威廉·琼斯的音标研究及其影响

Sir William Jones＇s Alphabetic Study and Its Influence

历史比较语言学的开创者威廉.琼斯为了解决用罗马字母转写亚洲一些语言缺乏统一标准的问题,深入研究了亚洲几种重要语言的书写系统,撰写了《论亚洲词汇的罗马字母正写法》,分析了当时的一些转写方法的优缺点,提出了用罗马字母转写的原则,制定了持续影响达1个多世纪的"琼斯系统"(Jonesian System),奠定了"琼斯音标"的基础。琼斯音标是国际音标出现以前记写亚洲语言发音、转写亚洲拼音文字的影响最大的音标兼书写体系,对我国的方言罗马字的制定也产生了一定的影响。

To provide a universal standard in tranliterating Asiatic languages in Roman letters, Sir William Jones, the founder of comparative linguistics, published his then well-known essay on the Orthography of Asiastic Words in Roman letters. After thorough study of the pros and cons of major Asiatic writing systems, he put ford the principles in transliterating Asiatic languages, leading to the emerging of Jonesian System and laid the foundation for Jones Letters, with the latter as the most influential alphabetic and writing system for Asiatic language transliterating before the birth of IPA. The Jonesian System also gave an impact on the Romanization of Chinese dialectal writing systems.