Language Atlas of China

The Language Atlas of China (simplified Chinese: 中国语言地图集; traditional Chinese: 中國語言地圖集; pinyin: Zhōngguó yǔyán dìtú jí), published by Hong Kong Longman Publishing Company in two parts in 1987 and 1989, maps the distribution of both the varieties of Chinese and minority languages of China.

It was a collaborative effort by the Australian Academy of the Humanities and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, published simultaneously in the original Chinese and in English translation.^[1] Endymion Wilkinson rated this joint venture "outstanding".^[2]

A second edition was published by the Commercial Press in 2012.

Background

In the 1980s, Chinese

As theoretical research gained momentum in China, scholars delved into the study of Chinese dialects, guided by the principles of geographical linguistics theory. This scholarly endeavor bore fruit with the successive publication of significant works such as the Atlas of Chinese Dialects and the New Atlas of Chinese Languages. The Atlas of Chinese Dialects, meticulously edited by Cao Zhiyun, stands as a testament to extensive field investigations and offers a comprehensive portrayal of the fundamental characteristics of Chinese dialects throughout the 20th century. This landmark publication represents a significant milestone in contemporary geographical linguistics, significantly advancing the development of this academic discipline.Simultaneously, regional studies on Chinese dialects have flourished, yielding noteworthy contributions from esteemed scholars including Peng Zerun, Wang Wensheng, Richard VanNess Simmons (known as Shi Haoyuan), Shi Rujie, Gu Qian, Xu Yue, and Li Yongxin. Their collective efforts have produced a wealth of research outcomes, enriching our understanding of the linguistic landscape. This proliferation of scholarship underscores the burgeoning interest and vitality of geographical linguistics in the exploration of Chinese dialects.^[4]

Classification of Chinese varieties

The atlas organizes the varieties of Chinese in a hierarchy of groupings, following the work of Li Rong:^[5]

• supergroups (大区 dàqū):
  Min
• groups (区 qū):
  Yue, Pinghua
  and groups within Mandarin and Min
• subgroups (片 piàn)
• clusters (小片 xiǎopiàn) are only identified for some subgroups
• local dialects (点 diǎn): localities that were surveyed

The first edition of the Chinese Language Atlas divides Chinese dialects into ten regions: Jin, Wu, Hui, Gan, Xiang, Min, Cantonese, Pinghua, Hakka, and Mandarin. This objectively and comprehensively reflects the actual situation of Chinese dialect zoning.

Contents

The atlas contains 36 coloured maps, printed on loose white sheets measuring 15 in × 20.75 in (38.1 cm × 52.7 cm). Each map is accompanied by a blue sheet of the same size containing explanatory notes.^[1] The atlas is divided into three sections:^[5]

• A. General maps
  • A1 Languages in China
  • A2 Chinese dialects in China
  • A3 Ethnic Minorities in China
  • A4
    Minority languages
    in China
  • A5 Language distribution (
    Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
    )
• B. Maps of Chinese dialects
  • B1 Mandarin-1 (
    Northeastern China
    )
  • B2 Mandarin-2 (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and western Shandong)
  • B3 Mandarin-3 (Henan, Shandong, northern Anhui, northern Jiangsu)
  • B4 Mandarin-4 (Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia)
  • B5 Mandarin-5 (
    Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
    )
  • B6 Mandarin-6 (Southwestern China)
  • B7 Jin group (Shanxi and adjacent areas)
  • B8 Chinese dialects (southeastern China)
  • B9 Wu group (Zhejiang, Shanghai, southern Jiangsu)
  • B10 Chinese dialects (southern Anhui area)
  • B11 Chinese dialects (Hunan and Jiangxi)
  • B12 Min supergroup (Fujian, Taiwan, eastern Guangdong and Hainan Island)
  • B13 Chinese dialects: Guangdong (mainland)
  • B14 Chinese dialects (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region)
  • B15 Hakka group
  • B16 Chinese dialects overseas: (a) insular Southeast Asia (b) other parts of the world
• C. Maps of minority languages
  • C1 Minority languages in northern China
  • C2 Mongolian languages
  • C3 Mongolian dialects
  • C4 Turkic (Tujue) languages
  • C5 Manchu-Tungus languages
  • C6 Minority languages in southern China

C7 Kam-Tai languages

• • C8 Miao-Yao languages
  • C9 Dialects of the Miao language
  • C10 Tibeto-Burman stock languages
  • C11 Tibetan dialects
  • C12 Minority languages (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region)
  • C13 Minority languages (Yunnan province)
  • C14 Minority languages on Hainan and Taiwan islands

Second edition

Work began on a revised edition in 2002.^[2] The work was published in 2012 as a joint venture between the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the City University of Hong Kong. It consists of two volumes, dealing respectively with varieties of Chinese and minority languages.^[6][7] The revision follows the same structure as the first edition, but the number of maps has increased to 79, and the explanatory text is greatly expanded. The number of minority languages covered has also increased from 81 to 130.^[8]

Comments

As a successful example of Chinese dialect research, it has enriched the treasure house of Chinese linguistics and enhanced the status of the Chinese dialect discipline in China's linguistic disciplines.^[9]

This book comprehensively reflects the complex distribution of Chinese dialects and minority languages^[10]

See also

• Demographics of China
• Languages of China
  • Languages of Hong Kong
  • Languages of Macau

References

External links

• "Digital Language Atlas of China", compiled by Lawrence W. Crissman, version 6, 5 October 2012, Australian Centre for the Asian Spatial Information and Analysis Network (ACASIAN) GIS Data Archive.
  ESRI shapefile format derived from the Language Atlas of China. The initial release (under Creative Commons
  v3.0 – Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike) contains only a draft of the first layer, representing maps A1–4 and marking language families and major Chinese dialect groups, but not individual non-Chinese languages or subgroups of Chinese dialects.