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Nguyen Thi Khanh Chi, PhD in Linguistics, Faculty of Social Science Education, Vinh University E-mail: khanhchi196@gmail.com Le Thi Sao Chi,
PhD in Linguistics, Faculty of Social Science Education,
Vinh University E-mail: saochidhvinh@gmail.com Nguyen Hoai Nguyen, PhD in Linguistics, Faculty of Social Science Education,
Vinh University E-mail: hoainguyen57@gmail.com
THE ORIGIN OF VIETNAMESE FRICATIVE CONSONANTS FROM LOCAL DIALECTS
Abstract. In terms ofVietnamese fricative consonants /z/, /y/, /v/, there are different approaches and explanations now but there is no unified voice. Based on the results of pioneers and material from North Central dialects, this writing has attempted to identify changing trends and contributed to clarifying the origin of Vietnamese fricative consonants.
Keywords: fricative consonant, the origin, local dialects, Vietnamese.
1. Introduction affirmed, is a source of data which help researchers
1.1. In studies of the history of Vietnamese lan- have a firm basis of explaining many Vietnamese guage, linguists have agreed totally about the exis- phonetic phenomena. Therefore, in this research, tence of spirantization of beginning sounds in the based on the actual pronunciation of North Central evolution ofVietnamese. However, there have been dialects, we have attempted to describe consonants still many different opinions about: when this pro- related to the spirantization in Vietnamese. The ma-cess happened and how it ended (see the interpreta- terial, we have directly investigated North Central tion of Nguyen Tai Can [1], M. Ferlus [3], H. Mas- dialects since 1997 until now, includes dialects from péro [5], L. Thompson [8]...). In details, this issue Thanh Hoa to Quang Binh.
needs further investigation to get the final result. 2. The origin of Vietnamese fricative conso-
1.2. As we know, in phonetic research of Viet- nants
namese language history, the principle of compara- 2.1. Sound /z/
tive and historical linguistics must be respected Currently, the letter name d and gi represent a whatever aspect it is approached; in which, docu- voiced alveolar fricative /z/. Historically, accord-mentation is always the basis of all analysis and ex- ing to M. Ferlus [5], sound /z/ nowadays is derived planation. In various sources, Vietnamese dialect from /d/ which is stuck in the middle position. Ac-is an important data of language. In the study of cording to Nguyen Tai Can [1], there are two origins phonetic phenomena of Vietnamese language his- of sound /z/: from /t/ and /d/. Recently, Nguyen tory, North Central dialect, as many linguists have Van Loi [7] has reaffirmed that /z/ is derived from
an occlusive voiced consonant /dh/ in North Central dialects. We have observed the elders' pronunciation in North Central dialects and seen that the locals pronounce sound /z/ in Vietnamese as the following consonants:
- Sound /d/: a voiced alveolar stop. The field-work resul shows that in lots of words, sound /z/ is pronounced into sound /d/. For example: dao -> dao, da de -> da de, du&i -> dudi, day -> day/day, de danh -> de ding, dep -> dip, cay dtia -> cay dUa, dai -> dai, dan -> dan, deo -> deo, doc -> doc, da -> da, con dam -> con dam, de dang -> de dang... The correspondence between sound /z/ - /d/ appears in some dialects: Quynh Luu, Dien Chau and Thanh Chuong (Nghe An province); Nghi Xuan, Can Loc, Duc Tho, Huong Son, Huong Khe (Ha Tinh province); Bo Trach, Quang Trach (Quang Binh province).
Besides the pronunciation of sound [d], above dialects are also pronounced into sounds which are occlusive, voiced, strongly palatalized; the position of pronunciation is tip oftongue [dj]. We have collected 51 words which both are voiced, occlusive and have the additional articulation: raise the tongue towards the front so as to feel that vowel i follows after that. For example: [dja1] (da), [djaw1] (dao), [dj£p5] (dep). Historically, the pronunciation of[d] and [dj] in some North Central dialects is a trace of Vietnamese language in medieval times that A. de Rhodes recorded in [6]: dea (da), deai (dai), deay (day), deam (dam), deenh (danh), deao (dao), deau (dau), deep (dep), deoc (doc). Despite the fact that A. de Rhodes didn't mention the palatalization, he used -e- (in 'de') so as to refer to that phenomenon. Both Nguyen Tai Can [1] and M. Ferlus [3] all acknowledged that de is a variant of d and described it unanimously: d and de represent an alveolar stop /d/.
- Sound /t/and/t'/: In North Central dialects, some words with the beginning sound d is in proportion to sound /t/ and /t'/. For example, /t/: dem chan -> tem chan, dieu ga -> tieu ga, dat -> tat, giac -> tac, dep -> tep, dUa -> tUa, cai dui -> cai tui, dua
lúa -> tua ló, dan -> tá'n/dánh, dop -> top, dUOng -> ttítíng, dang -> tang,... /t'/: dot -> thot, mUa dam -> mUa tham, do em -> tho em...
- Sound /c/: in the pronunciation of some North Central dialects, many words which have letter name gi and beginning sounds /z/ are pronounced [c] by middle-aged and elderly people. This sound is an occlusive consonant which is voiceless and on the upper surface of the tongue. For example: [can5] (con) chán - [zan5] (con) gián; [cieq5] (cái) chieng - [zieq5] (cái) gieng... The correspondence between /c/ and /z/ has still existed in some local words, such as: giác ngú -> chóc ngú, cái giUfrng -> cái chdng, gián nhau -> chan chac, báy gift -> báy chü, giang háng -> chang háng, cái gián -> cái chán, giü ->chtí, cá giec -> cá chiec, giat -> chat, gion -> chon, giám -> cham, giát -> chat... /c/ - /z/ has existed in some dialects: Quang Trach, Bo Trach (Quang Binh province); Ky Anh, Can Loc, Thach Ha (Ha Tinh province); Thanh Chuong, Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Hung Nguyen (Nghe An Province).
Also in these dialects, /z/ in Northern Vietnam dialect is expressed by [cj]. This pronunciation shows this is an occlusive consonant which is voiceless and on the upper surface of the tongue. Besides that, in this case, there is also an auxiliary articulation: raise the upper surface of the tongue towards the front so as to feel that vowel / i/ follows after that (palatalized articulation). For example: [cjO5] chó - [zo5] gió; [cjan5] (con) chán - [zan5] (con) gián ...
Historically, Nguyen Tai Can [1] has confirmed that /c/ and /z/ shows two affricates /t's'- d'z'/; whereas according to M. Ferlus [3], these are palatalized occlusive consonants /c - j/. H. Masperro [5] have had a slightly different concept: in the seventeenth century, consonants with the letter name ch existed in North Central Coast, but in Northern Vietnam there wasn't. It is a voiceless semi-occlusive sound in which the articulation moves forward closely dental, occlusive sounds; the author writes it as /cy/.
2.2. Sound /y/
Nowadays, according to Nguyen Tai Can [1] va Nguyen Ngoc San [7], sound /y/ (letter name: g, gh) has two origins: sound /k/ (at the high pitch) and sound /y/ (at the low pitch). M. Ferlus [3] has believed that /y/ is formed due to consonant /k/ is behind one syllable. While, in Nguyen Van Loi's opinion [4], /y/ originates from the occlusive voiced consonant /*gh/. The actual pronunciation in some North Central dialects shows that words with the beginning sound / y/ in Northern Vietnam language are in proportion to the following local beginning sounds:
- Sound /k/. In correspondence with words which have beginning sound /y/ in Northern Vietnam language, sound /k/ in North Central dialects is an occlusive consonant which is voiceless and on the root of tongue. This correspondence appears in the dialect of Quang Trach, Bo Trach (Quang Binh province); Nghi Loc, Thanh Chuong (Nghe An province); Duc Tho, Huong Son, Huong Khe (Ha Tinh province). For example: [ka1] (con) ka -ya2 (con) ga; [kiw5] kau/gau- yaw6 gao,... This pronunciation appears in a variety of local words: gach -> cach, goc -> cooc/coc, dau goi -> troc cui, gong -> cong, gam -> cam, guon -> cuoc, gay -> cay, goi dau -> coi dau), gai -> cai, gao -> cau, ga -> ca/ka, got ->cot, gap -> cap...
- Sound /k'/. In correspondence with some words which have /y/ in Northern Vietnam language, in most of dialects of Nghe Tinh and North districts of Quang Binh, [k'] is pronounced as an occlusive stop on root of tongue. Sound [k'] is aspirated, its letter name is kh in some words, such as: got -> khot, gap -> khap, go -> kho, gd -> khd, gai -> khai, gau -> khau, ga -> kha, ghe -> khe, gam -> kham, guc -> khuc...
Historically, the pronunciation of [k'] in North Central dialects is in proportion to /y/ in Northern Vietnam language, that was described by A. de Rhodes more than three centuries ago: the sound was blew by a wide-open mouth a lot. The letter name kh is
used so as to express the aspirate and it's equivalent to /x/ in Greek [6, 7]. Thus, sound [k'] has been changed into a fricative sound /x/ (kh) (spirantiza-tion) but some sounds [k'] are the origin of sound /y/ nowadays.
2.3. Sound /v/
According to M. Ferlus [3], in Vietnamese language, sound /v/ (letter name: v) is the result of an occlusive stop /b/ in the middle position (in two - syllable words) in spirantization. According to Nguyen Tai Can [1] and Nguyen Ngoc San [7], /v/ has two origins: /w/ and /p/. However, in Nguyen Van Loi's opinion [4], /v/ originates from occlusive voiced consonants in some North Central dialects and is written /bh/ by the author. The fieldwork results shows that sound /v/ in Northern Vietnam language is in proportion to the following sounds in North Central dialects:
- Sound /p/. In correspondence with words which have beginning sound /v/ in Northern Vietnam language, they are pronounced /p/ in North Central dialects - a voiceless bilabial plosive. For example: [poj1] poi - [voj1] voi; [pe2] pe - [ve2] ve... The elders have pronounced sound [p] stably in some dialects, such as: Thanh Chuong, Nam Dan, Hung Nguyen, Nghi Loc, Dien Chau (Nghe An province); Nghi Xuan, Can Loc, Duc Tho, Huong Khe (Ha Tinh province); Quang Trach, Bo Trach (Quang Binh province).
- Sound /p /. In correspondence with words which have beginning sound /v/ in Northern Vietnam language, they are pronounced [p'] in North Central dialects. This is a voiceless occlusive stop which is aspirated. The airstream is briefly prevented from leaving the oral cavity by closing two lips (like preparing to pronounce sound [b]). The sound is aspirated when the air is released. The aspirated occlusive [p'] is pronounced naturally by both middle-aged and elderly people in most of Nghe Tinh dialects. Whereas in Binh Tri Thien, this pronunciation has only existed in Quang Thuy dialect (Quang Trach, Quang Binh). Eleven statistical words have
the correspondence [p'] - [v] and the letter name of sound [p'] is ph: an vung -> an phung, vot -> phot, vo tay -> pho tay, vd dat -> phd dat, vat -> phat, vat long -> phtit loong/long, veo lon -> pheo lon, vay tay -> phay tay, vam thit -> pham thit, ve ngo -> phe ngo, vU&n -> phudn.
- Sound/b/. In proportion to words which have beginning sound /v/ in Northern Vietnam language, they are pronounced [b] in North Central dialects. Sound [b] is a voiced bilabial plosive. Elderly people have used this pronunciation stably in some dialects, such as: Quang Trach, Bo Trach, Quang Binh province; Can Loc, Duc Tho, Huong Son, Ha Tinh province; Thanh Chuong, Nam Dan, Quynh Luu, Nghe An province. For example: [bxp5] bap - [vrp5] vap; [buj1 b£4] bui be - [vuj1 v£4] vui ve.
3. Conclusion
3.1. In fact, North Central dialect has preserved quite sufficiently some of the beginning Vietnamese sounds in previous periods, especially Vietnamese language in the seventeenth century. These local sounds allow us to visualize the evolution of beginning Viet-
namese sounds on some trends, including the cardinal and secondary direction; they are: The process of aspirate: p > p', t > t', k > k'; The process ofvoice production: k > g; spirantization: p' > p and b, bj > v /v/; d, dj and t, t' > d /z/; k > k' and k > g > g (gh) /y/.
3.2. In above trends, spirantization is the main direction. It can be affirmed that this process had existed before the seventeenth century but by the seventeenth century, this process was not completed yet. The study of pronouncing Vietnamese beginning sounds /z/, /y/, /v/ in North Central dialects and local pronunciation has contributed to clarifying the origin ofVietnamese fricative consonants. Moreover, based on phonetic changes in North Central dialects, we have found that the spirantization has appeared not only in the evolution of Vietnamese language but also in North Central dialects. This proves the heterogeneity of this dialect.
Acknowledgements:
This research is funded by the Center for Research -Entrepreneurship Innovation, Vinh University, under contract No 03/2018/TTNC-KNST.
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