TheChineseglossesfoundinourtextsalwayslookdifferentibletodeterminetheoriginalChinesesoundswithoutconsultinghowtheyaxerepresentedinothernon-Chinesetexts.
Accordingtothetextbooks,MiddleChinesehassixclosedfinals:threeRusheng人声stops[-p,-t,-k],andthreeYangsheng阳声nasals[-m,-n,-JQ]-TheRushengfinalswerelostbytheYuanperiod.AmongtheYangshengfinals,[-m]mergedWith[-n]bytheMingperiod;the[-n]and[-ng]remainedunchangedThesearecommonlyacceptedtransformations.ThethreeRushengandthreeYangshengsoundsarevoicelessandvoicedcounterpartsofbilabials,alveolar,andvelars.Thesesixconsonantsaredifferentintheinitialandfinalpositions-Theonsetsofthesixfinalconsonantsarevowels,andtheyarenotplosiveastheyareintheinitialposition-Theterm”stop”firsttheRusheng[-p,-1,-k]finalsperfectly,andtheBaopoyin爆破音(plosive)firsttheirinitial[p-,t-,k-]pairs.Therefore,thenatureanddirectionalityofthechangesarealsodifferent-IntheTimelyPearl,aTangutChineseGlossarywrittenin1190,theRushengfinals[-p,-t广k]werealreadylostintheNorthwesterndialect(Gong)-BycomparingtheChineseglossesinSogdian,Tibetan,KhotanesefOrkhonTurkicandUygurtexts,wehavefoundtwoidenticalfeaturesarecommontothoseunrelatedlanguages.TheycanbeattributedtooriginalChinese,butconflictedwiththetransformationsabove:1)theso-calledRusheng[-t]alwaysappearswith-r;and2)nearlyhalfoftheYangsheng[-ng]arelostinbetweenthe9thcenturyto1190.
Rusheng[-r]
TheRushengfinal[-r]inthetraditionalreconstructionisanalveolar,non-aspirateandvoicelessstop[-t].Butourtextsshowsomethingdifferent:almostallsocalledRusheng[-1]finalsarerecordedwith-r.WehavelookedthroughallavailableChineseglossesfoundintheSogdian(Yoshida),Tibetan(Csongor),Khotanese(Emmerickpulleyblank)andUygur(Barat)texts,andfound92Rusheng[-t]words.Amongthem,onlythreewordshad-dor-tendings:Tibetanbad跋;phar,pher,phadhad,had4had发,andKhotanesesatta,saratherestofthemareallendwithTheyarewritteninSogdian,TibetantKhotanese,Uygur(inBrahmiBandinArabicA)-sixdifferentalphabetsThisoverwhelmingproportionisconvincingenoughtoshowthatinChineseNorthwesternHexidialect,theRusheng[-t]infactwasatrillorflapped[-r]whichdoesnotexistinanyChinesedialecttoday.
SqgdianRusheng[-11Glosses:
Thenon-Chineselanguageslistedabovealldistinguishthefinal-rfrom-tordintheirnativetongueandtheirscriptsForexample,Sogdian-jvt-tohold,r-todisappear,;Khotanesepat-tofall,barry,;Tibetandarsilk,anddodcomeout,;Uyguryat-toliedown,andyar-tosplitClearly,theycanhearandwritewhatis-fandwhatis-t.SocalledRusheng[-t]intheirearwasafamiliartrilledoratleastflapped[-r]Chinesehasaretroflex[r]intheinitialpositionclassifiedintheinitialRi曰Itisanexoticsoundinalmosteverylanguageintheworld.Noletterhaseverbeencreatedtoproperlyrepresentthissoundbesides[j]inIPAForexample,Uygurtriedtotranscribe人withyintsinorzin.Insum,wecanconcludethatatleastintheHexidialect,thereweretworsoundsOneisretroflex[l]intheinitialpositionwhichwascalledinitialRi曰;anotheroneistrilledorflapped[-r]inthefinalpositionmislabeledRushengfinal[-t]Earlier,Edkins(1880)andPelliot(1915)discoveredthe-trproblemandLuoconcluded-d)-S)-r(p.62)AccordingtoPulleyblank,[t]heevidenceofforeigntranscriptionsshowsclearlythatt,atleast,wasnolongerastopbuthadbecomeafricativeoroontinuentofsomekindM(EmmerickPulleyblankP.42).Therewasnotmuchevidenceavailableatthattime.Theydidnotdoubttheexistenceof-r,buttheywantedtoseeitasatransitionthatoccurredinbetweenRusheng-tand-O(zero)TheInstituteofHistoryandPhilologyoftheAcademiaSinicahasinvitedmeforthestudyofthistopic.Somescholarsinfavoroftheoriginal[-t]basedtheiropinionabouttheBurmese,Tibetanandothergeneticallyrelatedlanguages.
Historicallytheearliestappearanceofthe[-r]isunknown.OurRusheng[r]glossesaremostlyfromthe8thcenturyandlater.InaunhuangSogdianletterdatedin313,weseethetitletrxwn,ItsChinesetranscriptionis(K957dfatk447kuSn)达官IntheearlyBuddhisttranscriptionsfromlateHantotheThreeKingdomsA..150-265(Coblin1983),Wehavefound-r-twerenotdistinctive: