声调发生的五项前提

Tonogenesis:Five prerequisites

声调产生需要五个必要前提,后三个是语言学前提或三步语言学前提:(LP1)语音前提是有多种发声态存在,如气声、假声。这些发声态天然引发音高差别。(LP2)音法一词法前提是高响度单音节词。作为发声态伴随特征的音高差别在此语境中得到放大和加强。这两项是普适性前提。(LP3)音法化;上述加强了的音高模式范畴化为音法单位一声调,这是具体语言中的特定过程。简单地说,最初作为发声态伴随特征的音高差别,一旦上升为区别特征,就形成了声调。汉语四声的产生被作为例子讨论特定语言中的声调起源。更进一步,在语音前提LP1之上有两个气候和生理学前提条件:(N1)湿热大陆有利于产生气声;(N2)人种体型矮小有利于产生假声。这两种条件集中出现于中国南部和东南亚,所以这一片地域是产生、维持最复杂的声域拱度复合型声调的地方。现有的声调起源理论在文中择要加以评论。

Based on firsthand acoustic data from 1,500 tone systems and a new,general theory on syllable-tone-register,this paper attempts to identify three linguistic prerequisites for tonogenesis:LP1)the phonetic prerequisite is the existence of non-model phonation types such as falsetto and breathy voice which intrinsically induce differences in pitch heights,LP2)the existence of mono-syllabic(with great sonorous power)word structure which augments and magnifies the intrinsic pitch differences;and LP3)phonologicalization which upgrades pitch from an accompanying/redundant feature to a distinctive feature and makes it a phonological category.The first two are universal conditions,and third is rather language dependent.The three-step process is exemplified with the emergence of Chinese tones.Furthermore,this paper tried to find out another two preconditions,one ciimatic and the other physiological,behind the phonetic prerequisite of phonation types.N1)Humidity tends to incur breathy voice,and N2)speakers'small body-size induces falsetto.Languages that meet all the five conditions distributed in southern China and Southeast Asia where the compound tone systems are found and where is thought to be the place for tonogenesis.A flow chart is used to Hlustrate the process of the birth of tone and its later development.Previous major theories on tonogenesis are brieflycommentedandevaluatedinthepaper.