The history of Shanghainese dialect is only more than 700 years, which is much shorter than the history of Suzhou dialect and Songjiang dialect. However, Shanghainese dialect is a very distinctive dialect. This is due to Shanghai’s unique geographical environment and Determined by the unique opportunities of history. It turns out that Shanghai is located at the beachhead of the Yangtze River Delta. The so-called "Shanghai Beach" is the most appropriate name for it. It is a remote rural area far away from the government and on the edge of economically developed areas. Historically, Suzhou Prefecture and Jiaxing Prefecture were two major prefectures with developed economies and prosperous cultures, while Songjiang Prefecture was relatively backward, and the Shanghai area was near the beach, so the dialects in the entire Songjiang area developed very slowly in the Taihu area. The Shanghai dialect is even older. It retains many ancient pronunciation and words left to it by the Songjiang dialect. However, Shanghai faced the East China Sea and encountered special opportunities. After Shanghai was forced to open a port in 1843, it became a freely developed concession with a long period of citizen autonomy, making Shanghai quickly become an international metropolis and financial center. , the erosion of huge immigration and high-speed economy has made Shanghainese the fastest growing language in the Wu-speaking area of ??Taihu Lake. In the past 150 years, Shanghainese has developed as rapidly as the city of Shanghai. Some elements of Shanghainese can see significant changes in just two or three generations. This is unique in the history of modern language development in China. point.
In summary, Shanghai dialect has the following obvious characteristics:
A hybrid language of old and new that spans a long distance
Although Shanghai is only 700 years old, history, but the human activities in Songjiang area have a history of more than 6,000 years. The first people of Shanghai moved from Songjiang, and the language development in Shanghai area was slow in history. Many ancient pronunciation and words in the original Jiangnan area language have been preserved to this day. . For example, the word "saw" in Shanghainese dialect is pronounced like "lid", and the word "xu" in "five deficiencies and six swellings" is pronounced like "hi". These are all legacy of the early medieval Jiangdong dialect in today's Jiangnan. The word "corner" in Shanghainese means "corner", and the word "keluo" in "chicken shell fall" means "shell". Why are there two ways to say it? This is proof of the existence of complex consonants in ancient Chinese. That is, the complex consonant [kl] is still left in Shanghai dialect. Sometimes it is pronounced [klo?], sometimes it is divided into two syllables and pronounced [ko?lo?], and sometimes it is transformed into a single consonant. Pronounced [ko?]. Evidence of the compound consonant [kl] in ancient times can also be found in the pictophonetic characters of Chinese characters. For example, the initial consonants of "Ge, Zhi" are pronounced [k], and the initial consonants of "Luo, Luo" are pronounced [l]. In the old-school pronunciation of the elderly, the initial consonants of "Bang" and "Duan" are not pronounced [p], [t], but pronounced as a contracted voiced sound ['b], ['d] accompanied by a strong nasal sound. , this contraction sound is only found in mountainous areas such as Qingyuan and Xianju in southern Zhejiang. It is also found in Zhuang and Dong languages. The Zhuang and Dong people are both descendants of the ancient Yue people, that is, the ancient Baiyue people. The contraction sound of Baiyue pronunciation has long been retained as the main initial consonant of Shanghainese as a language base. These examples show that Shanghai pronunciation still retains very ancient elements. A more recent example, for example, in Shanghai dialect, "turtle, noble, ghost" is pronounced [?y], which is pronounced like "lift", but not "gui"; "気" [?hy] (suffering a loss) is pronounced like " "District" is also pronounced as "Kui"; "ark (counter), kneeling" [?y] are both pronounced as "away"; "Wei (scarf)" [y] is pronounced as "rain", "feeding (feeding)" ,婜[y]" is pronounced as "肂肿", but not pronounced as "Wei" or "Wei". In some places in the countryside, "gui" (go back) is also pronounced as "juqu", "salmon" is also pronounced as "juwu", and "Zhongkui" is pronounced as "zhongqi". These last few pronunciations are used in Taihu films The Wu dialect area retains the oldest pronunciation. However, Shanghai dialect is at the forefront of the rapid merging of pronunciations. For example, there is no distinction between "bowl" and "dark", "guan" and "gan"; "yuan" and "yu" cannot be distinguished, and "quan" cannot be distinguished. , "tool" is not distinguished, "book" is not distinguished from "open urine", "stone" is not distinguished from "tongue", these are the first things that happened in Shanghainese dialect, ahead of other Wu dialects. The rhyme of Shanghainese dialect is the most complete among the Wu dialects. Among the elderly in the countryside, "ke [khk]", "pinch [kh?]", "engraving [kh∧k]", "thirsty [kh?]", "ke [khe?]", "ke [kh") ?k]" and "cry[khok]" all have different pronunciations, that is, there are seven basic rhymes. With the development of teenagers in urban areas, there are only two left, "客 = pinch = carve = thirst = knock [kh? ], shell = cry [kho?]". The number of finals in Shanghainese dialect went from 62 when the port was opened in the mid-19th century to only 32 in the new dialect at the end of the 20th century. It was completed in four generations. This phonetic span has never happened in other dialects. There are great internal differences in pronunciation in Shanghai. People of different identities and ages speak Shanghainese with quite different accents at different levels of development. They are often aware of the differences, but they do not feel any communication barriers. Misunderstandings occasionally occur. For example, an old Shanghainese published an article in "Xinmin Evening News" criticizing the young conductor on the bus for calling "Urumqi Road" "Maggie Road" because "Maggie Road" was named by the original colonialists. Old road name. In fact, he misheard. What the conductor called was the abbreviation of "Muqi Road" (bisyllabic tendency), which is the new phonetic pronunciation [A], [o] starting to approach, [?] to [?] ("Qi") Initial consonants) merge the result (Qi = Qi). Another time, someone criticized Zhao Zhigang, a famous young Yue Opera actor, for not being civilized enough in a newspaper when he said, "I won the award today" when receiving the award.
In fact, Zhao Zhigang said "I won the prize". The pronunciation of the word "na" has evolved from [nE] to [n?] among young people, which is similar to the pronunciation of the word "lao" [l?]. The elder heard wrongly. Now [n?] has restored its old pronunciation in Shanghainese dialect. In 1862, Mai Gaowen recorded that the sound of "take" was [n?]. No matter which one is old school or new school, they can no longer be the authority to influence what others say in Shanghai.
Secondly, the integration of north and south has a high level of language tolerance
After Shanghai became a commercial port, immigrants from all over the country gathered in Shanghai, and their languages ??were bound to have a certain impact on Shanghai dialect, especially since there are many people from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. , the language is also similar to Shanghainese, and has the greatest impact on Shanghainese. The languages ??of the north and the south meet in Shanghai. In free communication, many words take root in Shanghai and are integrated into Shanghainese, which makes Shanghainese have many synonyms. For example, the adverbs that mean "together" include "一***, 一宗, general ***, *** general, tongzong, together***, yi*** ralongzong, together, together with spicy sea, Together to get the president, together to pull up, together to Le Hua, Yi Tu Kuo Zi, Heng Baleng beat, Guo Luo Sanmu", etc., among which "Yi***" and "General ***" come from the synonym of *** in Northern dialect "Yi Qi, Yi Qi La Hai, Yi Qi La Qi, Yi Qi Le Hua" comes from the local area and is still used in rural areas of Shanghai, not to mention more in the city. "Luan Zong, Long ***" are mostly used for people from Zhejiang; "Heng Balengda" comes from Fujian and Cantonese, and "Guo Luo San Mu" comes from the Ningbo accent "all sum" in pidgin English. The original pronunciation is "He Lu San Mu"; "Yi *** Luan Zong" was very commonly used in Shanghai from the 1940s to the 1960s. Now it is said to be "Yi ***, *** Zong, Yi *** Spicy Sea, Yi Tiaojiazi" "More.
The diversity of commonly used words is a manifestation of the high tolerance of Shanghainese dialect. It makes it easier for outsiders living in Shanghai to understand Shanghainese dialect that is close to their hometown dialect. Here are a few more examples: In Shanghainese, "definitely" has synonyms such as "certainly, definitely, accurately, with certainty, ban, banding, Dingji, Dinglu"; ??"approximately" has "approximately, probably, zuoxing, approximately". Mo, about mo Zuo, about the situation, about the situation", etc.; "suddenly" includes "suddenly, suddenly, suddenly, suddenly, suddenly, sound energy, Zhuoshengtou, Zhuoshengtou, Zhushengtouli, Lamo "Growing head" etc. Another example is the locative word "houtou", which includes "back head, back bottom head, back bottom, back, back head, back head, back head, butt head"; "waitou" has "waishi, waishou, outside head, outside, outside head". , outer bottom head" etc. "Slowly" includes "slowly bark, slowly be able to, slowly introduce, slowly be able to introduce, slowly be able to sing". After the 1960s, Shanghainese gradually gave up many of the more rustic common words in its dialect, and some common forms in Wu dialect prevailed, such as giving up "hudang" and "field changes" and using "place" instead.
Shanghai dialect words can accommodate many words from other dialects. For example, when people from Shandong came to Shanghai to sell "big cakes", a word called "big cake" was added to the Shanghainese vocabulary, and the word "big" was not pronounced as "du" but pronounced as "da", which is close to the Shandong pronunciation. Another example is that people in Northern Jiangsu sell "oiled dumplings" in Shanghai. Shanghainese add the word "铓" in their own language, which is pronounced as "San". People in Northern Jiangsu call the food that Shanghainese call "獩捓stick". It is called "crispy twist", and Shanghainese also call it "crisp twist". Even the pronunciation of "twist" is "mahua" instead of "moho"; Cantonese people sell "fish porridge" and "wonton noodles". The word "Yu Sheng" is called "Sheng Yu" by Shanghainese people. It is not pronounced as "Yu Sheng" in the orthodox form. "Wonton" and "wonton" are written in different ways due to different pronunciations in different places. Shanghainese people all pronounce the word "Yu Sheng" in different ways. They are copied and used; Ningbo people in Shanghai call "baiye" "qianzhang"; they call "dried vegetables" "dried vegetables", and Shanghainese people also use them. Shanghainese can absorb first-level common words from other dialects and use or replace its own common words. For example, it absorbs "Ala" from Ningbo dialect to replace the first person plural "wo伲", "高头" and "Window" in old Shanghainese dialect. "Door" is also tending to replace "wave direction" and "window", and the pronunciation of "old man" and "old lady" also uses Ningbo. It is not discrimination or exclusion, but rather the ability to freely absorb the life language of immigrants in Shanghai and even transform oneself. This also fully demonstrates the spirit of Shanghainese to speak to all rivers.
3 Leaders Biaoxin has strong language freedom
Shanghai citizens’ leaders Biaoxin’s civic awareness has created a vibrant Shanghainese dialect. In the years at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Shanghai's economy developed rapidly, and new things from abroad emerged in an endless stream. At that time, it was simply a new thing, and Shanghainese coined a new term for it, such as "road, foreign-style house, bookstore, newspaper office, Cinemas, trucks, tricycles, football, golf, clubs, museums, kindergartens, tap water, cream, rubber bands, paper towels, etc. With the rise of bookstores and newspapers, many transliterated or free-translated foreign words, such as "sofa, coffee, beer, humor, cell", etc., were also spread to all parts of the country through books, newspapers and magazines founded in Shanghai and entered the Chinese synonyms. Folk terms are also often fashionable. For example, Shanghai was the first to have trams, and the word "tram" came into being. At that time, there were tracks. Soon after, Shanghainese called the wrinkles on people's faces and foreheads "tram road", and called walking "tram road". "Tram No. 11". Since the establishment of the exchange in Shanghai, the terms "opening" and "closing" have been extended from "abacus" to transactions. Price setting has become a "plate", that is, "clear price" and "clear price". The difference between "black market" and "foreign market" (for foreigners) came into being.
In further development, foreigners who spent wronged money were called "foreign money". Later, "amulings" who were "laymen who didn't know the goods" and "who were fooled without realizing it" were simply called "foreign money". This kind of flexible word creation and divergent thinking can not but be said to have been created in the atmosphere of Shanghai, a Shanghai-style society.
Another characteristic of Shanghai culture is that it is oriented overseas and combines Chinese and Western culture. Shanghainese actively introduces foreign words. At the beginning of the 20th century, he took the lead in introducing a large number of Japanese words and created a large number of transliterated words, and even some suffixes came from foreign languages, such as the "三" in "牣三, 红头阿三" , the "moulds" of "Xiao Diao Mazi and Sanguang Mazi". Another example is calling someone "Lao Carat". "Carat" comes from "classics", and the "dig and potential" of "methods and tricks" is "ways". At one time, the world-famous team "Pidgin" came into being. language". Nowadays, it is often seen that young people mix Shanghai dialect with foreign words. This habit of "appropriationism" keeps Shanghainese dialect always in the trend, which is conducive to promoting social modernization.
The use of words by Shanghai citizens also shows the hierarchical nature of their different uses. In the face of synonymous words or sentences, everyone speaks his own words without interfering with each other. Among the common people, speaking is equal, and there is no What kind of authoritative usage does not pay attention to normativeness. Some people talk about the new one, "Aircraft waves hoist hairy crabs - eight legs in the air", while others talk about the old one, "Four King Kong Soaring in the Clouds - eight legs in the air". Some people say it's "cool", and some people say it's "cool" or "spiritual". Traditional and trendy things go hand in hand, and vulgarity and formality go hand in hand.
There are also many grammatical differences between the northern and southern Chinese dialects. What is used here is not used there, but they can coexist peacefully in Shanghai dialect. For example, you can nod or shake your head instead of answering a "right or wrong question". There are roughly four forms in Chinese: 1, V?; 2, V is not V; 3, V is not; 4, can V ("V" is verb). In many simpler dialects, questions are often asked in only one of them. For example, Suzhou dialect only uses the "ke V" form, Hangzhou dialect and Shaoxing dialect only use the "V no V" form, Yixing dialect only uses the "V no" form, and Jiaxing dialect only uses the "V ha" form. However, in Shanghai dialect, these four forms and their mixtures can be spoken freely. Such as "Are you a student?" "Are you a student?" "Are you a student?" "Are you a student?" and "Are you a student?" "Are you a student?" "Non is a student, is it right?" Even English rhetorical questions such as "Non is a student, is it?" are also used by Shanghainese people. Therefore, foreigners who come to Shanghai, no matter where they are from or what form they ask, can communicate in Shanghai and Shanghainese can understand them. Therefore, just as people engage in economic activities smoothly in Shanghai and ask questions freely, Shanghainese dialect has also developed a broad degree of freedom in this complicated communication environment.
A commonly used sentence in Chinese is "V1 + person + thing + V2" with the form of "V1 + person + thing + V2". Originally, the word order in Shanghainese dialect only has one or two expression forms. Later, under the influence of the dialects of immigrants from various places, it became very liberal. As long as there is no ambiguity in semantics, the following six ways of saying it are acceptable: "Buy good side dishes for Yi to eat", "Buy for Yi to eat good side dishes", "Buy for Yi to eat good side dishes" "Buy good side dishes for Yi to eat", "Buy good side dishes for Yi to eat", "Buy good side dishes for Yi to eat", "Buy good side dishes for Yi to eat". This shows the strong ability of language assembly in Shanghainese and the flexibility of Shanghainese to accommodate the speaking habits of various places.
The combination of four unifications and dispersions allows for great language flexibility
Many Shanghainese are now bilingual, for example, they can speak both Shanghainese and their native dialect. For example, some Shanghainese who are originally from Northern Jiangsu speak Northern Jiangsu dialect in their own communities, but speak Shanghainese dialect with others or in more formal social situations. Nowadays, many Shanghainese can speak Mandarin. This phenomenon of continuous bilingualism or multilingualism according to different occasions or objects of speaking has become commonplace in Shanghai social communication. This creates a benign environment for hybridization between different languages ??and the absorption of each other's strengths. The language environment in Shanghai can be divided and combined, and people assemble different levels of Shanghainese in different situations. Say old-school words to your grandparents, vulgar words to old friends, trendy words to young and new friends, "authentic and standard" words to teachers and colleagues, written words to white-collar workers in meetings, foreign words to white-collar workers, and stock investors Those who use buzzwords speak Mandarin in formal occasions and in front of media microphones. Many Shanghainese who have lived in Shanghai for a long time speak "Shanghai Mandarin" with many Shanghainese words or pronunciation characteristics, such as "This movie is so good", "I can't get it", "You can't go", "Here". "There's a hole in it" and "He's not very happy, I'm sure of it." The stop announcer on the company's car said "The car has turned, please hold the armrest" instead of "The car is about to turn. Please pull up the handrails." Other words such as "U-turn at the stadium" and "Please be careful when the door opens" are all Shanghai variants of Mandarin, not to mention "zh, ch, sh, r" and "z, c, s, l" are indistinguishable; not long ago The non-locals who had just come to Shanghai spoke the "ordinary Shanghainese" with some Shanghai words that they had just learned, such as "Let's go to Nanjing Road Baixiang tomorrow!" But everyone could understand and communicate. Shanghai dialect is changing in this open environment, becoming more lively, simpler and more common when necessary, and more differentiated and delicate on some special occasions, unified and dispersed, forming a unique A richly layered social dialect.