本篇論文主要藉由實地調查的方言語料探討閩南語小稱詞的由來，論及歷史演變歷程與當代方言的地理分布關係。研究文獻傾向將閩南方言小稱詞尾 [a] 視為由鼻化韻經歷「去鼻化、聲母脫落」等過程。語言的歷時變體，會保留在共時的個別方言中。今針對閩南方言小稱詞的使用現況進行多點調查，結果發現小稱詞音韻演變確依規則進行，且其過程完整保留在現今方言中。從地理分布看，大體上由北到南對應語音弱化變遷過程，亦即呼應著整個歷史音變過程。調查也發現方言接觸地帶的語言變化較不規則，這是因為語言接觸會吸取週遭方言的音韻特色所致。無論如何，這個研究似乎明確顯示了語言演變的時空對應關係。

　　This thesis investigates the origin and spread of the Minnan Diminutive [a] [ia]. We hypothesize that it originated as *kian, a reconstructed pronunciation of a word found in the Min dialects which means ‘son/daughter’ and is variously pronounced as [kyɒ͂], [kyɒ], [kiã], [kã] in various subdialects spoken in the region and that this earlier form went through various stages like the loss of the final nasal and the accompanying vowel nasalization, the loss of the initial consonant and (at some places) the medial glide, and finally vowel denasalization. We hypothesize further that these different stages could be arrested in the various subdialects spoken along the way of its spread from north to south in Fujian. By closely investigating the various subdialects spoken in various townships in Putian, Xianyou, Huian, Nanan, Anxi, Quanzhou and Tongan, we are able to provide ample evidence in support of our hypotheses. By examining the data we cannot but notice the almost perfect correspondence between the historical development and the distribution of the pronunciation of the diminutive in the various subdialects spoken along the line between Putian-Xianyou in the north and Quanzhou-Tongan in the south.

小稱詞; 弱化; 鼻化; 語言接觸

diminutive; weakening; nasalization; language contact