Wenzhou 温州 Right-dominant Disyllabic Tone Sandhi

• DATA - look n listen
• PUBLISHED ANALYSES
• INFORMANT & RECORDING
• ELICITATION
• MORPHO- LOGICAL STRUCTURE

This page contains examples of the disyllabic tone sandhi of a male speaker from Wēnzhōu 温州, a city near the coast in the southern part of the Chinese province of Zhejiang. You can look at the tone sandhi acoustics at the same time as listening to them. To get the most from this page it is probably best to first orient yourself by listening to the data and having a look at their acoustics here. Before that, If you have not yet done so, it might be better to acquaint yourself with the Wenzhou speaker's eight isolation tones, here. After listening to Wenzhou, you might also like to compare it with data from another Oujiang dialect - Wencheng 文成 - also on this site: click here for Wencheng disyllabic tone sandhi.

WENZHOU & OUJIANG

Wenzhou belongs to the Ōujiāng 甌江 subgroup of the Wú 吳 dialects. Eponymous with the river Ou bisecting it in a N.W. to S.E. direction (jiāng = river), the Oujiang subgroup is located in the S.E. corner of Zhejiang province, and is approximately congruent with the Wenzhou administrative area. About five million people speak Oujiang varieties, of which Wenzhou is the best known. Click here to view the location of Wenzhou in the Oujiang subgroup.

You can find a characterisation of Oujiang Wu, in Chinese, on pages 18 through 21 of Fù Guótōng et al.’s monograph Wu dialect subgroups of Zhejiang (傅国通, 方松熹, 蔡勇飞, 鲍士杰,傅佐之: 浙江吴语分区) published in 1985 by the Zhejiang Linguistics Society. Information on Oujiang may also be found in Cáo Zhìyún’s 2002 book Studies on the phonetics of Southern Wu dialects (曹志耘: 南部吴语语音研究) published by the Commercial Press, Beijing.

INFORMANT & RECORDING

The examples are from recordings of a 34 year old male - Zhū Guóqìng 朱国庆 - made by Prof. William Ballard in April 1988. Zhu Guoqing was born in 1954 in Ruìān 瑞安, a county to the south of Wenzhou, but moved to Wenzhou when 3 years old. His parents came from Wenzhou. Ballard's elicitation text (he used simplified characters) is given together with glosses and phonemic representation. (Some 30 years later, in 2019, Zhu Guoqing, now Professor Emeritus at Wenzhou Normal University, kindly agreed to do some more recordings, including 3- and 4-syllable words! These are now being processed.)

ELICITATION

To elicit the data, Ballard chose disyllabic expressions to exemplify all combinations of the eight Middle Chinese tones (yinping, yangping etc.). There were three different expressions for each tonal combination, each repeated three times after Ballard's numerical prompt. Click the following button to listen to Ballard's elicitation of the three items with the same underlying mid falling tone (Yangping Ib) on the word-initial syllable and mid fall-rise tone (Yinru IVa) on the word-final syllable: 牛骨 oxbone, 湖北 Hubei province, 头发 hair (note that the surface tones are different from the underlying tones!) Play/Pause prompted Ib+IVa words. Ballard's elicitation text (he used simplified characters) is given together with glosses and phonemic representation in the table of data below.

MORPHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE

Most of the disyllabic expressions Ballard used are compound words with a morphological structure of either synonym e.g. 绸缎 silk goods = {绸 silk } + {缎 satin}, or attribute-head e.g.飞机 aeroplane = {飞 fly } + {机 machine}. ('Synonym' and 'attribute-head' are terms from the sections on morphological constructions in Kratochvil's 1968 book The Chinese Language Today). There are also several verb-object expressions e.g. 坐车 to ride = {坐 sit} + {车 vehicle}.

DATA

In the table below I have set out all the disyllabic combinations elicited by Ballard. They are arranged by the etymological (Middle Chinese) tone of the first-syllable morpheme "T1" down the left-hand column, and by the etymological tone of the word-final morpheme "T2" along the top row. You can also click on the Play/pause buttons in the top row to hear examples of the corresponding isolation tone. Ballard's elicitation text is given in the Simplified Chinese characters that he used, together with glosses. The few verb-object constructions in the corpus are shown in green. Normally one would expect them to have different sandhi from the lexical items. Items with anomalous tonal pitch are shown in blue.

I have extracted and plotted the tonal acoustics - F0 as a function of absolute duration - of the first of the three replicates of each expression Ballard elicited. Thin dotted lines show the values of the individual expressions; thick red lines show their mean value. Dashed lines show the F0 on phonemically voiced intervocalic consonants. You can expand the figures for closer examination by clicking on them, where you will also see a provisional segmental phonemic representation to help you with interpreting the acoustics. Clicking again will shrink them. You can also listen to the individual expressions by clicking on the Play/pause separate tokens buttons, and listen to the synthesised mean values by clicking on the Play mean glottal pulses buttons (should work for Chrome; no guarantees for other browsers, sorry). You can hear that the three items in most cells are said with the same tonal pitch.

click on individual figures to expand for inspection; click again to contract

TONE on WORD-FINAL MORPHEME (T2)>     TONE on 1st SYLLABLE MORPHEME (T1)	T2= upper-mid level Play/Pause upper-mid level citation tones (Ia/Yinping)	T2= mid fall Play/Pause mid fall citation tones (Ib/Yangping)	T2= mid rise Play/Pause mid rise citation tones (IIa/Yinshang)	T2= delayed low rising Play/Pause delayed low rising citation tones (IIb/Yangshang)	T2= high fall Play/Pause high fall citation tones (IIIa/Yinqu)	T2= lower-mid level Play/Pause lower-mid level citation tones (IIIb/Yangqu)	T2= mid fall-rise Play/Pause mid fall-rise citation tones (IVa/Yinru)	T2= low fall-rise Play/Pause low fall-rise citation tones (IVb/Yangru)
T1 = upper-mid level (Ia/Yinping)	飞机 airplane 松香 rosin 西瓜watermelon Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	天堂 paradise 安排 arrange 猪毛 pig bristles Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	资本 capital 工厂factory (old pron.) 工厂factory 辛苦 tough Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	安静 quiet 亲近 on initimate terms with 师范 teacher training Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	书记 secretary 相信 believe 青菜 greens Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	公事 public matters 山洞 cave 空地 vacant land Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	猪血pig's blood 方法 method 公式 formula Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	单独 single 中学 middle school 兵役military service Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses
T1= mid fall (Ib/Yangping)	同乡 fellow local 年轻 young 农村 village > Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	人头number of people 平台 platform 皮球 rubber ball Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	门板 shutter 团长 regimental commander 洪水 deluge Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	行动 move 形像 image 文件 document Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	同志 comrade 文化 culture 脾气 mood Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	绸缎 silk goods 强盗 robber 黄豆 soybean Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	牛骨 oxbone 湖北 Hubei province 头发 hair Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	同学 fellow students 红木 red sandlewood 明白 understand Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses
T1= mid rise (IIa/Yinshang)	表亲 cousin 普通 ordinary 手心 palm Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	党员 party member 果园 orchard 本能 instinct Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	底板 baseplate 火腿 leg of ham 稿纸 drafting paper Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	小米 millet 海马 seafish 处理 manage Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	考试 (s.w?) examination 讨厌 annoying 打扮 makeup Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	体面 face 子弹 bullet 扁豆hyacynth bean Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	宝塔pagoda 粉刷 whitewash 水笔 writing brush Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	普及 popular 酒席 banquet 坦白 frank Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses
T1= delayed low rising (IIb/Yangshang)	坐车 ride 上天 ascend to heaven 被窝 quilt 旱灾 drought Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	户头 account 市场 market 肚皮 stomach Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	社长 head of staff 户口account 雨水 rainwater Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	舅父 mother's brother 罪犯 criminal 旅社 hostel Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	罪过 offence 雨布waterproof cloth 动态 trend Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	被面 facing of a quilt 弟妹 younger brothers & sisters 部队 troops Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	负责 be responsible for 道德 moral Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	被褥 bedding (read as alternative for 被窝 IIb+Ia) 动物 animal 静脉 vein Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses
T1= high fall (IIIa/Yinqu)	粪坑 manure pit 屙坑 manure pit (dial.) 快车 express train 酱瓜 pickled cucumber Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	菜园vegetable garden 太平 peace 菜油 rapeseed oil Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	对比 contrast 汽水 soda-water 报纸 newspaper Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	创造 create 器件 machine parts 报社 newspaper office 快件 express letter (read for 快信 IIIa + IIIa) Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	志气 will 奋斗 struggle Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	志愿 volunteer 退路 leeway 炸弹 bomb Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	印刷 to print 快速 speed Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	汉族 Han nationality 快活 happy 破裂 fracture Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses
T1= lower-mid level (IIIb/Yangqu)	地方 place 上司 boss Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	外行 layman 地球 earth 病人 patient Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	外省 other provinces 院长 president 字典 dictionary Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	附近 nearby 现象 phenomenon 运动 exercise   Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	外快 extra income 饭店 hotel 弹片 shrapnel Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	外地 other places 寿命 lifespan 命令 order 自在 health Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	大雪 heavy snow 办法 method 自杀 suicide Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	闰月 leap month 大麦 barley 事实 fact Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses
T1= mid fall-rise (IVa/Yinru)	浙江 Zhejiang province 骨科 orthopedics 北方 northern Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	发扬 promote 国旗 national flag 色盲 colourblind Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	百果 all kinds of fruits 出口 export 作品 works Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	接近 move close to 黑道 underworld 一件 one item Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	百货 general merchanise 国庆 National Day 折扣 discount Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	脚步 step 出路 way out 国画 traditional Chinese painting Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	法则 law 出色 outstanding 铁塔 pylon Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	骨肉 flesh & blood 吃力 tired 积极 active Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses
T1= low fall-rise (IVb/Yangru)	月光 moon 目标 goal 蜜蜂 bee Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	月台 platform 药丸 pill 石头 stone Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	白果 ginko 入口 import 日本 Japan Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	木棒 cudgel 活动 activity 白象 white elephant Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	物价 commoditiy prices 木器 wooden articles 白布 calico Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	服务 serve 实现 be realised 白话 vernacular literature Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	合作 cooperate 白铁 tin 肋骨 rib Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses	毒药 poison 直达 non-stop 特别 special Play/Pause separate tokens Play mean glottal pulses

PUBLISHED ANALYSES

I have described and analysed aspects of the tone sandhi in these data in the following publications (click to view):

Wenzhou Dialect Disyllabic Lexical Tone Sandhi with First Syllable Entering Tones (2000).

This paper describes the tone sandhi on the subset of combinations with the long fall-rise tones IVa and IVb on the first-syllable morpheme. These are in rows 7 and 8. What basically happens in these combinations is that both underlyingly long tones on the first-syllable morpheme neutralise to a tone with a very short pitch conditioned by word-initial Depression and the pitch of the following tone. Since the first syllable tones are reflexes of Middle Chinese short 'Ru' category tones, it looks as if the short tone in these combinations is actually a preservation of the Middle Chinese tone(s). But the 'short-long' pattern is also found in items with tones other than Middle Chinese Ru - see for example the verb-object examples in IIb+Ia combinations - and so the short realisation may be something more complicated. For more information see 游汝杰 You Rujie's 温州方言两字组连读的音长变化.

Tonal Complexity as Conditioning Factor: More Depressing Wenzhou Dialect Disyllabic Lexical Tone Sandhi (2002)

This paper shows that for the majority of combinations in the data the tone on the first syllable morpheme is either a (Depressed) high falling or (before word-final IVa/IVb tones) a (Depressed) mid rising tone.

Independent depressor and register effects in Wu dialect tonology: Evidence from Wenzhou tone sandhi (2002)

This paper describes the phenomenon of Depression and its interaction with Register in greater detail for the Wenzhou data.

"Defying Explanation"? - Accounting for Tones in Wenzhou Dialect Disyllabic Lexical Tone Sandhi (2004)

This paper describes the sandhi in the two remaining combination types, with underlying tones Ia/Ib + Ia/Ib (ping + ping), and underlying tones Ia/Ib + IIIa/IIIb (ping + qu).