Chinese Pronunciation & Accents
Geo-Social Applications of the Natural Phonetics & Tonetics Method
Luciano Canepari & Marco Cerini
University of Venice
This book applies the principles of Natural Phonetics & Tonetics to describe the pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese, including tones and intonation, in a precise way never found in earlier treatises (even those by native phoneticians). It includes an introduction to the Natural Phonotonetics Method, which can be used for any other language, as well (without the sadly known limitations of official IPA). The vowels, consonants, structures, tonemes, and intonation of Chinese are fully described and transcribed, with examples of words, sentences, and conversations, in addition to the intonationally integrated IPA sample passage ‘The North Wind and the Sun’. Many illustrations clearly show the articulation of vowels, diphthongs, including words in -r (érhuà), and tonograms for the tones and intonation.
In addition to the neutral pronunciation of Chinese, also the mediatic/Pekingese pronunciation is fully described, with all its differences and peculiarities.
Also included are two kinds of Taiwan Mandarin pronunciation, ten Chinese regional accents, three different dialects/languages, three diachronic stages. A mini-phono-dictionary contains more than 400 words, mainly proper names.
Luciano Canepari, Natural Phonetics & Tonetics, University of Venice, Italy, originally trained in the British phonetic tradition, developed the Natural Phonotonetics Method. Marco Cerini, PhD in Natural Phonetics & Tonetics applied to Mandarin Chinese, University of Venice, Italy.
For Lincom, LC published (among others): A Handbook of Pronunciation; Natural Phonetics & Tonetics; English Pronunciation & Accents; German Pronunciation & Accents; Dutch & Afrikaans Pronunciation & Accents (with M. Cerini). They are presently working on Japanese Pronunciation & Accents.
ISBN 9783862886364 (Hardbound). LINCOM studies in Phonetics 14. 242pp. 2015.
