Research on the Time When Ping Split into Yin and Yang in Chinese Northern Dialect

Ma Chuandong, Tan Lunhua

College of Fundamental Education, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.
Sichuan Science and Technology University for Employees, Chengdu, China.

DOI: 10.4236/chnstd.2014.31005                

Abstract

The phonetic phenomenon “ping split into yin and yang” 平分阴阳 is one of the most important changes of Chinese tones in the early modern Chinese, which is reflected clearly in Zhongyuan Yinyun 中原音韵by Zhou Deqing 周德清 (1277-1356) in the Yuan Dynasty. The authors of this paper think the phe-nomenon “ping split into yin and yang” should not have occurred so late as in the Yuan Dynasty, based on previous research results and modern Chinese dialects, making use of historical comparative method and rhyming books. The changes of tones have close relationship with the voiced and voiceless initials in Chinese, and the voiced initials have turned into voiceless in Song Dynasty, so it could not be in the Yuan Dynasty that ping split into yin and yang, but no later than the Song Dynasty.

Keywords

Ping Split into Yin and Yang 平分阴阳; Zhongyuan Yinyun 中原音韵; Voiced Initials

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Received January 7^th, 2014; revised February 8^th, 2014; accepted February 18^th, 2014

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Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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