Characters like “window 窗” are consifered to show a prefix dropping in Min
language. In Sagart’s proposal, the character ”window 窗” (Southern Min: [tʰɑŋ]) can
be reconstructed as a root with a prefix: *s-lˤ̥oŋ. And this word can be
corresponded to another word 通 * lˤ̥oŋ. It also pronounced as [tʰɑŋ] in
Southern Min.
We use Norman’s reconstruction of Proto-Min and two kinds of reconstructions
by Baxter & Sagart and Li Fang-kuei in this paper to discuss the logical sound change
process in the initials and we try to figure out their contribution to different strata of
Min from different periods of Chinese in the central plains (中原).
Characters in Min dialects with different initials from Middle Chinese or other
Sinitic dialects can be briefly separated into three groups:
I. Pronounced with [t-] in coastal Min dialects and in Central Min dialects.
II. Pronounced with [t-] only in Central Min dialects.
III. Pronounced with [t-] in one stratum of Min dialects and pronounced with [s-] in
another stratum of Min dialects. In some cases, the Central Min dialects only
preserved the newer literary layer
Although the system of Baxter & Sagart is not that easy to be used in order to
explain the correspondences between Old Chinese and Proto-Min, evidence of *sdrop is easier to be found in many words by using this system. The *s- prefix has a
higher possibility to be dropped in words with stop initial in the root like “書 write”
(Old Chinese: *s-ta, Proto-Min: *tsy), but it tends to be seen in words with liquid
initial in the root such as “司 superintend”(Old Chinese: *s-lə, Proto-Min: *sy).
The system of Li Fang-kuei is another common reconstruction system of Old
Chinese. The rhyme system is easier to understand than many other systems and it is
better with respect to corresponces with Proto-Min. 7 vowels are used in this system
to describe all the charcaters in Old Chinese. But the prefixes in Old Chinese are not
shown in Li’s system. So the sounds of words like “affair 事” are well-derived from
Old Chinese *tsrjəgh to the medium state *tsəgh and to Proto-Min tәi. Since it does
not discuss prefixes, the issue of the initial consonants cannot be solved in this
reconstruction.