汉语方言Z变音的类型分布及历史流变

Z Rhyme Alternation in Chinese dialects: Its type, distribution and origin

Z变音是汉语方言中通过词根音节的语音变化来表示普通话中“子”尾词意义的一种音变现象,它本质上是词根音节与后缀音节在语流中产生的合音现象。Z变音所涉及的县市共有62个,集中分布在河南北部中部、山西南部东南部地区,河北、陕西、山东的部分地区也有零星分布。从地理分布、类型特点以及人口变迁等方面看,Z变音是中原地区自源性的音变现象。从语音演变、历史文献以及方言事实等方面看,Z变音是汉语史上表小称义的名词词缀“子”“儿”或“子+儿”等与其词根语素进一步融合的结果,是词缀语义虚化或语法强化的一种语音表现。目前,汉语方言共时层面的Z变音已失去小称义,只表示泛称或统称,它与后起的其他小称形式,比如儿化小称、重叠小称、圪头词等形成了新的语义对立。

Z Rhyme Alternation refers to the sound alternation in certain Chinese dialects with the grammatical functions comparable with the suffix - zi (子) in some Mandarin dialects. It presents itself by phonetic alternation of the root syllables, and is resulted from the fusion of root syllables with suffix syllables in the utterance flows. The present investigation shows that Z Rhyme Alternation is mainly distributed in the middle and northern He nan Province, as well as the southern and southeastern Shanxi Province. Besides, it is also sporadically distributed in some parts of Hebei, Shaanxi and Shandong provinces. From the perspectives of geographical distribution, typological features, and demographic change, Z Rhyme Alternation is considered to be an indigenous sound change in the Central Plain of China. Based on the evidence from sound change, historical literature and linguistic facts attested in various dialects, it is proposed that diachronically, Z Rhyme Alternation originated from the further fusion of the root morphemes with diminutive suffixes - zi and/or - er (儿), representing semantic bleaching on suffixes. At present, Z Rhyme Alternation in these dialects has lost its diminutive meaning and begun to serve as general terms. This leads to new semantic distinctions with other subsequent diminutive-associated forms such as er -retroflection, reduplication, and ge -prefixation (圪头词), etc.