Nouveau regard sur les dialectes Tibétains à l'est d'Aba: phonétique et classification du dialecte de Sharkhog [Songpan-Jiuzhaigou]

Abstract

This paper treats a phonological analysis of Sharkhog Tibetan dialect and a discussion of its classification. This dialect is one of the lesser-known dialects of Tibetan, mainly spoken in Songpan County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan, China. Its phonology is characterised by the existence of register (suprasegmentals) as well as the preservation of many types of consonant cluster. The coexistence of the suprasegmental opposition and the abundant types of consonant cluster is typologically remarkable in Tibetan. Based on these phenomena, the possibility of the establishment of a new dialectal group is proposed with the support of a contrastive consideration among Sharkhog dialect and other Tibetan dialects spoken around Songpan.