Shanghainese

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Shanghainese (上海话; pinyin: Shànghǎihuà, lumazi: Zanheireiwo, Shanghainese in IPA: [zɑ̃ ɦɛ ɛ̤ wo]), sometimes referred to as the Shanghai dialect, is a dialect of Wu Chinese spoken in the city of Shanghai. Wu has 87 million speakers as of 1991, and is the second most spoken form of Chinese after Mandarin (which has some 800 million speakers). Shanghainese is the representative dialect of Northern Wu; it contains vocabulary and expressions from the entire Northern Wu area (southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang). With nearly 14 million speakers, Shanghainese is also the largest single coherent form of Wu Chinese.

Shanghainese is rich in consonants and pure vowels [i y ɿ ɥ e ø E ə ɵ a ɒ ɔ ɤ o u]. Like other northern Wu dialects, the Shanghai dialect has voiced initials [b d g z v dʑ ʑ]. Neither Mandarin nor Cantonese has voiced initials.

Shanghainese is a register language, with only two live tonal constrasts (high and low). Compare this with 4 in Mandarin, and 6 in Cantonese. The Shanghainese tonal system is instead similar to African languages; different from other Chinese languages, Thai and Vietnamese. For more information on the tonal system, visit http://www.zanhei.com/pitch.html.

Shanghainese is currently banned in schools and in newspapers, and the media are strongly discouraged from broadcasting in contemporary Shanghainese. However, Shanghainese can often be heard on the radio. Several television advertisements in Shanghainese have been removed shortly after airing. In 2004, a Tom and Jerry program dubbed with Shanghainese was blocked from broadcasting. The only form of Shanghainese currently allowed for public broadcast are Shanghainese Folk Opera and Orthodox Shanghainese (catering to farmers in the suburbs). Celebrities are put on billboards with slogans like "Be a modern Shanghaier, speak Mandarin."

In August 2005, there were media coverages reporting that Shanghainese will be taught in high school. This introduced great controversy. Proponents argue that this will make the students know their hometown better and help preserve local culture. Opponents argue that this will encourage discrimination based on people's origin.

In September 2005, the Shanghai municipial government also increased launched a campaign to encourage Mandarin speaking in Shanghai. Among other requirements, all service-industry workers in Shanghai will be required to greet customers in Mandarin only, and pass Mandarin-fluency test by 2010. Those with bad or heavily-accented Mandarin must enroll in remedial Mandarin classes.

Contents

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Common Words and Phrases in Shanghainese

translation Romanization VT Lumazi Chicago IPA
Shanghainese: Zorn`hay ay`o Zanheireiwo (English z) Zånheiraeroo zɑ̃hɛ ɛ̤ʊ̤
hello: non hor non ho non hau nõ hɔː
good-bye: `tzayway tzéiwei tseiwei ˈtsɛwɛ
please: tcin chin tshin ʧʰin
thank you: xa`xa non zhazha non ziaaziaa non ʒaja nõ
sorry: Tay`vettci teivechi teivechii tɛvɐˑʧʰi
that one: `aytzaq éitza eitså ˈɛtsɐʔ
there: `aytaq éitae eita ˈɛtɐʔ
over there: `aymitaq éimitae eimeeta ˈɛmitɐʔ
here: gettaq getae geta gɐˑtɐʔ
where: a`litaq, sa`diforn ralitae, sadifan raaliita, saadiifån a̤ɺitɐʔ, sadifɑ̃
which: a`litzaq ralitza raaliitså a̤ɺitsɐʔ
what: sa sa saa sa
who: sa`jnin sanin saagnin sanin
when: sa`zenkworn sazenkuan saazenkuån sazənkuɑ̃
how: na`nen, na`na, na`nenka nanen, nana, nanenka naanen, naanaa, naanenkaa nanən, nana, nanənka
how much?: Txiti` a? Cidi a? Ciidee a? ʧidi
yes: ay éi ei ˈɛ
no: vez`zir, m`meq, vjor vezi, mme, vio vezi, umme, viau vɐˑzl, m̩mɐʔ, viɔ
home: qol`lican Oelishan Oliixian oˑɺiʃɑ̃
Where's the bathroom?: Tsir`sukay lella sa`teq? Tsisukei leila ralitae? Tshisoukae leila raaliita? tsʰlsɯkɛ ɺɐˑɺɐʔ a̤ɺitɐʔ
I don't know: Knu veq `corteq. Wo veshiote. Rou (Ngou) vexiaute. ʊ̤ vɐˑʃɔtɐʔ
English: `Inven Ínven Inven ˈinvən
Do you speak English?: Non `Inven way`teq korn `va? Non Ínven weite kan va? Non Inven weite kån va? nõ ˈinvən wɛtɐʔ kãː va
I love you: Knu qay `non. Wo ei non. Rou ei non. ʊ̤ ɛː nõ
I adore you: Knu qay`moq non. Wo eimuo non. Rou eimou non. ʊ̤ ɛmoʔ nõ
I adore you so: Knu qay`mossaq non! Wo eimuosae non! Rou eimousa non! ʊ̤ ɛmoˑsɐʔ nõ
I like you a lot: Knu lor `hwoyci non eq! Wo lo heushi non re! Rou lau huoexii non ge. ʊ̤ ɺɔː ˈhøʃi nõ ɐ̤ʔ

Unlike Mandarin, Shanghainese actually has the direct "yes" (ay/éi/ei) similar to English.

About the romanizations:

  • Romanization VT: Hui LI, Center for Anthropological Studies, Fudan University (Shanghai)
  • Lumazi, Chicago: W.Z. Yin, University of Chicago
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Initials

Labials Dentals Silibants Palatals Velars Glottals
Unvoiced Unaspirated Stops p t ʦ ʨ k (ʔ)
Unvoiced Aspirated Stops pʰ tʰ ʦʰ ʨʰ kʰ
Voiced Stops b d dʑ g
Nasals m n ɲ ŋ
Unvoiced Fricatives f s ɕ h
Voiced Fricatives v z ʑ ɦ
Liquids (w) l (j)

Shanghai dialect has a set of voiced initials and exhibits unvoiced unaspirated and aspirated stops. Moreover, there are unvoiced and voiced fricatives sets. Palatized initials also feature in Shanghai dialect. The /l/ consonant is also particular in that there is a slight flapping of the tongue during speech, somewhat similar to the Japanese r (although lateral and not post-alveolar). The sound may be made by lightly placing the tongue on the back of the upper set of teeth. However this flapping is not present when each character is individually pronounced.

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Rimes

Vowel Diphthong Nasal Ending Nasalised Rime Glottal Stop
    (m, n) ŋ    
ɿ        
ɥ        
i ii, iɪ, iɯ, iE, iɔ, ia iŋ, iiŋ, ioŋ iã iɪʔ, iɤʔ, ioʔ, iaʔ
y yø yiŋ   yɪʔ
u uE, uø, uo, ua uəŋ uã, uɒ̃ uɤʔ, uoʔ, uaʔ
ɪ       ɪʔ
ø        
ɤ ɤɯ     ɤʔ
o ou oŋ   oʔ
  ei      
ɚ        
    əŋ    
E        
ɔ        
a   aŋ ã aʔ
      ɒ̃  

The Middle Chinese [ -m ] ending rimes in Shanghai dialect have merged with [ -n ], some of which subsequently dropped off. Some Middle Chinese [ -ŋ ] ending rime characters have become rimes with a nasalised ending, [ iã, uã, uɒ̃ ]. Middle Chinese [ -p -t -k ] rimes have become glottal stops [ -ʔ ].

In certain variants, the [ u ] is pronounced unrounded (close back unrounded, [ ɯ ]).

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Tones

陰 Yin 陰平 Yin Ping (陰上 Yin Shang) 陰去 Yin Qu 陰入 Yin Ru
53 (55) 34 55
陽 Yang 陽舒 Yang Shu 陽入 Yang Ru
13 13

The Yang Shu tone is composed of Yang registers of the Ping, Shang and Qu tone characters. The Yin Ru and Yang Ru tones are abrupt tones, and apply only to those rimes in Shanghai dialect, which end in the glottal stop [ ʔ ]. The Yin Shang tone (/55/) is not common in today's variants of the Shanghai dialect, having merged into the Yin Qu tone. If the Ru tone and tones automatically related to the voiced initials (b d g z v dʑ ʑ) are not considered (as they are fixed into the syllabic structure), then the Shanghai dialect has only 2 live tonal contrasts (/53/ and /34/). This makes it especially unique amongst Chinese dialects.

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Advanced tone sandhi and argument for pitch accent classification:

In polysyllabic words or set phrases, all syllables after the first lose their original tones and are pronounced based on the table below as "neutral" syllables. Even the first syllable that determines subsequent pitches is altered in a polysyllabic word. The patterns vary depending on the number of syllables in the word or set short phrase.

1st syllable original tone　 2 syllables 3 syllables 4 syllables 5 syllables
53 55 - 21 55 - 33 - 31 55 - 33 - 33 - 31 55 - 33 - 33 - 33 - 31
H - L H - L - L H - L - L - L H - L - L - L - L
34 33 - 44 33 - 55 - 31 33 - 55 - 33 - 31 33 - 55 - 33 - 33 - 31
L - H L - H - L L - H - L - L L - H - L - L - L
13 22 - 44 22 - 55 - 31 22 - 55 - 33 - 31 22 - 55 - 33 - 33 - 31
L - H L - H - L L - H - L - L L - H - L - L - L
5 33 - 44 33 - 55 - 31 33 - 55 - 33 - 31 33 - 55 - 33 - 33 - 31
L - H L - H - L L - H - L - L L - H - L - L - L
2 11 - 23 11 - 22 - 23
11 - 22 - 22 - 23
or
22 - 55 - 33 - 31
depending on word
 22 - 55 - 33 - 33 - 31
L - H L - H - H
L - H - H - H
or
L - H - L - L
L - H - L - L - L

H = relative high pitch; L = relative low pitch

Notice that these patterns are quite similar to Japanese pitch accent patterns. Tone sandhi of polysyllabic compounds in the Shanghai dialect has attracted the interest of many scholars, who have previously given only careful consideration to the tone of the monosyllable while trying to describe the rules of tone sandhi for polysyllabic compounds. It has been argued that the number of tones of the Shanghai dialect, generally held to be five under previous analyses, can be reduced to only two underlying tone patterns, or tonemes, by recognizing the existence of the phoneme "voiced h" (Xiaowen Shen, University of Tokyo).


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Chicago Romanization

Northern Wu Romanization Scheme, developed by W.Z. Yin of the University of Chicago (芝加哥大学). The below romanization unites Shanghainese and Suzhou-hua, and is highly representative of other Northern Wu dialects as well. The initials and finals inventory below is by far the most extensive of any major Chinese dialect and has high correspondence with early Middle Chinese (just before Tang Dynasty) phonology.

Image:Initial.gif Image:Longfinal.gif

Example sentences:

搿能家好孛相法子个游戏值得收藏。

Genenkaa haubesianfatsi ge yeushii zete seuzån.

A game this fun is worthy of keeping.


阿拉现在主要个问题就是哪能去解决搿只拼音个事体。勒勒搿前头，阿拉呒没别个花头个。

Ala yeezei tsuiauge vendii zieu zi naanen chii ciaacue getså phinin ge zithii. Leile ge zieedeu, ala umme biege hoodeu ge.

Our key concern now is how to solve the romanization problem. Before solving that, we have no other options.

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Fudan Romanization

(Vottay Da`oc复旦大学) Initials

Labials Dentals Silibants Palatals Velars Glottals
Unvoiced Unaspirated Stops p t tz tx k q
Unvoiced Aspirated Stops ph th ts tc kh
Voiced Stops b d dx g
Nasals m n jn kn
Unvoiced Fricatives f s c h
Voiced Fricatives v z x ’
Liquids w l j

Rimes

Vowel Semivowel Nasal Ending Glottal Stop Example Meaning
n c
ɿ,l î ir `tzirsec knowledge
i j j je,jay,jor,ja jon jec,joc,jac je`ci game
y ü uy yoy yn yc yn`ton sports
u u u way,woy,wo,wa un,wan,worn wec,woc,wac worn`ti emperor
I i i in ic `injon hero
ø ö oy `qoyba arrange
ɤ,ə e e en eq elli reasonable
o o o on oc o`te underside
ë ey qey` hi
ɚ er er while
E,ɛ ä ay `fayga tomato
ɔ ô or orn zorzorn upward
a a a an ac a`can shoe-cabinet
single m `mma mom
gn gn fish

Glottal Stop “c” can be replaced by double writing the following consonantal letter except for”m,n,h”.

There shall be only one of the vocalic letters (A,E,I,O,U) in one monosyllable,as there are no true diphthongal syllables in Shanghai dialect.

Rimes "UYN", "UYQ" can be shortened by "YN", "YC".

Tones

Long Short Light Stop
High 55 53 5
High `lon lon` `loq
Low 334 34 33 13 2
Low lon lon lon loq loq

The short high tone is only used in a monosyllable or the last syllable of a polysyllable. Long or short low tones are almost the same. Light low tone is always used in a polysyllable.

H-L L-H H-L-L L-H-L L-L-H H-L-H
`lonlon lon`lon `lonlonlon lon`lonlon lonlonlon` `lonlonlon`
55-33 334-55 55-33-334 33-55-33 334-33-53 55-33-53

This romanisation was designed by LI Hui, Center for Anthropological Studies at Fudan University, Shanghai, China.


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References

  • Lance Eccles, Shanghai dialect: an introduction to speaking the contemporary language. Dunwoody Press, 1993. ISBN 1-881265-11-0. 230pp + cassette. (An introductory course in 29 units).
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See also

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External links

ja:上海語 zh:上海话