Abstract as per original application
(English/Chinese): |
Tanka is a critically endangered language spoken by the boat people of Hong Kong, a group whose linguistic diversity has been largely understudied. Rapid urbanization has led many boat people to transition from sea to shore, accelerating the decline of Tanka due to increased contact with shore-based languages such as Cantonese, Min, and Hakka. Despite its endangered status, research on the influence of Cantonese and, particularly, Hakka on Tanka has been limited, which this study aims to explore.
To address this research gap, this proposal focuses on the linguistic diversity of boat people, specifically examining Tanka’s interactions with Cantonese and Hakka in Hong Kong. Building on previous work by the principal investigator and the first-hand data collected through structured interviews, the study employs both diachronic and synchronic approaches, as well as qualitative and quantitative methods to explore phonological and lexical relationships among Tanka, Cantonese, and Hakka. By utilizing the Automated Similarity Judgment Program (ASJP), the research will provide a comprehensive analysis of Tanka’s connections to Cantonese and Hakka and will offer more evidence to clarify the linguistic affiliations of Tanka and provide insight into the origins of the Tanka people. Notably, the research has identified significant lexical connections between Tanka and Hakka, presenting a new perspective on language contact in this region.
This study makes a critical contribution to the fields of language contact, linguistic preservation, and sociolinguistics, providing new insights into the Tanka language and enhancing the broader understanding of language diversity and interactions in Southeast China. The research significantly aids the preservation of the critically endangered Tanka language, particularly in Hong Kong, and establishes an essential record that will support future efforts in linguistic and cultural preservation. Another key achievement is the development of the ASJP-Mode Database, which enhances accessibility to the Tanka language for scholars and linguists. In addition, this study is the first to propose that Hakka has a significant influence on the Tanka language, providing a fresh understanding of language contact dynamics in the region. Moreover, the study challenges the longstanding debate about the linguistic affiliation of Tanka, further establishing the lexical similarity threshold that offers strong evidence for the affliction of Tanka. This has broader implications for linguistic classification in the region and may reshape how linguists view other marginal languages and dialects.
疍家話是香港水上居民使用的一種極度瀕危的語言，但關於其語言多樣性方面，目前尚未得到充分探討。隨著城市化進程的快速推進，許多水上人逐漸從海上生活轉向岸上定居，這一轉變使得疍家話與粵語、閩語和客家話等岸上語言的接觸日益頻繁，因而進一步加劇了疍家話的衰落。儘管當前疍家話已然處於瀕危狀態，但關於粵語，尤其是客家話對疍家話的影響研究卻較為匱乏。
為了填補這一研究空白，本計畫聚焦於疍家話的語言多樣性問題，尤其考察香港疍家話與粵語及客家話的互動關係。基於計劃負責人先前的研究成果以及通過結構化訪談收集的第一手數據，本研究採用歷時與共時相結合的方法，並輔以定性與定量分析，深入考察疍家話、粵語及客家話之間的語音與詞彙關聯。同時，研究將運用「自動相似性判斷程式」（Automated Similarity Judgment Program, ASJP）對三者之間的聯繫展開全面的分析，這不僅可為厘清疍家話的語言歸屬提供更多證據，亦有助於探究疍家人的起源。值得注意的是，研究已發現疍家話與客家話之間存在顯著的詞彙關聯，這一發現為理解該地區的語言接觸現象提供了新的研究視角。
本研究不僅為語言接觸、語言保存與社會語言學領域提供了重要參考，揭示了關於疍家話的新見解，還進一步深化了對中國東南部語言多樣性與互動關係的理解。該研究有效推動了極度瀕危的疍家話（尤其是在香港）保護工作，且所建立的關鍵記錄將為未來的語言與文化保存提供堅實支撐。另一項重要成果是「ASJP-Mode 數據庫」的研發，這一工具顯著提升了學者及語言學家獲取疍家話語料的便利性。尤為重要的是，本研究首次提出客家話對疍家話存在顯著影響的觀點，這一發現為理解該地區的語言接觸動態過程提供了全新視角。此外，本研究還針對疍家話語言歸屬的長期爭論提出了突破性見解，即通過確立詞彙相似性閾值，為疍家話的語言歸屬提供了有力證據。這一成果不僅對該地區的語言分類研究具有深遠意義，亦可能改變語言學家對其他邊緣語言及方言的研究視角。
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