Full Description
Focusing on the life and works of Wang Li, one of the founding figures of modern Chinese linguistics, this book offers a comprehensive introduction to his scholarship. It presents Wang Li as a pioneering linguist whose research ranged across grammar, phonology and phonetics, historical linguistics, dialectology, pedagogy, and prosody, and shows how he integrated traditional Chinese philology with modern linguistic science.
The book first sketches Wang Li's life through a concise biography from his birth in 1900 to his deceased in 1986, highlighting key moments in his intellectual development and professional career. It then introduces his major contributions across different research areas, explaining their significance to the study of the Chinese language.
This volume is an essential resource for students and researchers of Chinese linguistics, as well as for readers seeking an accessible entry point to one of the most influential linguists of the twentieth century.
Contents
Introduction. Part I Wang Li's life 1 Childhood and early growth of Wang Li (1900-1924) 2 From Tsinghua to Paris: Wang Li's pursuit of knowledge (1924-1932) 3 Years of wandering and steadfast scholarship (1932-1953) 4 The fruitful years at Peking University (1954-1965) 5 The ordeal of Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) 6 The road back and the hallmarks of a master (1977-1984) 7 The final years and his last wishes (1983-1986) Part II Wang Li's works 8 Chinese grammar 9 Phonology and phonetics 10 History of the Chinese language 11 History of Chinese linguistics 12 Learning and teaching ancient Chinese 13 Versification of classical Chinese poetry 14 Wang Li's essays 15 Wang Li's poems 16 Wang Li's translations 17 Epilogue: The legacy of Wang Li. Endmatter. Appendix 1 A chronicle of Wang Li's life. Appendix 2 A timeline of Chinese dynasties
