu$ ‘to say; explanation’;
shuì ‘to persuade, lobby’;
![Page 160: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/160.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 160
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
#. n dé ‘to obtain’; ‘success’;
d#i ‘must, have to’;
de (modern grammar particle)
$. o shu$ ‘to say; explanation’;
shuì ‘to persuade, lobby’;
yuè (loangraph for p) ‘happy’ (literary word)
![Page 161: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/161.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 161
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
#. n dé ‘to obtain’; ‘success’;
d#i ‘must, have to’;
de (modern grammar particle)
$. o shu$ ‘to say; explanation’;
shuì ‘to persuade, lobby’;
yuè (loangraph for p) ‘happy’ (literary word)
%. O de (modern grammar particle);
![Page 162: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/162.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 162
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
#. n dé ‘to obtain’; ‘success’;
d#i ‘must, have to’;
de (modern grammar particle)
$. o shu$ ‘to say; explanation’;
shuì ‘to persuade, lobby’;
yuè (loangraph for p) ‘happy’ (literary word)
%. O de (modern grammar particle);
dì in mùdì qO ‘purpose, goal’;
![Page 163: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/163.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 163
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
#. n dé ‘to obtain’; ‘success’;
d#i ‘must, have to’;
de (modern grammar particle)
$. o shu$ ‘to say; explanation’;
shuì ‘to persuade, lobby’;
yuè (loangraph for p) ‘happy’ (literary word)
%. O de (modern grammar particle);
dì in mùdì qO ‘purpose, goal’;
dí in díquè Or ‘indeed, truly, verily’;
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 164
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
#. n dé ‘to obtain’; ‘success’;
d#i ‘must, have to’;
de (modern grammar particle)
$. o shu$ ‘to say; explanation’;
shuì ‘to persuade, lobby’;
yuè (loangraph for p) ‘happy’ (literary word)
%. O de (modern grammar particle);
dì in mùdì qO ‘purpose, goal’;
dí in díquè Or ‘indeed, truly, verily’;
d! in d%d! sO ‘to take a taxi’ (from English taxi, loaned into
Cantonese as [t"k#si$#], written O>, read in northern
Mandarin as d!shì (among other things), abbreviated as d!)
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 165
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 166
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
h. non-phonetic writing system
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 167
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
h. non-phonetic writing system (!)
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 168
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
h. non-phonetic writing system (!) does not attempt to represent the actual sounds of speech
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 169
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down f. many homophones (different graphs read with the same pronunciation)
g. in the past, much polyphony (one graph, more than one reading)
h. non-phonetic writing system (!) does not attempt to represent the actual sounds of speech
![Page 170: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/170.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 170
6. How Chinese Language is Written Down
!. Competition between phonetic loanwords and calques (“loan
translations”):
English
vitamin
hormone
engine
motor
microphone
tank
phonetic
wéit&mìng
hé’'rméng
y(nqíng
m"dá
màikèf!ng
t"nkèch!
calque
wéish!ngsù
j#sù
f&dòngj#
huàt)ng
zhu&ngji"ch!
meaning of calque
‘essential substance for protecting life’
‘essential substance for stimulation’
‘machine for starting activity’
‘tube for words’
‘vehicle bearing armor’
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 171
7. Consequences for civilization
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 172
7. Consequences for civilization
a. script allows continuity over a long period of time
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 173
7. Consequences for civilization
a. script allows continuity over a long period of time
• possibility of reading texts from many periods without
learning a new language for each
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 174
7. Consequences for civilization
a. script allows continuity over a long period of time
• possibility of reading texts from many periods without
learning a new language for each
• possibility of drawing political authority from very old
texts
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 175
7. Consequences for civilization
a. script allows continuity over a long period of time
• possibility of reading texts from many periods without
learning a new language for each
• possibility of drawing political authority from very old
texts
b. full literacy expensive to acquire
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 176
7. Consequences for civilization
a. script allows continuity over a long period of time
• possibility of reading texts from many periods without
learning a new language for each
• possibility of drawing political authority from very old
texts
b. full literacy expensive to acquire
• 6000 discrete characters necessary in traditional era
![Page 177: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/177.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 177
7. Consequences for civilization
a. script allows continuity over a long period of time
• possibility of reading texts from many periods without
learning a new language for each
• possibility of drawing political authority from very old
texts
b. full literacy expensive to acquire
• 6000 discrete characters necessary in traditional era
• currency of texts from many periods leads to heavy use of
traditional idiom, requires long time to master
![Page 178: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/178.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 178
7. Consequences for civilization
a. script allows continuity over a long period of time
• possibility of reading texts from many periods without
learning a new language for each
• possibility of drawing political authority from very old
texts
b. full literacy expensive to acquire
• 6000 discrete characters necessary in traditional era
• currency of texts from many periods leads to heavy use of
traditional idiom, requires long time to master
• access to political power restricted by access to education
![Page 179: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/179.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 179
7. Consequences for civilization
a. script allows continuity over a long period of time
• possibility of reading texts from many periods without
learning a new language for each
• possibility of drawing political authority from very old
texts
b. full literacy expensive to acquire
• 6000 discrete characters necessary in traditional era
• currency of texts from many periods leads to heavy use of
traditional idiom, requires long time to master
• access to political power restricted by access to education
• elaborate civil service examination system, requiring
command of texts and handwriting (!)
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 180
7. Consequences for civilization
c. Variation of oral language
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 181
7. Consequences for civilization
c. Variation of oral language
• establishing a standard form of the script has been a way for
Chinese governments to display their authority, throughout
history
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 182
7. Consequences for civilization
c. Variation of oral language
• establishing a standard form of the script has been a way for
Chinese governments to display their authority, throughout
history
• non-phonetic script can be adapted to write even non-
Chinese languages
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 183
7. Consequences for civilization
c. Variation of oral language
• establishing a standard form of the script has been a way for
Chinese governments to display their authority, throughout
history
• non-phonetic script can be adapted to write even non-
Chinese languages
• loanwords can pass in both directions
![Page 184: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/184.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 184
7. Consequences for civilization
c. Variation of oral language
• establishing a standard form of the script has been a way for
Chinese governments to display their authority, throughout
history
• non-phonetic script can be adapted to write even non-
Chinese languages
• loanwords can pass in both directions
• heavy Japanese borrowing of Chinese words from
700-1400, variously w/ Chinese or Japanese pronunciation
![Page 185: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/185.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 185
7. Consequences for civilization
c. Variation of oral language
• establishing a standard form of the script has been a way for
Chinese governments to display their authority, throughout
history
• non-phonetic script can be adapted to write even non-
Chinese languages
• loanwords can pass in both directions
• heavy Japanese borrowing of Chinese words from
700-1400, variously w/ Chinese or Japanese pronunciation
• heavy Chinese borrowing of Japanese coinages after 1890
![Page 186: The Chinese Language: Its Nature and Historybrannerchinese.com/talks/Branner_China_Institute_20110323.pdf© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 1 The](https://reader031.fdocuments.net/reader031/viewer/2022041309/5e151390fa4d1d485826e467/html5/thumbnails/186.jpg)
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 186
7. Consequences for civilization
c. Variation of oral language
• establishing a standard form of the script has been a way for
Chinese governments to display their authority, throughout
history
• non-phonetic script can be adapted to write even non-
Chinese languages
• loanwords can pass in both directions
• heavy Japanese borrowing of Chinese words from
700-1400, variously w/ Chinese or Japanese pronunciation
• heavy Chinese borrowing of Japanese coinages after 1890
• coinages were chiefly translations of Western terms
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7. Consequences for civilization
c. Variation of oral language
• establishing a standard form of the script has been a way for
Chinese governments to display their authority, throughout
history
• non-phonetic script can be adapted to write even non-
Chinese languages
• loanwords can pass in both directions
• heavy Japanese borrowing of Chinese words from
700-1400, variously w/ Chinese or Japanese pronunciation
• heavy Chinese borrowing of Japanese coinages after 1890
• coinages were chiefly translations of Western terms
• impossible to recognize in Chinese by form or sound
© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 187
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 188
One page re-cap…
Consequences for civilization
(i)continuity of non-phonetic script
• burden of history?
(i)expensive to learn
(ii)unified script => display of political authority
(iii)vehicle of cultural exchange
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© 2011 by David Prager Branner Branner, Chinese Language 2011.03.23 189
End
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