She Chinese

She
Shehua
Shanha
Native toFujian, Zhejiang
EthnicityShe
Native speakers
400,000 (2002)[1][2]
Early forms
Chinese characters
Language codes
ISO 639-3None (mis)
Linguasphere79-AAA-gbf

She or Shehua (畲话, Shēhuà, meaning 'She speech') is an unclassified Sinitic language spoken by the She people of Southeastern China. It is also called Shanha, San-hak (山哈)[5] or Shanhahua (山哈话). She speakers are located mainly in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces of Southeastern China, with smaller numbers of speakers in a few locations of Jiangxi (in Guixi and Yanshan County), Guangdong (in Chaozhou and Fengshun County) and Anhui (in Ningguo) provinces.[1]

She (畲话) is not to be confused with Shēyǔ (畲语, also known as Ho Ne), which is a Hmong–Mien language spoken in East-Central Guangdong. She and Sheyu speakers have separate histories and identities, although both are officially classified by the Chinese government as She people. The Dongjia of Majiang County, Guizhou are also officially classified as She people, but speak a Western Hmongic language closely related to Chong'anjiang Miao (重安江苗语).

History

[edit]

During the Tang dynasty, She speakers lived in the Jiangxi-Guangdong-Fujian border region. Afterwards, they moved to their present locations further to the northeast.[1]

Classification

[edit]

Some linguists consider She to be a variety of Hakka Chinese, while others consider it to be an unclassified variety of Chinese that has received some influence from Hakka and is part of Hakka.[1] Hiroki Nakanishi (2010) considers She to be a Hakka dialect that may have a Sheyu (Hmongic) substratum.[3] However, Zhao (2004) considers She to be an independent branch of Chinese, and that it should not be classified within Hakka.[6]

Depending on their locations, She dialects have been variously influenced by Hakka, Gan, Wu, and Min.

Dialects

[edit]

You (2002:31-35)[1] divides She into 9 dialectal areas (fangyan qu 方言区), and with respective locations and speaker demographics from You (2002) listed as well. The Eastern Fujian and Southern Zhejiang dialectal areas each have over 100,000 speakers, while the smallest dialectal areas are in Guangdong and Jiangxi, with each having only a few thousand speakers. Altogether, there are more than 400,000 She speakers in China.[1]

  • Mindong (闽东区, Eastern Fujian), spoken in the counties of Fu'an 福安, Fuding 福鼎, Xiapu 霞浦, Ningde 宁德, Shouning 寿宁, Zhouning 周宁, Zherong 柘荣, Pingnan 屏南, Luoyuan 罗源, Lianjiang 连江, Fuzhou 福州郊区, Minhou 闽侯, Minqing 闽清, and Yongqin 永泰. 184,000 speakers. In contact with Eastern Min.
  • Minbei (闽北区, Northern Fujian), spoken in the counties of Nanping 南平, Jian'ou 建瓯, Jianyang 建阳, Shaowu 邵武, Shunchang 顺昌, and Guangze 光泽. 21,000 speakers. In contact with Northern Min.
  • Minzhong (闽中区, Central Fujian), spoken in the counties of Sanming 三明, Yong'an 永安, Shaxian 沙县, and Ninghua 宁化. Also spoken in Shuangguishan 双贵山, Youxi County, Fujian.[5] 12,000 speakers. In contact with Central Min.
  • Minnan (闽南区, Southern Fujian), spoken in the counties of Licheng District 鲤城区 (in Quanzhou), Anxi 安溪, Dehua 德化, Yongchun 永春, Hua'an 华安, Longyan 龙岩, and Zhangping 漳平. 12,000 speakers. In contact with Southern Min. In Zhangping City, Shanyangge She 山羊隔畲话[7] is spoken by over 800 people in the two villages of Shanyangge 山羊隔, Guilin Township 桂林乡, and Jianci 尖祠, Xi'nan Township 溪南乡.[8] Shanyangge She is distinct from Shejiake 畲家客, which is a Southern Min dialect spoken by over 100 people in Zhangping County in the two villages of Changta Village 长塔村, Xianghu Township 象湖乡 and Wei Village 尾村, Shuangyang Township 双洋乡.[8]
  • Zhenan (浙南区, Southern Zhejiang), spoken in the counties of Pingyang 平阳, Cangnan 苍南, Rui'an 瑞安, Wencheng 文成, Taishun 泰顺, Lishui 丽水, Jingning 景宁, Yunhe 云和, Longquan 龙泉, Songyang 松阳, Qingtian 青田, and Wuyi 武义. 120,000 speakers. In contact with Wu Chinese.
  • Zhezhong (浙中区, Central Zhejiang), spoken in the counties of Longyou 龙游, Quxian 衢县, Lanxi 兰溪, Jinhua 金华, and Suichang 遂昌. 23,000 speakers. In contact with Wu Chinese.
  • Zhebei (浙北区, Northern Zhejiang), spoken in the counties of Tonglu 桐庐, Jiande 建德, Lin'an 临安, Fuyang 富阳, and Anji 安吉. 13,000 speakers. In contact with Wu Chinese.
  • Yuedong (粤东区, Eastern Guangdong), spoken in the counties of Chaozhou 潮州 and Fengshun 丰顺. 2,200 speakers. In contact with the Teochew dialect of Southern Min. In Fengshun County, it is spoken in Fengping Village 凤坪村, Tanjiang Town 潭江镇.[9] You, Lei & Lan (2005) document the She variety of Fenghuangshan 凤凰山 ("Phoenix Mountain") in eastern Guangdong.[10]
  • Gandong (赣东区, Eastern Jiangxi), spoken in the counties of Guixi 贵溪 and Yanshan 铅山. 4,000 speakers. In contact with Gan Chinese. The She variety of Taiyuan 太源畲族乡, Yanshan County, Jiangxi has been documented in detail by Hu & Hu (2013),[11] while the She variety of Zhangping Township 樟坪畲族乡, Guixi City, Jiangxi has been documented in detail by Liu (2008).[12]

In Anhui Province, there is also a She dialect spoken by about 2,400 people in Yunti She Ethnic Township (云梯畲族乡), Ningguo City that has been influenced by Lower Yangtze Mandarin.[13][14]

You (2002)[1] provides a comparative vocabulary list for the following 13 datapoints. The Zhebei dialectal area 浙北方言区 has not been included by You (2002).

  1. Fu'an 福安, Ningde, Fujian (Mindong dialectal area 闽东方言区)
  2. Fuding 福鼎, Ningde, Fujian (Mindong dialectal area 闽东方言区; includes Xiamen She Ethnic Township 硖门畲族乡)
  3. Luoyuan 罗源, Fuzhou, Fujian (Mindong dialectal area 闽东方言区)
  4. Sanming 三明, Fujian (Minzhong dialectal area 闽中方言区)
  5. Shunchang 顺昌, Nanping 南平, Fujian (Minbei dialectal area 闽北方言区)
  6. Hua'an 华安, Zhangzhou 华安, southern Fujian (Minnan dialectal area 闽北方言区)
  7. Guixi 贵溪, Yingtan 鹰潭, Jiangxi (Gandong dialectal area 赣东方言区)
  8. Cangnan 苍南, Wenzhou 温州, Zhejiang (Zhe'nan dialectal area 浙南方言区)
  9. Jingning 景宁, Lishui 丽水, Zhejiang (Zhe'nan dialectal area 浙南方言区)
  10. Lishui 丽水, Zhejiang (Zhe'nan dialectal area 浙南方言区)
  11. Longyou 龙游, Quzhou 衢州, Zhejiang (Zhezhong dialectal area 浙中方言区; includes Muchen She Ethnic Township 沐尘畲族乡)
  12. Chaozhou 潮州, Guangdong (Yuedong dialectal area 粤东方言区)
  13. Fengshun 丰顺, Meizhou 梅州, Guangdong (Yuedong dialectal area 粤东方言区)

Distribution

[edit]

The following maps show ethnic She townships and other administrative divisions (highlighted in magenta) in Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi provinces. The She people of these three provinces speak She, while the She of central Guangdong and Guizhou speak Hmongic languages.

The most She speakers are located in Ningde Prefecture, Fujian, and Wenzhou and Lishui Prefectures, Zhejiang. Smaller communities of She speakers are located in central Zhejiang, southern Fujian, the mountainous interior of western Fujian, southeastern Anhui, eastern Guangdong, and northeastern Jiangxi near its border with Fujian.[1] It is not known whether She is spoken by She people living in central and southern Jiangxi.

Phonology

[edit]

She is a very dialectally uniform language. Like many southern Chinese languages, it has syllables with stop codas, traditionally considered as part of a separate tone class. Much like its sister branch Hakka Chinese, it has the same three nasal codas as well as three stop codas. However, the /k/ coda has evolved into a glottal stop.

Consonants

[edit]

In addition to the consonants listed below, She also has a null initial, often realized as a glottal stop.

Labial Dental Alveopalatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ŋ
Plosive tenuis p t k ʔ[a]
aspirated
Affricate tenuis ts ()[b]
aspirated tsʰ (tʃʰ)[b]
Fricative central s (ʃ)[b] h
lateral (ɬ)[b]
Approximant l    
  1. ^ This consonant only appears phonemically in syllable coda position.
  2. ^ a b c d Consonants in parentheses are present in only some dialects.

Some dialects of She in eastern Fujian (including the Fú'ān and Fúdǐng varieties) have the initial voiceless lateral fricative ɬ- where other She dialects have an initial s-.

Only a limited number of consonants can act as a coda, including the nasals and the plain labial, dental, and glottal stops.

Vowels

[edit]
Front Central Back
unrounded rounded
Close i y[a] u
Close-mid e (ø)[b] o
Open-mid (ɛ)[b] ɔ
Open a
  1. ^ This vowel is present in most dialects.
  2. ^ a b Vowels in parentheses are present in only some dialects.

The syllabic coronal consonant /z̩/, frequently known in Chinese linguistics as the apical vowel, is also found in some dialects of She.

Tones

[edit]

She has 4 phonemic contour tones, which can be organized into the following 6 tone categories (You 2002:80-83); the Dark Going tone has merged into the Dark Level tone in the development of She. Almost all She dialects have identical tone values in each tone category, which are provided below.

Tone category
Level 平 Rising 上 Going 去 Entering 入
Tone
register
Dark 陰 1. 陰平
[˦] (44)[a]
Dark Level
3. 上聲
[˧˥] (35)[b]
Rising tone
7. 陰入
[˥] (5)
Dark Entering
Light 陽 2. 陽平
[˨] (22)
Light Level
6. 陽去
[˨˩]/[˦˨] (21 or 42)
Light Going
8. 陽入
[˨] (2)
Light Entering
  1. ^ Two dialects have different tone values: Yóu records the Huá'ān dialect as having [˧] (33)[15] and Zhào records a Jǐngníng dialect as having a tone value of [˦˧] (43).[16]
  2. ^ Several dialects also have tone values of [˨˩˧] (213), and Zhào records a Jǐngníng dialect as having a tone value of [˧˨˥] (325).[16]

The Tàiyuán dialect may have more divergent tone values. Hú recorded the dialect as having [˨˩˨] (212) for its Light Level tone, [˨˥] (25) on its Rising tone, and [˦] (4) for its Dark Entering tone.[17]

Lexicon

[edit]

Unique vocabulary

[edit]

You (2002:183-216)[1] notes that She has many unique vocabulary items that have no cognates in Hakka, Gan, Wu, or any other Chinese language. Instead, many words have parallels in Hmong-Mien languages (You 2002:490-504), and in Tai and Kam-Sui languages (You 2002:458-489). Other words appear to have no parallels in any other language family or branch (You 2002:505-518).

Swadesh list

[edit]

Below is a vocabulary table comparing Swadesh lists of She (Fengshun), Hakka (Boluo), and She (Boluo), from Gan (2011:188-191).[18]

Chinese
gloss
English
gloss
She
(Fengshun)
Hakka
(Boluo)
She
(Boluo)
I ŋai1 ŋai2 vaŋ4
you ŋi1 ŋi2 muŋ2
我们 we ŋai1nai6ŋin2 ŋai2ne6 pa1
this kai6 lia6 lja3
that hɔŋ6 kai6 u3
who mɔi6ŋin2 nai5ŋin2 pe4le2
什么 what mat7kai1 mat7kai5 ha5la5
not m1 a6
全部 all tsʰiɛn2pu5 tsʰjen5pʰu4
many 1 1 u5
one ʒit7 it2 i6
two ŋi6 ŋi5 u1
big tʰai6 tʰai6 vɔŋ2
long tʃʰɔŋ2 tsʰɔŋ2 ka1ta3
small sai1 5 sɔŋ1
女人 female pu1ŋioŋ2ŋin2 ŋi3ŋin2 le2va3
男人 male nam2ŋin2 lam2ŋin2 le2pu3
person ŋin2 ŋin2 le2
fish ŋiu2 ŋ̩2 pja4
bird tau3 tiau1 4taŋ1
dog kou3 kiu3 kja3
虱子 louse sɛt7ŋioŋ2 set7 taŋ5
tree ʃu6 su6 tɔŋ5
种子 seed tsuŋ3tsi3 ka31
叶子 leaf ʒep3 jap8 pjɔŋ2
root kin1 kʰjuŋ2
树皮 bark su5pi2 tɔŋ5kʰu5
皮肤 skin pʰi2 pʰi2 kʰu5
meat pi3 ŋiuk7 kwe2
blood hiet7 si3
骨头 bone kut7 suŋ33
脂肪 fat
鸡蛋 egg lan3 kai1tsʰun2 kwe1kja5
horn kɔk7 kaŋ1
tail mui1 mui1 ka13
羽毛 feather iuŋ2mau1 pi1
头发 hair tʰeu2mou1 tʰiu2mau1 kaŋ6kʰu5pi1
head tʰeu2 tʰiu2 kaŋ6kʰu5
耳朵 ear ŋi3kʰuŋ6 ŋi3kuŋ1 ka2kʰuŋ3
眼睛 eye ȵian3kʰiʔ8 ŋan2 ka1kʰɔ3
鼻子 nose pʰi6kuŋ6 pʰi6 ŋ̩3pju4
mouth tsɔi1 tsɔi5 tjɔ2
牙齿 tooth ŋa2tʃʰi3 ŋa2 mun3
舌头 tongue ʃet8ma2 set8ma2 pi6
爪子 claw tsau3 tsau3 tsau5
foot kioʔ7 kiɔk7 5
knee kioʔ7puʔ7tʰeu3 tsʰit7tʰiu2 5tʰju4kui3[a]
hand ʃeu3 siu3 kʰwa4
肚子 belly tu3ʃi3 tu3pʰat8 ŋiɔ3ka3
脖子 neck kiaŋ3 kjaŋ3 ka3kjen1
乳房 breast ŋiɛn5pʰɔŋ2 ŋjuŋ3
心脏 heart ɕim1 sim1 fun1
liver kan1 kɔn1 fun1
drink hɔt7 6
eat ʃiʔ8 sit8 luŋ2
bite ŋieʔ8 ŋau1 tʰu6
看见 see tʰai3 tʰe3tʰau2 6pʰu6
听见 hear tʰaŋ5 tʰaŋ5tʰau2 kuŋ5
知道 know 1 ti1 pe1
sleep fun2 sɔi5 5
die si2 tʰa4
kill laʔ7 sat7 ta5
游泳 swim ju2sui3 ka1tu6kwe2
fly pui1 fui1 ŋi5
go ham2 tsiu2 ka1pi1
come lɔi2 lɔi4 lu4
lie sɔi5 ɔŋ2
sit tsʰɔŋ3 tsʰɔ1 ŋjuŋ1
stand kʰi1 kʰi1 su3
give pun1 pi1 puŋ1
say va6kɔŋ3 kuŋ3 kuŋ1
太阳 sun ŋiet8tʰeu2 tʰai5jɔŋ1 13
月亮 moon ŋiɔt8hau6 ŋiet7kɔŋ1 le5
星星 star saŋ6 sin1 le5taŋ1
water ʃui3 sui3 ɔŋ2
rain ʃui3 sui1 luŋ1
石头 stone ʃaʔ8 sak8tʰiu2 za13
沙子 sand ʃa6 sa1 hja1
土地 earth tʰi6 tu2 ta1
cloud vun2 vun2 tsɔŋ1ɔŋ2
smoke ien1 iɛn1 in1
fire 3 tʰɔ4
ash fɔi1 fɔi1 si3[b]
burn sau1 fa3
road lu6 lu6 kja3
mountain san1 san1 kje6
red fuŋ2 fuŋ2 si5
绿 green luʔ8 luk8 ka6pʰu2
yellow vɔŋ3 vɔŋ2 kʰun2
white pʰaʔ8 pʰak8 kjɔ1
black vu1 u1 kjaŋ1
晚上 night am1pu6ʃi2 man1sɔŋ5 3kaŋ4tsʰi2
hot ŋiet8 ŋiet8 kʰaŋ1
cold laŋ1 laŋ1 kjɔŋ5
full man1 paŋ3
new ɕin1 sin1 tu6fun1
good hou3 hau2 ŋɔŋ5
round ʒen2 jin2 zin2
dry kɔn1 kʰui1
名字 name miaŋ2 mui2

Further reading

[edit]
  • Liu Lunxin 刘纶鑫. 2008. Guixi Zhangping Shehua yanjiu 贵溪樟坪畲话研究. Beijing: China Social Sciences Academy Press 中国社会科学出版社.
  • Zhao Zeling 赵则玲. 2004. Zhejiang Shehua yanjiu 浙江畲话硏究. Hangzhou: Zhejiang People's Press 浙江人民出版社.
  • Wu Chong-chieh 吳中杰. 2004. Languages of She Minority / Shezu yuyan yanjiu 畬族語言研究. Ph.D. dissertation. Hsinchu, Taiwan: National Tsing Hua University 國立清華大學語言研究所.
  • Chang Kuang-yu 張光宇. 2008. Guangdong Chao'an Shehua diaocha yanjiu 廣東潮安畬話調查研究. Hsinchu, Taiwan: National Tsing Hua University 國立清華大學語言研究所.
  • Fujian Provincial Gazetteer 福建省志 方言志. Appendix: The Fujian She language 附:福建畲语.
  • 曹志耘. 2002. 南部吴语语音研究. 北京: 商务印书馆. 2002年9月. ISBN 7-100-03533-3
  • 傅国通. 2010. 方言丛稿. 北京: 中华书局. 2010年9月. ISBN 978-7-101-06896-2 (繁体中文)
  • Luo Meizhen 罗美珍. 1980. Shezu suo shuo de Kejiahua 畲族所说的客家话. In 中央民族学院学报 1980年01期.
  • 傅根清. 2003. 从景宁畲话的语音特点论其与客家话的关系. 山东大学学报, 2003, (5).
  • Deng, Xiaohua 邓晓华. 1999. Kejiahua gen Miao-yao Zhuangdongyu de Guanxi wenti 客家话跟苗瑶壮侗语的关系问题. Minzu Yuwen 民族语文 3:42-49.
  • Hsiu, Andrew. 2018. The origins of Shehua. Archive.org : https://web.archive.org/web/20190420131003/https://sites.google.com/site/msealangs/home/blog/shehua

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ kneecap 膝盖
  2. ^ ash of grass/wood 草木灰

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j You Wenliang 游文良. 2002. Shezu yuyan 畲族语言. Fuzhou: Fujian People's Press 福建人民出版社. ISBN 7-211-03885-3
  2. ^ You (2002:29)
  3. ^ a b Nakanishi 2010.
  4. ^ Coblin 2019, p. 438-440.
  5. ^ a b Wu Chong-chieh 吳中杰. 2014. Northern and Southern Vernaculars of She (San-hak): On Shuangguishan, Youxi County, Fujian Province / 畲話的南北分片問題:以閩中尤溪雙貴山為例的探討. In 客家研究第七卷第二期, 2014 年12 月39-62 頁.
  6. ^ 赵则玲. 2004. 试论畲话的归属. 《语言科学》2004年第5期87-94,共8页.
  7. ^ 林清书. 2008. 山羊隔畲族村的语言传承和语言使用现状. 《龙岩学院学报》 2008年第2期87-91,共5页.
  8. ^ a b Lin Jinlu, etc. Longyan Prefecture Geographical Gazetteer Editorial Committee 龙岩地区地方志编纂委员会编; 总编林金禄. 1992. Longyan Prefecture Geographical Gazetteer 福建省龙岩地区志. Shanghai: Shanghai People's Press 上海人民出版社.
  9. ^ 大岛广美. 2011. 丰顺县凤坪村畲话的上声调嘎裂声. 《文化遗产》 中文社会科学引文索引 2011年第3期共6页.
  10. ^ You Wenliang 游文良; Lei Nan 雷楠; Lan Ruitang 蓝瑞汤. 2005. Fenghuangshan Sheyu 凤凰山畲语. Jilin People's Press 吉林人民出版社.
  11. ^ Hu Songbai 胡松柏; Hu Derong 胡德荣. 2013. Yanshan Taiyuan Shehua yanjiu 铅山太源畲话研究. Beijing: China Social Sciences Academy Press 中国社会科学出版社.
  12. ^ Liu Lunxin 刘纶鑫. 2008. Guixi Zhangping Shehua yanjiu 贵溪樟坪畲话研究. Beijing: China Social Sciences Academy Press 中国社会科学出版社.
  13. ^ Wu Chong-chieh 吳中杰. 2004. Languages of She Minority / Shezu yuyan yanjiu 畬族語言研究. Ph.D. dissertation. Hsinchu, Taiwan: National Tsing Hua University 國立清華大學語言研究所.
  14. ^ 钱虹. 2015. 语言接触下的畲话语音变迁——以安徽宁国云梯畲话为例. 《广西民族大学学报:哲学社会科学版》2015年第1期163-167,共5页.
  15. ^ Yóu, Wénliáng 游文良 (2002). Shēzú yǔyán 畬族語言 [The language of the She minority]. Fuzhou: Fujian People's Publishing House.
  16. ^ a b Zhào, Zélíng 趙則玲 (2004). Zhèjiāng Shēzú yánjiù 浙江畬族研究 [A study of the She dialects of Zhejiang]. Hangzhou: Zhejiang People's Publishing House.
  17. ^ Hú, Sōngbó 胡松柏 (2009). Gàn dōngběi fāngyán dìaochá yánjiù 贑東北方言調查研究 [A survey study of the dialects of Northeast Jiangxi]. Nanchang: Jiangxi People's Publishing House.
  18. ^ Gan Chunyan 甘春妍. 2011. Boluo Sheyu yanjiu 博罗畲语研究. Tianjin: Nankai University Press 南开大学出版社. ISBN 978-7-310-03777-3

Sources

[edit]