Acknowledgements List of figures List of tables Abstract Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 General introduction to Chaoshan Chinese 1.2 Theoretical background 1.2.1 "Multi-register and four-level" tonal model 1.2.2 Universal tonal inventories 1.2.3 Tono-type and tonal pattern 1.3 Methodology 1.3.1 Fieldwork corpus 1.3.2 Information of informants 1.3.3 Data collection and analysis 1.4 Research Goals 1.5 Statement of significance 1.6 Outline of the book Chapter 2 Literature review 2.1 Previous studies on Chaoshan Chinese 2.1.1 Descriptive reports 2.1.2 Comparative studies 2.1.3 Acoustic phonetics2.2 The development of tonal models devised to delineate tones 2.3 Tonal typology and tone evolution 2.3.1 The mechanism of sound change 2.3.2 Tonal typology 2.3.3 Tone evolution 2.4 Summary Chapter 3 Tonal patterns within the Chaoshan area 3.1 Pattern A: Falling-level-level-level-low-rising 3.2 Pattern B: Falling-falling-level-level-low-rising 3.3 Pattern C: Falling-level-level-low-rising-rising 3.4 Pattern D: Falling-falling-level-low-rising-rising 3.5 Pattern E: Falling-falling-level-low-rising 3.6 Pattern F: Falling-level-level-low-rising 3.7 Pattern G: Falling-falling-level-level-low-high 3.8 Pattern H: Falling-falling-level-level-level-low 3.9 Pattern I: Falling-falling-falling-level-low 3.10 Pattern J: Falling-falling-level-level-low 3.11 Pattern K: Falling-falling-level-level-rising3.12 Three other patterns 3.13 Three main types: the dialectical classification of Chaoshan Chinese 3.14 The tono-types of MC tones within the Chaoshan area Chapter 4 The tonal chain shifts in the Huipu area 4.1 General introduction to the Huipu area 4.2 The special phonation in T2a 4.3 The downward chain shift of falling tones 4.4 The upward chain shift of rising tones 4.5 V-shaped tonal shift 4.5.1 From Jinghai to Liusha 4.5.2 The significant role of the pure low tone 4.5.3 More chian shift evolutions of tone in Chinese dialects 4.6 Non-natural merger of tones due to language contact 4.7 The downward chain shift of level tones4.8 The further development of T2a in central Huilai County 4.9 Summary Chapter 5 Tonal changes in the Chaoyang area 5.1 General introduction to the Chaoyang area 5.2 Changes in the production of T2a in the Chaoyang area 5.2.1 Age-related differences parallel with geographic variations 5.2.2 A perceptual experiment on T2a of Lugang dialect 5.2.3 Listener as an initiator in tonal changes 5.3 The chain shift of tones in Miancheng dialect 5.3.1 Tones involved in the chain shift 5.3.2 A pull chain or a push chain? 5.4 Tonal changes in Haimen dialect 5.5 Tonal changes in Dahao dialect 5.6 Tonal changes in Guiyu dialect 5.7 The motive behind the tonal changes in the Chaoyang area 5.8 SummaryChapter 6 The evolution of checked tones 6.1 General introduction 6.2 Different stages in the development of checked tones 6.3 Different phonation types of checked tones 6.3.1 Two basic forms of checked tone syllables in Chaoshan dialect 6.3.2 What is the so-called glottal stop? 6.3.3 Different phonetic manifestations of T4a and T4b 6.4 Experimental measures of acoustic cues for phonations in T4a and T4b