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Which is the best Chinese linguistics book?


Elizabeth_rb

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Ah well, them's the breaks.  Takes all sort of funny folk (aka absolute weirdos) to make a world!!

 

Good news though, some of those linguistics titles (including Norman, Ramsey & Ping Chen) are in the local uni library, some in multiple copies, so I'm in luck.  Just need Sir now.... 

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It does, Adam, yes, but it's £5 per item (about US$7-8).  I've got a reader card for 2 of the 3 libraries at the uni where my hubby is doing his PhD, including the one with the CJK collection, so I'll ask him to borrow what I need from there for free. :mrgreen:

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  • 2 weeks later...

If the books are too expensive and your local library doesn't stock it and/or charges exorbitant fees for inter-library loans, there is always the Internet.

For instance, of the books mentioned in this thread I already had the Ramsey and Norman books, but, not the Sun and DeFrancis books.

Usually when I read about a book I don't have I would try to find a copy online in pdf format.

This particular time I hadn't.

But by sheer coincidence, while downloading videos on the peer-to-peer networks I happened to check out the shared library of another downloader and found a treasure trove of Chinese-related books. Many of which I hadn't come across before. And one of them was Sun Chaofen's "Chinese: A Linguistic Introduction".

I clicked on it and had a copy within minutes.

10nre45.jpg

I didn't know that "er hua" thing was called "rhotacization". And there are rules on how to do it?!?! Now, I'm going to read about tone sandhi. :)

The download speed was also incredibly fast. Usually it would take hours just to get a small file.

I know you're kind of tech-phobic, but still the convenience factor trumps all. :)

Now if someone'd scan the DeFrancis books?

Kobo.

Edit: I just discovered Jerry Norman died about a year and a half ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Norman

And his Manchu name meant "raccoon dog".

And his academic advisor was Chao Yuen Ren.

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I'm taking a undergraduate Chinese linguistics class, and we use Mobo Gao's as textbook. Now, I don't know what a comprehensive Chinese linguistic textbook ought to contain, but for the most part I've been largely unimpressed by Gao's. I guess to someone who's learned a little bit of the language already, his textbook offers little to nothing new. I thought the treatment of the subject was rather shallow. I guess it is best suited for English speakers who wish to learn the basic features of Mandarin. Not to mention that the writing style is extremely dry and unappealing, I can never find the motivation to read through the book. I certainly wouldn't have if it wasn't required for the class.

 

Anyways, just my two cents. I'll try to find another book once I get the time.

 

lakers4sho

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