16:217:546 Chinese Historical Phonology

Description:  This course is a graduate seminar in Chinese linguistics focusing on topics in Chinese phonology relevant to the study of Chinese literature and research in Chinese. Topics we will cover include pronunciation and Romanization, phonology in the history and development of the writing system, Medieval Chinese phonology, prosody and rhyming, and the history of the pronunciation of Chinese in general.

Course Goals: This course will focus on investigation of linguistic topics regarding Chinese to provide those doing research in Chinese language, literature, and applied linguistics with in-depth understanding of issues in phonology and pronunciation and the range of variation encountered in spoken and written Chinese. The course will provide a solid foundation and background in the actual descriptive and theoretical linguistic (phonetic and phonological) issues that are relevant to in-depth study of Chinese literature and in mastering historical forms of Chinese. The main emphasis will be on how to bring linguistic knowledge to bear in studying and researching Chinese language and literature, what linguistic material is of most use in the research of Chinese literature, and how best to utilize that material to enhance the student’s linguistic perspective on Chinese language and the understanding of and appreciation for phonological and prosodic issues in literature.

Number of Credits: 

Prerequisites: Advanced Modern Chinese 302 or the equivalent or higher