The Historical Phonology of Tibetan, Burmese, and Chinese

By comparing attested languages, sound laws have unlocked the history of European languages, revealing the prehistoric language from which Burmese, Chinese, and Tibetan descend. This book is written for readers with little linguistic knowledge and is fully explicit and indexed for the specialist.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 387 pages
Publication date: 09 June 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The method of comparing attested languages to uncover sound laws has been a groundbreaking approach in unlocking the history of European languages, which extends thousands of years before the emergence of written records. For instance, the Latin letter p corresponds to the English letter f, as seen in words like pes (foot), primus (first), and plenus (full). While Burmese, Chinese, and Tibetan have long been considered related languages, a comprehensive exploration of their shared heritage has never been attempted. By employing these sound laws, this book sheds light on the prehistoric language from which these three languages descend. Written with a clear and concise style, suitable for readers with limited linguistic expertise, it also includes a comprehensive index for specialists. This groundbreaking work will serve as a foundational resource for future advancements in the study of these languages.

Weight: 562g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781316601518