语言语音学和音法学:理论新框架

Linguistic Phonetics and Pan-Chronic Phonology:A New Theory

语音学和语言学是两个相交的学科,这个交集在语音学科中叫"语言语音学",在语言学中叫"音法学"。本文把作者近年来在这方面的研究综合起来,提出一个完整的理论框架和工作取向。音法学以实验的手段,研究跟语言有关的发音性质,语音的组织、分布和演化问题。音法学的基本单位是音节,基本范畴包括发声和音段。它们在音节学中对应音节线形和非线形成份。音段分类有单一标准和合取标准。元音描写的方法过去是模糊的舌位,现在改用声学参数。发声活动有四大类:发声态、次发声态、超发声态、类发声。发声态分六类,次发声态有十三种,超发声态有两类,类发声有两种。六类发声态可以定义三层声域,这三层声域加上四度音高构成一个新的分域四度标调制。在这个综合语音学理论框架中,世界语言的音法类型可以分为两大类:调音型和发声型。调音型语言的音节中线性成份组合丰富。发声型则有复杂的发声活动,引发复杂的非线性成份组合,包括声域、声调、长短。本文还综述了近年来演化音法学中的多项大发现,包括声调起因于发声态、古浊音(全浊和次浊)的弛声性质及后续演化、两种"浊音清化"(带声-清不送-内爆音音变圈,弛声-清送对转链)、入声演化的途径。

Phonetics and linguistics are two research disciplines with an intersection. This intersecting area is called ＇linguistic phonetics＇ in phonetics, and ＇pan-chronic phonology＇（音法学） in linguistics. This paper proposes a new theoretical framework for pan-chronic phonology, based on the recent years＇ work conducted by the author. Pan-chronic phonology employs experimental phonetics as its powerful research tools to explore the phonetic nature of speech sounds, their organization in a language and their distributions in the world＇s languages, and to examining the mechanism of the phonological evolution. In this new framework the syllable is the fundamental unit, and the segment （linear syllabic components） and phonation （non-linear components） are the two basic categories. Segments are the subject to study in traditional phonetics and phonology, but their definitions should be updated and their description, especially vowels, should be based on acoustic parameters. Phonation, or laryngeal activities, can be divided into four major categories： phonation modes, sub-modes, supraphonationals, and phonation-like sounds. Different phonation modes can define three phonological/tonological registers, each of which contains four pitch levels. Together they constitute a Multi-Register and Four-Level（RL） tonal model to describe contour tones in human languages. Within this theoretical framework the world＇s languages can be divided into two types： the MOUTH/segment type and the LARYNX/phonation type. In the mouth type languages there are numerous kinds of phonotactic combinations, but with few phonation contrasts, while in the larynx type languages there are complicatednon-linear components, but the phonotactic combinations are much simpler. With the help of this new theory, studies of the phonological evolution have been made substantial progress in recent years. New findings in this area include （1） phonation types as the phonetic cause of tononegesis, （2） zhuoyin, the ＇muddy＇ sounds with slack voice, in Chinese and many southem Asian languages differ from the modal voiced consonants in, say, French and English. （3） zhuoyin qinghua （＇devoicing＇）, therefore, involves two different processes： the evolutionary cycle of ＇modal voice - voiceless unaspiration - implosive＇ and the forth-and-back chain of ＇voiceless aspiration - slack voice＇. （4） Three ways of the development of rusheng.