RAS-1982 — Page 179

157

55 or 53

Tone category Upper Even

SC contour KHW contour Tung Kun contour

23

2131

Lower Even

21 or 11

21 or 11

11

Upper Rising

35

45

24

Lower Rising

13

23

23

Upper Going

33

23

332

Lower Going

22

33 or 43

332

Upper Entering

5

4(5)

44

45

224

3(3) or 4(3)

22

Middle Entering 33

Lower Entering 2(2)

The comparison of SC, KHW and Tung Kun tone contours suggests that the mergers (Upper and Lower Going tones in Tung Kun; Lower Rising and Upper Going in KHW) were caused by tone overcrowding in the lower voice range, following the lowering of the Upper Even tone. The Upper Even tone in Tung Kun developed a very unusual double-falling contour, presumably to avoid merging with either the Lower Even or, a merger which ultimately took place in KHW, the Going tone.

Conclusion

Although differences exist between KHW and SC, the correspondences between them are simply stated and very regular, suggesting a very close genetic relationship. The classification of KHW as a Cantonese dialect is further confirmed by the following feature, which is shared with SC and other Cantonese dialects, but is unknown outside the Cantonese group of dialects: a few words having in Ancient Chinese a voiced obstruent initial and the Rising tone have two readings: a colloquial reading with an aspirated initial and the Lower Rising tone, and a literary reading with an unaspirated initial and the Lower Going tone:

Literary reading:

Colloquial reading:

坐 近

SC KHW SC KHW

'sit' tsôh ty04 ts'oh ty'ol

'near' kân kang4 k'an k'angl