Tones
Like a number of other Wu dialects, Changzhou dialect is considered to have seven tones. However, since the tone split dating from Middle Chinese still depends on the voicing of the initial consonant, these constitute just three phonemic tones. The seven tonic allophones were divided according to register by the Chinese-American linguist and Changzhou native Yuen Ren Chao. The high register includes the first, third, fourth and sixth tone with the second, fifth and seventh tone in the low register.
| Number | Tone name | Tone contour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 陰平 yīn píng | ˦ (44) | mid-high |
| 2 | 陽平 yáng píng | ˩˧ (13) | rising |
| 3 | 上 shàng | ˥ (55) | high |
| 4 | 陰去 yīn qù | ˥˨˧ (523) | dipping |
| 5 | 陽去 yáng qù | ˨˦ (24) | mid-rising |
| 6 | 陰入 yīn rù | ˥ʔ (5) | high entering |
| 7 | 陽入 yáng rù | ˨˧ʔ (23) | rising entering, shorter than most other tones |
Read more about this topic: Changzhou Dialect, Phonetics and Phonology
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