Sound, Meaning, Shape: The Phonologist Wei Jiangong (1901-1980) between Language Study and Language Planning

Mariana Münning

doi:10.11588/hasp.939

##submission.howToCite##

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

##submission.howToCite.downloadCitation##

##submission.license##

##submission.license.cc.by-sa4.footer##

##submission.identifiers##

https://doi.org/10.11588/hasp.939

ISBN 978-3-948791-30-8 (PDF)

ISBN 978-3-948791-29-2 (Hardcover)

##catalog.published##

06/23/2022

##submission.downloads##

##plugins.themes.ubOmpTheme01.bookDownload## (PDF/5MB)

##plugins.generic.hdOmpStatistic.statistic.button##

##submission.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.

##submission.chapters##

##chapter.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

Heidelberg Asian Studies Publishing