LACONC | Language contact and heterogeneity in the Hybrid Chinese dialects in North-West China

Summary
This project focusses on highly endangered hybrid Chinese dialects spoken in the Gansu-Qinghai aera, namely Wutun, Zhoutun, Gangou, Xining, Linxia and Tangwang, which are reputed to have been highly “Altaicised”. The main objective is to determine their position within the North-Western branch by identifying the different strata of Altaic influence found on the morphonological level. It aims at demonstrating the high degree of heterogeneity of certain specific features that are reputed to have been induced by contact with Mongolic and Turkic languages, namely nominal case markers, pronominal forms (third person and demonstratives) , and tense and aspectual markers. As several Mongolic languages are spoken by different minorities in this region, many scholars thought that these non-Sinitic traits have been induced through contacts with these populations and that a linguistic area has formed, leading to their areal diffusion. However, many of those are also found in dialects that have not been in direct contact with Altaic languages in recent time, including those spoken along the Yellow river spread between the Shanxi and Shaanxi regions. Therefore, a certain continuity between the dialects of these 2 regions exists, while secondary influence of Mongolic languages has further developed the changes in those dialects. By comparing this selection of forms, the project will 1. Document the typological diversity found in the hybrid Chinese dialects of the Gansu-Qinghai area (suggesting different source of borrowing or a different reanalysis process) 2. Link the contact-induced traits and forms identified in the Gansu-Qinghai hybrid dialects with those of the dialects spoken in he Shaanxi-Shanxi region. 3. Identify the different strata of Altaic influence in the hybrid dialects 4. Show that the secondary contact-induced features have been transferred through direct contacts with Mongolic languages, and that several isoglosses can be identified rather than a linguistic area
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101147056
Start date: 01-12-2024
End date: 30-11-2026
Total budget - Public funding: - 172 750,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

This project focusses on highly endangered hybrid Chinese dialects spoken in the Gansu-Qinghai aera, namely Wutun, Zhoutun, Gangou, Xining, Linxia and Tangwang, which are reputed to have been highly “Altaicised”. The main objective is to determine their position within the North-Western branch by identifying the different strata of Altaic influence found on the morphonological level. It aims at demonstrating the high degree of heterogeneity of certain specific features that are reputed to have been induced by contact with Mongolic and Turkic languages, namely nominal case markers, pronominal forms (third person and demonstratives) , and tense and aspectual markers. As several Mongolic languages are spoken by different minorities in this region, many scholars thought that these non-Sinitic traits have been induced through contacts with these populations and that a linguistic area has formed, leading to their areal diffusion. However, many of those are also found in dialects that have not been in direct contact with Altaic languages in recent time, including those spoken along the Yellow river spread between the Shanxi and Shaanxi regions. Therefore, a certain continuity between the dialects of these 2 regions exists, while secondary influence of Mongolic languages has further developed the changes in those dialects. By comparing this selection of forms, the project will 1. Document the typological diversity found in the hybrid Chinese dialects of the Gansu-Qinghai area (suggesting different source of borrowing or a different reanalysis process) 2. Link the contact-induced traits and forms identified in the Gansu-Qinghai hybrid dialects with those of the dialects spoken in he Shaanxi-Shanxi region. 3. Identify the different strata of Altaic influence in the hybrid dialects 4. Show that the secondary contact-induced features have been transferred through direct contacts with Mongolic languages, and that several isoglosses can be identified rather than a linguistic area

Status

SIGNED

Call topic

HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01-01

Update Date

22-11-2024
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Horizon Europe
HORIZON.1 Excellent Science
HORIZON.1.2 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
HORIZON.1.2.0 Cross-cutting call topics
HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01-01 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023