earticle

영어

In Chinese historical phonology, the issue of Grade III has posed intricate challenges, including complexities like the elusive distinctions between Grade III and non-Grade III phonological features. Various theories have been proposed by the academic community over the years, such as the Long and Short Vowel Hypothesis, and the Initial Pharyngealization Hypothesis. This study primarily focuses on the Initial Pharyngealization Hypothesis in Old and Middle Chinese and conducts a comparative analysis of pharyngealization in both Chinese and Tangut languages. The research predominantly employs relational words between Chinese and Hmong-Mien languages, as well as cognates between Chinese and Tibetan languages. Simultaneously, it builds on the academic foundation laid by Chen Yuxin Lee Kyung-Chul and Xun Gong, embarking on a comprehensive comparative analysis. The findings unveil significant similarities between Chinese and Tangut languages concerning the ‘yod’ issue. Through two distinct investigations into Chinese-Tibetan cognates and Chinese-Hmong Mien relational words, this paper validates that the Grade III in Chinese is unrelated to ‘yod’. Moreover, the study of relational words from the Chinese and Mong-Mien languages further corroborates that non-Grade III in Chinese are intricately tied to pharyngealization. Drawing from the results, it can be concluded that the pharyngealization hypothesis in Chinese is underpinned by clear evidence. Furthermore, in future explorations within this domain, the author believes that a profound study of cognates in the Chinese-Bai languages holds significant merit.