Luoyang dialect
The Luoyang dialect is a dialect of Zhongyuan Mandarin spoken in Luoyang and nearby parts of Henan province. Although it served as the prestige dialect of Chinese from the Warring States period into the Ming Dynasty, it differs greatly from modern Standard Mandarin, which is based instead on the Beijing dialect.
Phonology
Initials
| Labio-velar approximant | |
| Labio-palatal approximant | |
| Palatal approximant |
Finals
Features
- The Middle Chinese entering tone has a different distribution in the Luoyang dialect than in Standard Mandarin.
- Tone contours are different from those in Standard Mandarin.
- The retroflex and alveolar fricatives are found in different distributions: retroflex fricatives in Standard are often fronted to alveolar fricatives in Luoyang.
- The distinction between and, lost in Standard, is maintained in Luoyang.
- The retroflex series is less retroflexed than in Standard Mandarin and slightly further forward.
- The alveolo-palatal series is slightly further back than in Standard Mandarin.
- Standard final and are often backed to in Luoyang. For example, is, and is.
- Standard final is pronounced or in certain environments in Luoyang.
- Standard final nasalizes the preceding vowel in the Luoyang Dialect.
- The -儿 suffix is pronounced.
Citations