江西新余方言的变音

On the Tonal Change in Xinyu Dialect in Jiangxi Province

江西新余方言的名词、动词、形容词、量词存在变音现象,变音调值与次阴平[■]24相同。变音的作用是名词化、区分词义、指小等。少数写不出字形的字只有变音,本调不明。有些口语不用的来源于普通话阳平调的字也读变音。

The tonal changes, invariably converging to pitch [ ] 24, are observed in nouns, verbs, adjectives and even measure words in the Xinyu dialect in Jiangxi province, with the functions of nominalization, semantic differentiation, and formation of diminutives. A small number of words, with both their etymological characters and citation tones undeterminable, appear always in the changed tone. The same holds true for some non-colloquial words loaned from the Yangping-tone counterparts in Putonghua.