Summary of Nong Zhuang Tone Systems

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3.2.2 Summary of Nong Zhuang Tone Systems

Among our eight Nong Zhuang datapoints, there are four different tone patterns, though the differences between them are not great. Diachronically, Nong Zhuang, like many Taic varieties, seems to have originally undergone these two tone splits, one along the lines of voiced vs. voiceless and preglottalized syllable initials, and the other in PT Tone D based on vowel length. This resulted in a ten tone category system. However, today we see that some of the historically unvoiced initials result in tone pitches that are lower than their historically voiced counterparts, even though presumably the original motivation for the voicing-based tone split was the lowered pitch of voiced initial syllables. The Southern and Northeastern Nong dialects still demonstrate such a ten tone category system, although with slightly differing tone values. The Central and Northwestern Nong dialects, on the other hand, show some tone mergers in the PT Tone D categories. In the case of the Central Nong dialect, the originally voiced initials now form a single tone category, regardless of whether the original vowels in these checked syllables were short or long. In Northwestern Nong the merger has so far apparently only taken place within the historically short vowel categories, and thus there is no longer a distinction between the originally voiced initials and the other initials in terms of tone category. Central and Northwestern Nong dialects thus both result in nine tone category systems, though through different tone mergers. In the following tables the four Nong tone systems are presented. The smaller numbers in parenthesis represent the actual tone values; the black background cells represent the relatively lower pitched tones. Central Nong Zhuang Tone System Eastern Wenshan, Eastern Yanshan, and Southwestern Guangnan Counties; Milewan, Kuaxi, and Bahao datapoints Syllable Initial Proto-Tai Tone A unchecked B unchecked C unchecked DS checked + short vowel DL checked + long vowel 1. 2. Voiceless aspirated stops + voiceless continuants A1 24 B1 11 C1 22 D1S 55 D1L 11 3. Voiceless unaspirated 4. Voiceless glottal 5. Voiced A2 33 B2 31 C2 55 D2S D2L 33 Northwestern Nong Zhuang Tone System Western Guangnan County; Shangfazao datapoint Syllable Initial Proto-Tai Tone A unchecked B unchecked C unchecked DS checked + short vowel DL checked + long vowel 1. 2. Voiceless aspirated stops + voiceless continuants A1 35 B1 11 C1 22 D1S D2S 55 D1L 11 3. Voiceless unaspirated 4. Voiceless glottal 5. Voiced A2 33 B2 31 C2 53 D2L 31 Southern Nong Zhuang Tone System Maguan, Malipo, Xichou and Western Wenshan Counties; Xinzhai, Jiangdong, Geji and Laohuilong datapoints Syllable Initial Proto-Tai Tone A unchecked B unchecked C unchecked DS checked + short vowel DL checked + long vowel 1. 2. Voiceless aspirated stops + voiceless continuants A1 24 B1 11 C1 22 D1S 55 D1L 11 3. Voiceless unaspirated 4. Voiceless glottal 5. Voiced A2 33 B2 31 C2 55 D2S 33 D2L 31 27 Northeastern Nong Zhuang Tone System Central Guangnan County, around Liancheng Township; Xiao Guangnan datapoint Syllable Initial Proto-Tai Tone A unchecked B unchecked C unchecked DS checked + short vowel DL checked + long vowel 1. 2. Voiceless aspirated stops + voiceless continuants A1 35 B1 12 C1 22 D1S 55 D1L 13 3. Voiceless unaspirated 4. Voiceless glottal 5. Voiced A2 33 B2 31 C2 53 D2S 33 D2L 31 From a synchronic perspective, that is, the way a native speaker or learner would see the language, most dialects of Nong Zhuang have only six unique tone contours—four level or register tones: 11, 22, 33 and 55 , , , ; one rising tone: 24 or 35 ˨˦ ; and one falling tone: 31 ˧˩ . All of these can occur on open syllables, but checked syllables can only carry four of these tones. Though the somewhat unique Northeastern Nong dialect shows eight distinct tone values in our data 35 ˧˥, 12 ˩˨, 22 , 55 , 13 ˩˧, 33 , 31 ˧˩ and 53 ˥˧ , given that two of these are restricted only to checked syllables 55 and 13 ˩˧ and four are restricted only to open syllables 35 ˧˥, 12 ˩˨, 22 , and 53 ˥˧ , it is not possible to have tonal minimal pairs between combinations such as the high flat tone 55 and the high falling tone 53 ˥˧, or the two low rising tones 12 ˩˨ and 13 ˩˧ . Therefore, although these pairs of tones originate from different historical sources, nonetheless, they could be considered the same for orthographical purposes without a loss of lexical differentiation. So, in terms of synchronic tones, we can summarize the Southern and Northeastern Nong tone systems by saying that D1S is equivalent to C2, D2S is equivalent to A2, D1L is equivalent to B1, and D2L is equivalent to B2. Of the Central Nong tone system, we can say that D1S is equivalent to C2, D1L is equivalent to B1, and D2S and D2L are both equivalent to A2. Northwestern Nong’s D1S and D2S are both equivalent to C2, D1L is equivalent to B1, and D2L is equivalent to B2: Nong Zhuang Tone Systems Chinese Zhuang Central Nong Northwestern Nong Southern Northeastern Nong Tone Numbering PT Tone categories tone values PT Tone categories tone values PT Tone categories tone values 1 A1 24 A1 35 A1 2435 2 A2 = D2S = D2L 33 A2 33 A2 = D2S 33 3 C1 22 C1 22 C1 22 4 C2 = D1S 55 C2 = D1S = D2S 53 C2 = D1S 53 55 5 B1 = D1L 11 B1 = D1L 11 B1 = D1L 11 12 6 B2 31 B2 = D2L 31 B2 = D2L 31 There does appear to be some correlation between these tone splitting patterns and the Nong Zhuang subgroups identified by He, Wang and Johnson, and others, based on costume and culture, although certainly not a one-to-one correspondence. In the following table, dotted lines are used between the dialect groups to indicate that dialectal differences are more of a continuum than a set of discrete categories and that there is seldom a complete correspondence between costume styles and dialects among the Zhuang. Nong Zhuang Dialect according to tone split pattern Dialect area Nong Zhuang ethnic subgroup based on costume Ethnic subgroup area Noangz Jing 侬锦 Northeastern Wenshan County and Yanshan County Central Dialect Eastern Wenshan, Eastern Yanshan, and Southwestern Guangnan Counties Noangz Ting 侬厅 a Along the Nanli River along the boundaries of Malipo County, Funing County and Ha Giang Province, Vietnam Noangz Nyangj 侬仰 Malipo, Xichou, Wenshan and Yanshan Counties Southern Dialect Maguan, Malipo, Xichou and Western Wenshan Counties Noangz Zaeu 侬 Maguan, Lao Cai Vietnam Gedneys Western Nung Noangz Duh 侬督 Maguan County Northeastern Nong Zhuang Dialect Central Guangnan County, around Liancheng Town Noangz Daux 侬道 Central Guangnan County Northwestern Dialect Western Guangnan County Noangz Daez 侬傣 Zhetu District of Guangnan County a Although we did not have a full datapoint in the Nanli River Basin Area, we were able to informally elicit a few words from some Nong speakers in Muyang District, Funing County, which borders Malipo County and Ha Giang Province of Vietnam. This data showed that their tones were indeed those of a Nong dialect and their D2L tone matched their A2 tone, which is an indicator of the Central dialect.

3.2.3 Description of Dai Zhuang Tone System