How to Cite

Münning, Mariana: Sound, Meaning, Shape: The Phonologist Wei Jiangong (1901-1980) between Language Study and Language Planning, Heidelberg: Heidelberg Asian Studies Publishing, 2022. https://doi.org/10.11588/hasp.939

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Identifiers

https://doi.org/10.11588/hasp.939
ISBN 978-3-948791-30-8 (PDF)
ISBN 978-3-948791-29-2 (Hardcover)

Published

06/23/2022

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Authors

Mariana Münning

Sound, Meaning, Shape

The Phonologist Wei Jiangong (1901-1980) between Language Study and Language Planning

One of the leading proponents of the radical linguistic reforms in 20th century China, Wei Jiangong remains hardly known in the West. This book describes how Wei, who was rooted in traditional philology and conceptualizing language as a tool, helped to promulgate a standard language, led the compilation of the world’s most popular dictionary, and helped to drive script reform. While these measures were characterized as violent intervention in the Chinese language sphere, Wei’s careful negotiating of linguistic description and political prescription illustrates how they also may have been steps that helped to achieve linguistic self-determination.

Reviews
Yurou Zhong, in: China Quarterly (2023), 1-2

Mariana Münning is research assistant at the Institute of Chinese Studies, University of Heidelberg. Her field of research, teaching and publication includes linguistics, language planning and textbooks of 20th century China.

Chapters

Table of Contents
Pages
PDF
Title
Contents
List of Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
Acknowledgements
Notes on Romanization and Chinese Characters
1 Introduction
PART I: SOUND (YIN 音)
2 The Standard Language
3 Wei Jiangong as linguist activist
4 The National Language on the Mainland
5 The National Language in Taiwan
PART II: MEANING (YI 義)
6 The "New China Dictionary" Xinhua Zidian 新華字典
PART III: SHAPE (XING 形)
7 The Script Reform in the Republic
8 The Script Reform in the PRC
9 Conclusion
Bibliography
提要 音
Index
Backcover

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