说“冰雹”

On Chinese Word Bingbao “Hail”

汉语指称雹子的“冰雹”一词集中分布在长江中下游一带,其连续分布区是一个略呈马蜂形的东北–西南向宽带。这种特定的地理分布格局跟“冰雹”一词的形成有关。在马蜂形宽带的南边,是“雹”或“雹子”一类说法的连续分布区,北边则是“冷子”一类说法的连续分布区。“冷子”是“雹(子)→冰蛋子→冷蛋子→冷子”这一词汇替换演变的结果。因此“冰雹”一词是历史上中原地区的“冰蛋子”和它南边的“雹(子)”两种词形互相接触所产生的混合词形,这就解释了为何会在长江中下游出现东北–西南向的“冰雹”带状分布区。

The continuous distribution area of the Chinese word for “hail” bingbao, located in the middle and lower reaches of theYangtze River, is a slightly wasp-shaped broadband running from northeast to southwest. This particular geographical distribution pattern is associated with the formation of the word bingbao. Bao or baozi, the word for “hail” is widely spoken in the south of the broadband, while the word for “hail” lengzi is a common word in the north of the broadband. Lengzi is a result of lexical changes “bao/baozi→bingdanzi→ lengdanzi→lengzi”. Therefore, the word bingbao was actually the contamination of bingdanzi spoken inCentral Chinaand baozi used in the south of this area in history. It is a blend or portmanteau word due to dialect contact which explains why the broadband of bingbao gets to be where it is.