Zhōngyuán Yīnyùn
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Zhōngyuán Yīnyùn (Simplified Chinese: }}}; Traditional Chinese: ; "The phonology of the Central Plains") is a rime book from the Yuan Dynasty compiled by Zhōu Déqīng (周德清) in 1324. It is widely regarded as an important milestone in the history of Mandarin. In this rime book we see many characteristic features of Mandarin, such as the reduction and disappearance of final stop consonants and the reorganization of the Middle Chinese tones.
Background
The Zhōngyuán Yīnyùn continues the tradition of using Qieyun rhyming methods for indicating pronunciation. Due to the changes in pronunciation between the Sui and Yuan Dynasties, the rhyming dictionaries needed to be updated in accordance with the current phonological system at that time.
From the middle of the 13th Century to the end of the 14th Century, Běiqǔ (北曲) underwent quick development. The author of Sanqu (散曲), Zhōu Déqīng, delved into research on the Běiqǔ, discovering that it created many problems by not adhering to the rules of classical poetic composition. He thought that in order to better develop Běiqǔ , one would need to make a definite standard, especially in respect to language. According to his own experience, he was able to propose a set of rules for creating and reciting Běiqǔ, which came to be known as "Zhōngyuán Yīnyùn".
See also
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