A Study on chinese phonological system in 17th century through ≪Innocentia Victrix≫

Kim Young Chan

doi:10.15792/clsyn..70.201512.183

Journal of Chinese Language and Literature

2015, (70), pp.183-204
DOI :10.15792/clsyn..70.201512.183
Publisher : Chinese Literary Society Of Yeong Nam
Research Area : Chinese Language and Literature

Kim Young Chan ¹

¹ 동의대학교

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we made a study on Innocentia Victrix written by a Portuguese missionary called Gouveia de Antonio and published in 1671. Innocentia Victrix complied both Latin sentences and Chinese sentences and Romanized pronunciation descriptions were dedicated to each Chinese character in Chinese sentences. These Romanized pronunciation descriptions provide us with highly valuable information on pronunciation of Chinese characters in 17th century. This study takes these Romanized descriptions as its main subject, delving into their various traits. And through this process, we explored major traits of 17th century Chinese initial system. In consequence, we found that the Romanized pronunciations in Innocentia Victrix show the following: First, they show all the general changes throughout the Chinese linguistic history like devoicing and aspiration; Secondly, they also show the phenomenon in which 影-inital, 喩-initial, 疑-initial of 3rd division merge into zero-initial; Thirdly, 微-initial was turning into zero-initial; Fourthly, apical vowels are detected just like those in 自, 此 and etc. in contemporary Chinese; Fifthly, 非-initial, 敷-initial, and 奉-initial were all merged; And lastly, 二, 而 and etc. were becoming erhua rhymes. Based on the findings, we can verify Innocentia Victrix as a text showing the process in which Middle Chinese was developing and changing into Modern Chinese.
KEYWORDS

Innocentia Victrix , roma- naization , 17th century , initial system , history of chinese phonological system
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