Variant speech sounds in the Warring States period and variant characters in the Chu manuscripts: On the nature of the Chu dialect in the Warring States period

Abstract

ABSTRACTUsing the variant graphs in excavated Chu manuscripts of the Warring States period, the author discusses the possible relationship between the Central Plains “elegant speech” and the Chu dialect spoken in southern China. The author first divides excavated Chu manuscripts into two groups—those produced by the Chu people who recorded Chu society and social life, and classical and literary works from the Central Plains. Then the author lists numerous examples of different categories of graphs that may have recorded the Chu dialect pronunciation of the words. The author concludes that the Chu dialect had already taken shape by the middle to late Warring States period, and the formation of the Chu dialect was a result of the fusion of several ethnic languages, with the Central Plans “elegant speech” playing a dominant role combined with different linguistic layers.