雙域八調從音節音系學和聲調類型學角度看緬甸語聲調

Burmese tones have attracted much attention from worldwide scholars. But their phonetic properties and typological status are still controversial. Based on the theories of Syllabic Phonology and tono-typology, we provide phonetic descriptions of eight Burmese tones and their variations in this paper, argue for the division of modal-voiced tones and breathy-voiced tones, and thus split the previously recognized four tonal categories into eight. The four modalvoiced tones sit in Modal Register, and the four breathy-voiced tones are in Lower Register. In the final section of the paper, the nature of register and tone are discussed in detail, the eight Burmese tones are pinpointed for their typological status in the General Inventory of Tonotypes, and their possible changing directions are explored on the Tonal Evolution Clock.