William H. Baxter's transcription for Middle Chinese is an alphabetic notation recording phonological information from medieval sources, rather than a reconstruction. It was introduced by Baxter as a reference point for his reconstruction of Old Chinese phonology.
The centre of the study of Chinese historical phonology is the Qieyun, a rime dictionary created by Lu Fayan in 601 CE as a guide to the proper reading of classic texts. The dictionary divided characters between the four tones, which were subdivided into 193 rhyme groups and then into homophone groups. The pronunciation of each homophone group is given by a fanqie formula, a pair of common characters respectively indicating the initial and final sounds of the syllable. Lu Fayan's work was very influential, and led to a series of expanded and corrected versions following the same structure. The most important of these was the Guangyun (1007–08), in which the number of rhyme groups was increased to 206, though without significantly changing the phonological system of the Qieyun. Since the Qieyun was thought lost until the mid-20th century, most scholarship has been based on the Guangyun, and its rhyme categories are still used. The Qing dynasty scholar Chen Li analysed the fanqie spellings of the Guangyun, determining which initial and final spellers represented the same sounds, and thus enumerating the initials and finals of the underlying system.[1][2]
A series of rime tables from the Song dynasty applied a sophisticated analysis to the Qieyun system, though the language had changed in the interim. The initials were identified and categorized by place and manner of articulation. Finals were classified into 16 rhyme classes (攝shè). Within each rhyme class, syllables were classified as either "open" (開kāi) or "closed" (合hé), as belonging to one of the four tones, and as belonging to one of four divisions (等děng), indicated by rows of the table. The Qing philologists found that some of the finals of the rime dictionaries were always placed in the first row, some always in the second and some always in the fourth, and they were thus named finals of divisions I, II and IV respectively. The remaining finals were spread across the second, third and fourth rows, and were later called division III finals.[3][4] The division III finals can be further subdivided on the basis of their distribution:
Independent or pure division III finals occur only the third row of the rime tables, and occur only with labial, velar or laryngeal initials.
Mixed division III finals occur in the second, third and fourth rows of the rime tables.
The so-called chóngniǔ are doublets of division III finals, one occurring in the third row of the rime tables and the other in the fourth, but not distinguished in any other way. These finals also occur only with labial, velar or laryngeal initials.[5]
Baxter's notation
There have been many attempts to reconstruct the sounds or phonemes of the Qieyun system, conventionally called Early Middle Chinese, yielding a series of alphabetic transcriptions. Each of these is disputed to some extent, and many scholars doubt that the system corresponds to any single form of speech. The custom in Chinese scholarship is to neutrally describe a syllable with a string of six characters identifying its 攝shè, whether it is 開kāi or 合hé, the division, tone, Guangyun rime and initial. Needing a reference point for his reconstruction of Old Chinese phonology, Baxter designed an alphabetical presentation of the same information, rather than a reconstruction.[6] His system is a significant simplification of the Karlgren–Li reconstruction of Middle Chinese, but retains a similar structure, especially in the treatment of medials and vowels.[7]
Initials
Baxter's transcriptions of the traditional initials are as follows:
The initial h- represents a voiced fricative ([ɣ] or [ɦ]) while x- represents its voiceless counterpart ([x] or [h]).[8]
In the rime tables, the palatal allophone of 云 is combined with 以 as a single initial 喻.
Finals
Finals with vocalic endings could occur in the level, rising or departing tones; the few that occurred only in the departing tone are marked with -H in the following table. The chóngniǔ doublets of division III finals are not distinguished in the traditional categories. Adopting a purely notational device of Li Fang-Kuei, Baxter used the spelling -ji- for finals occurring in the fourth row of the rime tables, retaining -j- for those occurring in the third row.
The -j- of division III finals is omitted after palatal initials, which end in -y-.[10]
Finals ending in nasals -m, -n and -ng could occur in the level, rising or departing tones, with parallel finals ending in -p, -t and -k placed in the entering tone.
Branner, David Prager (2006), "Appendix II: Comparative Transcriptions of Rime Table Phonology", in Branner, David Prager (ed.), The Chinese Rime Tables: Linguistic Philosophy and Historical-Comparative Phonology, Amsterdam: John Benjamins, pp. 265–302, ISBN978-90-272-4785-8.
Baxter, William H. (28 October 2000). (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
Baxter, William H. (7 August 2006). "Middle Chinese readings in Baxter's notation for 9000 Guangyun characters".
February 21, 2023
baxter, transcription, middle, chinese, william, alphabetic, notation, recording, phonological, information, from, medieval, sources, rather, than, reconstruction, introduced, baxter, reference, point, reconstruction, chinese, phonology, contents, sources, mid. William H Baxter s transcription for Middle Chinese is an alphabetic notation recording phonological information from medieval sources rather than a reconstruction It was introduced by Baxter as a reference point for his reconstruction of Old Chinese phonology Contents 1 Sources for Middle Chinese 2 Baxter s notation 2 1 Initials 2 2 Finals 2 3 Tones 3 Notes 4 References 4 1 Citations 4 2 Works cited 5 External linksSources for Middle Chinese EditFurther information Rime dictionary and Rime table The centre of the study of Chinese historical phonology is the Qieyun a rime dictionary created by Lu Fayan in 601 CE as a guide to the proper reading of classic texts The dictionary divided characters between the four tones which were subdivided into 193 rhyme groups and then into homophone groups The pronunciation of each homophone group is given by a fanqie formula a pair of common characters respectively indicating the initial and final sounds of the syllable Lu Fayan s work was very influential and led to a series of expanded and corrected versions following the same structure The most important of these was the Guangyun 1007 08 in which the number of rhyme groups was increased to 206 though without significantly changing the phonological system of the Qieyun Since the Qieyun was thought lost until the mid 20th century most scholarship has been based on the Guangyun and its rhyme categories are still used The Qing dynasty scholar Chen Li analysed the fanqie spellings of the Guangyun determining which initial and final spellers represented the same sounds and thus enumerating the initials and finals of the underlying system 1 2 A series of rime tables from the Song dynasty applied a sophisticated analysis to the Qieyun system though the language had changed in the interim The initials were identified and categorized by place and manner of articulation Finals were classified into 16 rhyme classes 攝 she Within each rhyme class syllables were classified as either open 開 kai or closed 合 he as belonging to one of the four tones and as belonging to one of four divisions 等 deng indicated by rows of the table The Qing philologists found that some of the finals of the rime dictionaries were always placed in the first row some always in the second and some always in the fourth and they were thus named finals of divisions I II and IV respectively The remaining finals were spread across the second third and fourth rows and were later called division III finals 3 4 The division III finals can be further subdivided on the basis of their distribution Independent or pure division III finals occur only the third row of the rime tables and occur only with labial velar or laryngeal initials Mixed division III finals occur in the second third and fourth rows of the rime tables The so called chongniǔ are doublets of division III finals one occurring in the third row of the rime tables and the other in the fourth but not distinguished in any other way These finals also occur only with labial velar or laryngeal initials 5 Baxter s notation EditThere have been many attempts to reconstruct the sounds or phonemes of the Qieyun system conventionally called Early Middle Chinese yielding a series of alphabetic transcriptions Each of these is disputed to some extent and many scholars doubt that the system corresponds to any single form of speech The custom in Chinese scholarship is to neutrally describe a syllable with a string of six characters identifying its 攝 she whether it is 開 kai or 合 he the division tone Guangyun rime and initial Needing a reference point for his reconstruction of Old Chinese phonology Baxter designed an alphabetical presentation of the same information rather than a reconstruction 6 His system is a significant simplification of the Karlgren Li reconstruction of Middle Chinese but retains a similar structure especially in the treatment of medials and vowels 7 Initials Edit Baxter s transcriptions of the traditional initials are as follows Initials with traditional names stops and affricates nasals fricatives glide Divisionstenuis aspirate voiced tenuis voicedLabials 幫 p 滂 ph 並 b 明 m allDentals 端 t 透 th 定 d 泥 n I and IVLateral 來 l I III and IVRetroflex stops 知 tr 徹 trh 澄 dr 娘 nr II and IIIDental sibilants 精 ts 清 tsh 從 dz 心 s 邪 z I III and IVRetroflex sibilants 莊 tsr 初 tsrh 崇 dzr 生 sr 俟 zr II and IIIPalatals 章 tsy 昌 tsyh 禪 dzy 日 ny 書 sy 船 zy 以 y IIIVelars 見 k 溪 kh 群 g 疑 ng allLaryngeals 影 ʔ 曉 x 匣 云 h allNotes r y and h do not represent separate segments but retroflex palatalized and aspirated articulation respectively of the preceding consonant The initial h represents a voiced fricative ɣ or ɦ while x represents its voiceless counterpart x or h 8 In the rime tables the palatal allophone of 云 is combined with 以 as a single initial 喻 Finals Edit Finals with vocalic endings could occur in the level rising or departing tones the few that occurred only in the departing tone are marked with H in the following table The chongniǔ doublets of division III finals are not distinguished in the traditional categories Adopting a purely notational device of Li Fang Kuei Baxter used the spelling ji for finals occurring in the fourth row of the rime tables retaining j for those occurring in the third row Vocalic codas Rhymeclass 開 kai 合 heDiv I Div II III mixed III indep Div IV Div I Div II III mixed III indep Div IV果 guǒ 歌 a 歌 ja 戈 wa 戈 jwa假 jiǎ 麻 ae 麻 jae 麻 wae遇 yu 魚 jo模 u 虞 ju蟹 xie 咍 oj 皆 ɛj 祭 j i ejH 齊 ej 灰 woj 皆 wɛj 祭 jw i ejH 齊 wej佳 ɛɨ 佳 wɛɨ泰 ajH 夬 aejH 廢 jojH 泰 wajH 夬 waejH 廢 jwojH止 zhǐ 支 j i e 支 jw i e脂 j ij 脂 j wij之 i 微 jɨj 微 jwɨj效 xiao 豪 aw 肴 aew 宵 j i ew 蕭 ew流 liu 侯 uw 尤 juw 幽 jiw a The j of division III finals is omitted after palatal initials which end in y 10 Finals ending in nasals m n and ng could occur in the level rising or departing tones with parallel finals ending in p t and k placed in the entering tone Nasal codas Rhymeclass 開 kai 合 heDiv I Div II III mixed III indep Div IV Div I Div II III mixed III indep Div IV咸 xian 談 am 銜 aem 嚴 jaem 凡 jom覃 om 咸 ɛm 鹽 j i em 添 em深 shen 侵 j im山 shan 寒 an 刪 aen 元 jon 桓 wan 刪 waen 元 jwon山 ɛn 仙 j i en 先 en 山 wɛn 仙 jw i en 先 wen瑧 zhen 痕 on 臻 in b 殷 jɨn 魂 won 文 jun真 j in 諄 j win宕 dang 唐 ang 陽 jang 唐 wang 陽 jwang梗 geng 庚 aeng 庚 jaeng 庚 waeng 庚 jwaeng耕 ɛng 清 jieng c 青 eng 耕 wɛng 清 jwieng 青 weng曾 zeng 登 ong 蒸 ing 登 wong 蒸 wing通 tōng 東 uwng 東 juwng冬 owng 鍾 jowng江 jiang 江 aewngThe vowels ae ɛ and ɨ are spelled ae ea and in the ASCII transcription of the Baxter system Tones Edit The rising tone is marked with a trailing X the departing tone with a trailing H The level and entering tones are unmarked 13 Notes Edit The 幽 jiw final also occurs after a few dental and sibilant initials where it is spelled iw 9 The 臻 in final occurs only after retroflex sibilants and is in complementary distribution with 真 in 11 The 清 jieng final is spelled jeng after dental and sibilant initials 12 References EditCitations Edit Norman 1988 pp 24 28 Baxter 1992 pp 33 40 Norman 1988 pp 28 34 Baxter 1992 pp 41 43 Baxter 1992 pp 69 81 Baxter 1992 pp 27 818 819 Branner 2006 p 269 Baxter 1992 pp 45 46 Baxter 1992 p 81 Baxter 1992 p 31 Baxter 1992 p 821 Baxter 1992 pp 80 81 Baxter 1992 pp 31 32 Works cited Edit Baxter William H 1992 A Handbook of Old Chinese Phonology Berlin Mouton de Gruyter ISBN 978 3 11 012324 1 Branner David Prager 2006 Appendix II Comparative Transcriptions of Rime Table Phonology in Branner David Prager ed The Chinese Rime Tables Linguistic Philosophy and Historical Comparative Phonology Amsterdam John Benjamins pp 265 302 ISBN 978 90 272 4785 8 Norman Jerry 1988 Chinese Cambridge Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 29653 3 External links EditBaxter William H 28 October 2000 An Etymological Dictionary of Common Chinese Characters PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2016 03 04 Retrieved 2016 04 30 Baxter William H 7 August 2006 Middle Chinese readings in Baxter s notation for 9000 Guangyun characters Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Baxter 27s transcription for Middle Chinese amp oldid 1113242153, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
