Multilingualism in China: The Politics of Writing Reforms for Minority Languages 1949-2002 (Contributions to the Sociology of Language [CSL] Book 89)

Minglang Zhou's highly erudite and well-researched volume on the policies concerning writing reforms for China's minorities since 1949 provides an original and well-reasoned summary of a complex process. It documents how different script reforms meet dramatically different fates according to local preferences, history, cross-border ties, and the vitality of previously-used scripts. It convincingly shows that no single variable is decisive in the success of a script, and that language planners' fixation with technical details is doomed to failure, without careful coordination of extra-code factors. It also documents the little-known Sino-Soviet cooperation in the area of writing reforms. In a style accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students, Zhou's book is of interest to language planners, sinologists, applied linguists, writing theorists, and ethnologists. Abbreviations And Names Of Minorities In China -- Map 1. Distribution Of Minority Nationalities And Languages In China -- Map 2. China: Autonomous Regions And Prefectures -- Ch. 1. Minorities And Minority Languages In China -- 1.1. Historical Developments Of The Han And Non-han Peoples -- 1.2. Official Classification Of The Non-han Peoples -- 1.3. Distribution Of Minority Communities -- 1.4. The Classification And Distribution Of Minority Languages -- 1.5. Current Status Of Minority Languages -- 1.6. The Organization Of This Book -- Ch. 2. The Politics Of Minority Language Policy, 1949-2002 -- 2.1. Development Of The Ccp Minorities Policy Before 1949 -- 2.2. Theoretical Foundation Of The Ccp Minorities Policy And Later Changes -- 2.3. The First Pluralistic Stage: 1949-1957 -- 2.4. The Chinese Monopolistic Stage: 1958-1977 -- 2.5. The Second Pluralistic Stage: 1978-2002 -- Ch. 3. The Politics Of The Status Of Writing Systems: Official, Experimental, Or Unofficial -- 3.1. Status Of Writing Systems: The First Pluralistic Stage (1949-1957) -- 3.2. Status Of Writing Systems: The Chinese Monopolistic Stage (1958-1977) -- 3.3. Status Of Writing Systems: The Second Pluralistic Stage (1978-2002) -- 3.4. Issues In China's Minority Language Policy -- Ch. 4. Choices Of Scripts And Theories Of Writing Systems: East Vs. West -- 4.1. Western Linguistics And The Initial Writing Reforms For Minority Languages In The Prc -- 4.2. Modeling After The Soviet Union -- 4.3. Roman, Ipa, And Cyrillic Scripts: Conflicts And Compromises -- Ch. 5. The Politics Of Vernacular Writing Systems -- 5.1. The Soviet Model And Proliferation Of Vernacular Writing Systems -- 5.2. Vernacular Writing Systems: Consolidation And Withdrawal -- 5.3. Vernacular Writing Systems: Consolidation And Proliferation -- 5.4. Relationship Between Standard And Vernacular Writing Systems -- Ch. 6. The Politics Of Traditional And Reformed Writing Systems -- 6.1. Between Changing Policies And Written Traditions. The Siniform Script Vs. The Roman Alphabet -- 6.2. Between Domestic And International Politics: Reform Of The Mongolian Writing System -- 6.3. Between Socialism And Islam: Reforms Of The Uygur And Kazak Writing Systems -- 6.4. Between The State And Christian Traditions: Reforms Of Missionary Writing Systems -- 6.5. Between The State And Buddhist Traditions: Reforms Of Writing Systems In Dai Communities -- 6.6. Factors In The Successes And Failures Of Writing Reforms -- Ch. 7. Modernization: The Politics And Sociolinguistics Of Chinese Loanwords And Minority Language Orthography -- 7.1. The Early Years Of Lexical Modernization (1949-1955) -- 7.2. Central Planning Of Lexical Modernization Before Pinyin -- 7.3. Lexical Development For Minority Languages Under The Shadow Of Pinyin -- 7.4. Pinyin As The Model For Modernization Of Orthography In Minority Languages -- 7.5. Diglossia Of Chinese Loanwords -- 7.6. The Question Of Diversity In Orthography And Loanwords -- 7.7. Development Of Terminology Regulations And Bureaucracy -- Ch. 8. Conclusion -- 8.1. The Question Of The Interpretation Of Language Legislation And The Implementation Of Language Policy -- 8.2. The Question Of Equality For All (minority) Languages -- 8.3. The Question Of The Ideal Script -- 8.4. The Question Of The Model Or Models Of Writing System Development -- 8.5. Concluding Remarks -- Index Of (officially Recognized) Minority Nationalities And Minority Languages In China -- Index Of Names Of Influencial Persons. By Minglang Zhou. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [407]-446) And Indexes. Preface Acknowledgements List of tables Abbreviations and names of minorities in China Map 1 Distribution of minority nationalities and languages in China Map 2 China: Autonomous regions and prefectures Chapter 1 Minorities and minority languages in China 1.1. Historical developments of the Han and non-Han peoples 1.2. Official classification of the non-Han peoples 1.3. Distribution of minority communities 1.4. The classification and distribution of minority languages 1.5. Current status of minority languages 1.6. The organization of this book Chapter 2 The politics of minority language policy, 1949–2002 2.1. Development of the CCP minorities policy before 1949 2.2. Theoretical foundation of the CCP minorities policy and later changes 2.3. The first pluralistic stage: 1949–1957 2.4. The Chinese monopolistic stage: 1958–1977 2.5. The second pluralistic stage: 1978–2002 Chapter 3 The politics of the status of writing systems: Official, experimental, or unofficial 3.1. Status of writing systems: The first pluralistic stage (1949–1957) 3.2. Status of writing systems: The Chinese monopolistic stage (1958–1977) 3.3. Status of writing systems: The second pluralistic stage (1978–2002) 3.4. Issues in China’s minority language policy Chapter 4 Choices of scripts and theories of writing systems: East vs. West 4.1. Western linguistics and the initial writing reforms for minority languages in the PRC 4.2. Modeling after the Soviet Union 4.3. Roman, IPA, and Cyrillic scripts: Conflicts and compromises Chapter 5 The politics of vernacular writing systems 5.1. The Soviet model and proliferation of vernacular writing systems 5.2. Vernacular writing systems: Consolidation and withdrawal 5.3. Vernacular writing systems: Consolidation and proliferation 5.4. Relationship between standard and vernacular writing systems Chapter 6 The politics of traditional and reformed writing systems 6.1. Between changing policies and written traditions: The Siniform script vs. the Roman alphabet 6.2. Between domestic and international politics: Reform of the Mongolian writing system 6.3. Between socialism and Islam: Reforms of the Uygur and Kazak writing systems 6.4. Between the state and Christian traditions: Reforms of missionary writing systems 6.5. Between the state and Buddhist traditions: Reforms of writing systems in Dai communities 6.6. Factors in the successes and failures of writing reforms Chapter 7 Modernization: The politics and sociolinguistics of Chinese loanwords and minority language orthography 7.1. The early years of lexical modernization (1949–1955) 7.2. Central planning of lexical modernization before Pinyin 7.3. Lexical development for minority languages under the shadow of Pinyin 7.4. Pinyin as the model for modernization of orthography in minority languages 7.5. Diglossia of Chinese loanwords 7.6. The question of diversity in orthography and loanwords 7.7. Development of terminology regulations and bureaucracy Chapter 8 Conclusion 8.1. The question of the interpretation of language legislation and the implementation of language policy 8.2. The question of equality for all (minority) languages 8.3. The question of the ideal script 8.4. The question of the model or models of writing system development 8.5. Concluding remarks Notes References Subject index Index of (officially recognized) minority nationalities and minority languages in China Index of names of influencial persons Main description: Minglang Zhou's highly erudite and well-researched volume on the policies concerning writing reforms for China's minorities since 1949 provides an original and well-reasoned summary of a complex process. It documents how different script reforms meet dramatically different fates according to local preferences, history, cross-border ties, and the vitality of previously-used scripts. In a style accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students, Zhou's book is of interest to language planners, sinologists, applied linguists, writing theorists, and ethnologists Annotation "Minglang Zhou's highly erudite and well-researched volume on the policies concerning writing reforms for China's minorities since 1949, provides an original and well-reasoned summary of a complex process. It documents how different script reforms meet dramatically different fates according to local preferences, history, cross-border ties, and the vitality of previously-used scripts. In a style accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students, Zhou's book is of interest to language planners, Sinologists, applied linguists, writing theorists, and ethnologists." The People's Republic of China (PRC or China) is well known for its huge population, nearly 1.3 billion and still counting (2000 census).