藏語o 的多重起源

Multiple Origins of Tibetan o

學術界普遍同意，藏語的o 來自原始藏緬語不同元音合併的結果。本文的論證，企圖結合馬蒂索夫 (2003) 和龔煌城 (1995[2002]) 各自對書面藏語 o類元音起源的推理，利用了比馬蒂索夫更多的文獻語料為證據，及援引比龔煌城更新的上古漢語音韻構擬的版本。最後，本文建議藏語的 o 來自 *ʷa,*ʷú, *o, *ow, *aw；同時以數則音韻規律，解釋古藏語、緬語和漢語的元音對應關係。

Widespread agreement prevails that Tibetan o is the result of the merger of several distinct sounds in proto-Tibeto-Burman. Here I attempt to reconcile Matisoff and Gong’s presentations of the origins of Written Tibetan o , making fuller use of philological evidence than Matisoff and taking advantage of a more recent version of Old Chinese than Gong. A number of sound laws are proposed to explain the relevant vowel correspondences among Tibetan, Burmese, and Chinese.