Four tones
Encyclopedia
The four tones of Chinese
phonology are four traditional tone
-classes of words derived from the four phonemic tones of Middle Chinese
. They are even level (平 píng), rising (上 shǎng), going departing (去 qù), and entering checked (入 rù).
s carries the tone it identifies: 平 even ꜁biajŋ, 上 rising ꜃dʑɨaŋ, 去 going kʰɨə꜄, and 入 entering ȵip꜇. However, in some modern languages this is no longer true. This loss of correspondence is most notable in the case of the entering tone—that is, syllables checked in a stop consonant [p̚], [t̚], or [k̚] in Middle Chinese—which has been lost from most dialects of Mandarin and redistributed among the other tones.
In modern languages, tones which derive from the four Middle Chinese tone-classes may be split into two registers, dark (陰 yīn) and light (陽 yáng) depending on the voicing of the onset. Sometimes these have been termed upper and lower registers respectively, although this may be a misnomer, as in some dialects the dark registers may have the lower tone, and the light register the higher tone.
When all four tone-classes split, eight tones result: dark even (陰平), light even (陽平), dark rising (陰上), light rising (陽上), dark going (陰去), light going (陽去), dark entering (陰入), and light entering (陽入). These may be numbered , as in the table below, with the odd numbers indicating either 'dark' tones or tones which have not split, and even numbers indicating 'light' tones. Thus even tones are numbered , the rising tones , the going tones , and the entering (checked) tones .
In Yue (incl. Cantonese
) the dark entering tone further splits into high (高陰入) and low (低陰入) registers, depending on the length of the nucleus, for a total of nine tone-classes. Some dialects have a complex tone splittings, where the terms dark and light are insufficient to cover the possibilities.
The number of tone-classes is based on Chinese tradition, and is as much register
as it is actual tone. The entering 'tones', for example, are only distinct because they are checked by a final stop consonant, not because they have a tone contour that contrasts with non-entering tones. In dialects such as Shanghainese
, tone-classes are numbered even though they are not phonemically distinct.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
phonology are four traditional tone
Tone (linguistics)
Tone is the use of pitch in language to distinguish lexical or grammatical meaning—that is, to distinguish or inflect words. All verbal languages use pitch to express emotional and other paralinguistic information, and to convey emphasis, contrast, and other such features in what is called...
-classes of words derived from the four phonemic tones of Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese , also called Ancient Chinese by the linguist Bernhard Karlgren, refers to the Chinese language spoken during Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties...
. They are even level (平 píng), rising (上 shǎng), going departing (去 qù), and entering checked (入 rù).
Names
In Middle Chinese, each of the tone nameTone name
In the Chinese and Vietnamese languages, tone names are the names given to the tones these languages use.*In Chinese, tone names are given in terms of the four tones, namely level , rising , departing , and entering , as well as dark and light , and high and low .* Standard Vietnamese has six...
s carries the tone it identifies: 平 even ꜁biajŋ, 上 rising ꜃dʑɨaŋ, 去 going kʰɨə꜄, and 入 entering ȵip꜇. However, in some modern languages this is no longer true. This loss of correspondence is most notable in the case of the entering tone—that is, syllables checked in a stop consonant [p̚], [t̚], or [k̚] in Middle Chinese—which has been lost from most dialects of Mandarin and redistributed among the other tones.
In modern languages, tones which derive from the four Middle Chinese tone-classes may be split into two registers, dark (陰 yīn) and light (陽 yáng) depending on the voicing of the onset. Sometimes these have been termed upper and lower registers respectively, although this may be a misnomer, as in some dialects the dark registers may have the lower tone, and the light register the higher tone.
When all four tone-classes split, eight tones result: dark even (陰平), light even (陽平), dark rising (陰上), light rising (陽上), dark going (陰去), light going (陽去), dark entering (陰入), and light entering (陽入). These may be numbered , as in the table below, with the odd numbers indicating either 'dark' tones or tones which have not split, and even numbers indicating 'light' tones. Thus even tones are numbered , the rising tones , the going tones , and the entering (checked) tones .
In Yue (incl. Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
) the dark entering tone further splits into high (高陰入) and low (低陰入) registers, depending on the length of the nucleus, for a total of nine tone-classes. Some dialects have a complex tone splittings, where the terms dark and light are insufficient to cover the possibilities.
The number of tone-classes is based on Chinese tradition, and is as much register
Register (phonology)
In linguistics, a register language, also known as a pitch-register language, is a language which combines tone and vowel phonation into a single phonological system. Burmese and the Chinese dialect Shanghainese are examples...
as it is actual tone. The entering 'tones', for example, are only distinct because they are checked by a final stop consonant, not because they have a tone contour that contrasts with non-entering tones. In dialects such as Shanghainese
Shanghainese
Shanghainese , or the Shanghai language , is a dialect of Wu Chinese spoken in the city of Shanghai and the surrounding region. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. Shanghainese, like other Wu dialects, is largely not mutually intelligible with other Chinese varieties...
, tone-classes are numbered even though they are not phonemically distinct.
Distribution in modern Chinese
| language | |dialect | |city or subdialect | Level | |Departing | Syllable onset | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| voiceless Voiceless In linguistics, voicelessness is the property of sounds being pronounced without the larynx vibrating. Phonologically, this is a type of phonation, which contrasts with other states of the larynx, but some object that the word "phonation" implies voicing, and that voicelessness is the lack of... | voiced Voice (phonetics) Voice or voicing is a term used in phonetics and phonology to characterize speech sounds, with sounds described as either voiceless or voiced. The term, however, is used to refer to two separate concepts. Voicing can refer to the articulatory process in which the vocal cords vibrate... | |voiced | |voiced | |voiced | |||||||||||||||||||
| son Sonorant In phonetics and phonology, a sonorant is a speech sound that is produced without turbulent airflow in the vocal tract; fricatives and plosives are not sonorants. Vowels are sonorants, as are consonants like and . Other consonants, like or , restrict the airflow enough to cause turbulence, and... | obs Obstruent An obstruent is a consonant sound formed by obstructing airflow, causing increased air pressure in the vocal tract, such as [k], [d͡ʒ] and [f]. In phonetics, articulation may be divided into two large classes: obstruents and sonorants.... | son Sonorant In phonetics and phonology, a sonorant is a speech sound that is produced without turbulent airflow in the vocal tract; fricatives and plosives are not sonorants. Vowels are sonorants, as are consonants like and . Other consonants, like or , restrict the airflow enough to cause turbulence, and... | obs Obstruent An obstruent is a consonant sound formed by obstructing airflow, causing increased air pressure in the vocal tract, such as [k], [d͡ʒ] and [f]. In phonetics, articulation may be divided into two large classes: obstruents and sonorants.... | |asp | son Sonorant In phonetics and phonology, a sonorant is a speech sound that is produced without turbulent airflow in the vocal tract; fricatives and plosives are not sonorants. Vowels are sonorants, as are consonants like and . Other consonants, like or , restrict the airflow enough to cause turbulence, and... | obs Obstruent An obstruent is a consonant sound formed by obstructing airflow, causing increased air pressure in the vocal tract, such as [k], [d͡ʒ] and [f]. In phonetics, articulation may be divided into two large classes: obstruents and sonorants.... | (short) | (long) | son Sonorant In phonetics and phonology, a sonorant is a speech sound that is produced without turbulent airflow in the vocal tract; fricatives and plosives are not sonorants. Vowels are sonorants, as are consonants like and . Other consonants, like or , restrict the airflow enough to cause turbulence, and... | obs Obstruent An obstruent is a consonant sound formed by obstructing airflow, causing increased air pressure in the vocal tract, such as [k], [d͡ʒ] and [f]. In phonetics, articulation may be divided into two large classes: obstruents and sonorants.... |
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| Mandarin | Beijing Beijing dialect Beijing dialect, or Pekingese , is the dialect of Mandarin spoken in the urban area of Beijing, China. It is the phonological basis of Standard Chinese, which is used by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China , and Singapore.... |
˥ 55 | ˧˥ 35 | ˨˩˦ 214 | ˥˩ 51 | (any)§ | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Jilu | Jinan Jinan dialect Jinan dialect is a dialect of the Mandarin language family, which in turn constitutes one of the Sinitic language families. It is spoken in Jinan in Shandong province.-Consonants:-Tones:-References:... |
˨˩˧ 213 | ˦˨ 42 | ˥ 55 | ˨˩ 21 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Jiaoliao | Dalian Dalian Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's... |
4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Zhongyuan Zhongyuan Mandarin Central Plains or Zhongyuan Mandarin is a dialect of Mandarin Chinese spoken in the central part of Shaanxi, Henan, and southern part of Shandong.The archaic dialect of Peking opera is a form of Zhongyuan Mandarin.... (Central Plains) |
Xi'an | ˧˩ 31 | ˨˦ 24 | ˦˨ 42 | ˥ 55 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Dungan Dungan language The Dungan language is a Sinitic language spoken by the Dungan of Central Asia, an ethnic group related to the Hui people of China.-History:... |
˨˦ 24 | ˥˩ 51 | ˦ 44 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Lanyin Lanyin Mandarin Lan–Yin or Lanyin is a dialect of Mandarin Chinese traditionally spoken throughout Gansu province and in the northern part of Ningxia. In recent decades in has expanded into northern Xinjiang.... (Silk Road) |
Lanzhou Lanzhou Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country.... |
˧˩ 31 | ˥˨ 53 | ˦˦˨ 442 | ˩˧ 13 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Yinchuan | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sichuanese Southwestern Mandarin Southwestern Mandarin , also known as Upper Yangtze Mandarin , is a primary branch of Mandarin Chinese spoken by Han Chinese people throughout many regions of central and southwestern China, such as Sichuan, Yunnan, Chongqing, Guizhou, most parts of Hubei, the western part of Hunan, the northern... |
Chengdu Chengdu Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status... |
˥ 5 | ˨˩ 21 | ˦˨ 42 | ˨˩˧ 213 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Minjiang Minjiang dialect Minjiang dialect , is a branch of Sichuanese, spoken mainly in the Minjiang River valley or along the Yangtze River in the southern and western parts of the Sichuan Basin... |
Luzhou Luzhou -History:The history of Luzhou dates back to Xia and Shang Dynasties. Luzhou became a prefecture level city in 1983.-History of Luzhou:... |
˥ 5 | ˨˩ 21 | ˦˨ 42 | ˩˧ 13 | ˧ 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Jianghuai | Nanjing Nanjing ' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions... |
˧˩ 31 | ˩˧ 13 | ˨˩˨ 212 | ˦ 44 | ˥ 5 | 5 (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| Jin | Taiyuan Taiyuan Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River... |
˩ 11 | ˥˧ 53 | ˦˥ 45 | ˨ 2 | ˥˦ 54 | 5 (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| Wu | Taihu Taihu Wu dialects Taihu Wu dialects , or Northern Wu dialects , are a group of Wu dialects spoken over much of southern part of Jiangsu province, including Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, the southern part of Nantong, Jingjiang and Danyang; the municipality of Shanghai; and the northern part of Zhejiang province, including... |
Shanghainese Shanghainese Shanghainese , or the Shanghai language , is a dialect of Wu Chinese spoken in the city of Shanghai and the surrounding region. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. Shanghainese, like other Wu dialects, is largely not mutually intelligible with other Chinese varieties... |
˥˨ 52 | ˧˧˦ 334 | ˩˩˧ 113 | ˥ 5 | ˨˧ 23 | 5 (2)° | |||||||||||||||
| Suzhou Suzhou dialect Suzhou dialect is a dialect of Wu, one of the subdivisions of Chinese spoken language. It is spoken in the city of Suzhou, in Jiangsu province of China, and is the traditional prestige dialect of Wu.... |
˦ 44 | ˨˦ 24 | ˥˨ 52 | ˦˩˨ 412 | ˧˩ 31 | ˦ 4 | ˨˧ 23 | 7 (3)° | |||||||||||||||
| Nantong | 7 (3)° | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oujiang | Wenzhounese | 8 (3)° | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Xiang | New | Changsha Changsha dialect Changsha dialect is a dialect of Xiang Chinese, which is one of the Sinitic languages. It is spoken predominantly in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province. It is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin, the official language of China.-Classification:... |
˧ 33 | ˩˧ 13 | ˦˩ 41 | ˥ 55 | ˨˩ 21 | ˨˦ 24 | 6 (5) | ||||||||||||||
| Gan | Nanchang Nanchang dialect Chang-Du dialect, sometimes called Nanchang dialect after its principal variety, is a dialect of the Gan language. It is named after Nanchang and Duchang, and is spoken in those areas as well as in Xinjian, Anyi, Yongxiu, De'an, Xingzi, Hukou, and bordering regions in Jiangxi province and in... |
˦˨ 42 | ˨˦ 24 | ˨˩˧ 213 | ˥ 55 | ˨˩ 21 | ˥ 5 | ˨˩ 21 | 7 (5) | ||||||||||||||
| Hakka | Meizhou | Meixian Meixian Mei County is a county in the municipal region of Meizhou, in northeastern Guangdong province, the People's Republic of China.-Geography:Mei county almost completely surrounds Meizhou's urban districts Jiangnan and Jiangbei... |
˦ 44 | ˩ 11 | ˧˩ 31 | ˥˨ 52 | ˨˩ 21 | ˦ 4 | 6 (4) | ||||||||||||||
| Yue | Yuehai | Cantonese Cantonese Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province... |
˥ 55 ~ | ˨˩ 21~11 | ˧˥ 35 | ˩˧ 13 | ˧ 33 | ˨ 22 | ˥ 5 | ˧ 3 | ˨ 2 | 9~10 (6~7) | |||||||||||
| Siyi | Taishanese | ˧ 33 | ˩ 11 | ˥ 55 | ˨˩ 21 | ˧˨ 32 | ˥ 5 | ˧ 3 | ˨˩ 21 |
˧˨ 32 |
9 (5) | ||||||||||||
| Pinghua | Nanning Nanning Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:... |
˦˩ 41 | ˥˨ 52 | ˧ 33 | ˨˦ 24 | ˥ 55 | ˨ 22 | ˥ 5 | ˧ 3 | ˨˦ 24 | ˨ 2 | 10 (6) | |||||||||||
| Min | Min Bei Min Bei The Min-Bei language, or Northern Min is a collection of dialects of Min spoken in Nanping Prefecture of northwestern Fujian which, apart from Shao-Jiang Min, are mutually intelligible.... |
Jian'ou Jian'ou dialect Jian'ou is a local standard common language of Northern Min Chinese spoken in Jian'ou in the north of the Fujian province.-Consonants:-Citation tones:Jian'ou has four tones, which are reduced to two in checked syllables.-References:... |
˥˦ 54 | ˨˩ 21 | ˨ 22 | ˦ 44 | ˨˦ 24 | ˦˨ 42 | 6 (4) | ||||||||||||||
| Min Dong Min Dong The Eastern Min language, or Min Dong is the language mainly spoken in the eastern part of Fujian Province in China, in and near Fuzhou and Ningde. Fuzhou is the province's capital and largest city... |
Fuzhou Fuzhou dialect Fuzhou dialect , also known as Foochow dialect, Foochow, Foochowese, Fuzhounese, or Fuzhouhua, is considered the standard dialect of Min Dong, which is a branch of Min Chinese mainly spoken in the eastern part of Fujian Province. Native speakers also call it ' , meaning the language spoken in... |
˥ 55 | ˥˧ 53 | ˧ 33 | ˨˩˧ 213 | ˨˦˨ 242 | ˨˦ 24 | ˥ 5 | 7 (5) | ||||||||||||||
| Min Nan Min Nan The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora.... |
Amoy | ˥ 55 | ˧˥ 35 | ˥˧ 53 | ˨˩ 21 | ˧ 33 | ˩ 1 | ˥ 5 | 7 (5) | ||||||||||||||
| Teochew | ˧ 33 | ˥ 55 | ˥˨ 52 | ˧˥ 35 | ˨˩˧ 213 | ˩ 11 | ˨ 2 | ˦ 4 | 8 (6) | ||||||||||||||
| language | |dialect | |city | even | |going | Syllable onset | ||||||||||||||||||
| voiceless Voiceless In linguistics, voicelessness is the property of sounds being pronounced without the larynx vibrating. Phonologically, this is a type of phonation, which contrasts with other states of the larynx, but some object that the word "phonation" implies voicing, and that voicelessness is the lack of... | voiced Voice (phonetics) Voice or voicing is a term used in phonetics and phonology to characterize speech sounds, with sounds described as either voiceless or voiced. The term, however, is used to refer to two separate concepts. Voicing can refer to the articulatory process in which the vocal cords vibrate... | |voiced | |voiced | |voiced | |||||||||||||||||||
| son Sonorant In phonetics and phonology, a sonorant is a speech sound that is produced without turbulent airflow in the vocal tract; fricatives and plosives are not sonorants. Vowels are sonorants, as are consonants like and . Other consonants, like or , restrict the airflow enough to cause turbulence, and... | obs Obstruent An obstruent is a consonant sound formed by obstructing airflow, causing increased air pressure in the vocal tract, such as [k], [d͡ʒ] and [f]. In phonetics, articulation may be divided into two large classes: obstruents and sonorants.... | son Sonorant In phonetics and phonology, a sonorant is a speech sound that is produced without turbulent airflow in the vocal tract; fricatives and plosives are not sonorants. Vowels are sonorants, as are consonants like and . Other consonants, like or , restrict the airflow enough to cause turbulence, and... | obs Obstruent An obstruent is a consonant sound formed by obstructing airflow, causing increased air pressure in the vocal tract, such as [k], [d͡ʒ] and [f]. In phonetics, articulation may be divided into two large classes: obstruents and sonorants.... | |asp | son Sonorant In phonetics and phonology, a sonorant is a speech sound that is produced without turbulent airflow in the vocal tract; fricatives and plosives are not sonorants. Vowels are sonorants, as are consonants like and . Other consonants, like or , restrict the airflow enough to cause turbulence, and... | obs Obstruent An obstruent is a consonant sound formed by obstructing airflow, causing increased air pressure in the vocal tract, such as [k], [d͡ʒ] and [f]. In phonetics, articulation may be divided into two large classes: obstruents and sonorants.... | (short) | (long) | son Sonorant In phonetics and phonology, a sonorant is a speech sound that is produced without turbulent airflow in the vocal tract; fricatives and plosives are not sonorants. Vowels are sonorants, as are consonants like and . Other consonants, like or , restrict the airflow enough to cause turbulence, and... | obs Obstruent An obstruent is a consonant sound formed by obstructing airflow, causing increased air pressure in the vocal tract, such as [k], [d͡ʒ] and [f]. In phonetics, articulation may be divided into two large classes: obstruents and sonorants.... |
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- § Irregular development
* A muddy consonant becomes aspirated here rather than tenuis. (Note a historical entering tone will not be aspirated.)** A muddy consonant becomes aspirated here in colloquial speech, but in reading pronunciations it is tenuis and the syllable becomes tone .- ° In Wu and Old Xiang, the 'light' tones are always dependent on voiced initials, and so are not phonemically distinct.