TYLA: Research on administrative place names of Honghe prefecture, Yunnan, China

Author name: Gao Yi Jiao

Thesis title: Research on administrative place names of Hong Ha district, Yunnan, China

Dissertation field: linguistics

Major: Linguistics Code: 62220240

Name of the postgraduate training unit: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

1. Purpose and research objects of the thesis

The research purpose of the topic is to survey the structural characteristics, meaning, clarify the linguistic origin, the reason for naming as well as the relationship between the administrative place name of Hong Ha district and the historical, geographical and cultural factors of Hong Ha district. The thesis studies the place name units in a comprehensive and systematic way, learns and studies the origin, characteristics and cultural language rules of the administrative place name of Hong Ha district.

The research object of the thesis is administrative place names including village, commune, town, district, town, and prefecture names in Hong Ha prefecture, Yunnan province, China.

2. Research methods used

The thesis uses main research methods such as Field investigation method, Descriptive method, Interdisciplinary research method, Statistical data technique, Classification technique, Systemic research technique.

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

- We collected 1419 administrative place names including village, district, town/city, and prefecture levels with two major types of names identified by natural factors and human factors.

- Research results show that place names here originate from different languages ​​such as Chinese, Chinese dialects, Di, Ha Nhi, Thai, Meo, Choang, Bo Y and there are also place names with mixed origins from these elements.

- The administrative place name of Hong Ha district is a complex consisting of two parts: common elements and specific elements. Common elements in administrative place names include villages, quarters, communes, towns, districts/towns, and districts. Specific elements have three types of grammatical relationships: primary and secondary, equal, and subject-predicate. Chinese place names always follow the order of primary after secondary, in accordance with the grammar characteristics of Chinese, while place names of ethnic minority origin have two types: primary before secondary and primary after secondary, depending on the type of subject language of the place names.

- We divide place names into two major categories: place names named after natural factors and place names named after human factors, including 23 groups. The contact between ethnic groups, languages ​​and cultures has left its mark on mixed place names. The Han culture still plays a major role in the administrative place names of Hong Ha district. The results of the study of the administrative place names of Hong Ha district in terms of culture, expressed through the semantics of the place names, have given us a vivid picture of the local life, culture and history.

3.2. Conclusion

Administrative place names of Hong Ha district are a new research object. This is the first work to systematically survey and research administrative place names of Hong Ha district. The thesis has studied and surveyed 1419 place names in terms of linguistic origin, naming methods, structural models and national cultural values ​​reflected through the semantics of place names. The research results are very valuable for many scientific fields, especially the work of standardizing place names.

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

The author's name: GAO YI JIAO

Thesis title: Research on the administrative place names of China's Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province

Scientific branch of the thesis: Linguistics

Major: Linguistics Code: 62220240

The name of postgraduate training institution: Thesis purpose and objectives

Vietnam national university – Hanoi University of Social & Humanities

1. Research methods

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the structural characteristics and meanings of Honghe Prefecture's place names, to clarify their etymology and principles for naming as well as the relationship between Honghe's administrative place names and Honghe's history, geography, and culture. The thesis conducts systematic and thorough research to understand the characteristics and cultural linguistic principles of Honghe administrative place names.

The object of research is the place names of China's Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province, including village, district, county, municipality, and prefecture.

2.Major results and conclusions

2.1. The major results

- We collected 1419 administrative place names at the village, district, county, municipality, and prefecture levels. The basis of the names can be divided into natural factors and human factors.

- Research results indicate that the place names have various origins, such as Standard Chinese, local Chinese dialect, Yi, Hani, Dai, Miao, Zhuang, Bouyei, and a mix of the above.

- The place names of Honghe prefecture include compounding of common nouns and proper nouns. Common nouns include the words for village, street, district, town, county, and prefecture. Proper compound nouns show the following grammatical relations: modifier and modified, coordinate structure, and subject-predicate. The word order in Chinese place names is modified followed by modifier, characteristic of Chinese syntax. But minority language place names show either modified-modifier or modifier-modified word order, depending on the typology of the minority source language.

- The two main types of basis for names are natural factors and human factors, which contain 23 smaller types. Traces of ethnic, linguistic and cultural contact are left in the names of mixed etymology. Chinese culture maintains an important status in Honghe prefecture administrative place names. The culture of Honghe administrative place names is displayed through research on their semantics, unfurling a rich picture scroll of life, culture, and history for us.

2.2.Conclusions

Honghe administrative place names is a completely new object of research. This is the first research project to scientifically investigate Honghe place names. The thesis collected and analyzed 1419 place names' etymology, method of naming, word structure, and the value of ethnic culture demonstrated in the place names' semantics. The research results are valuable to many disciplines, especially contributing to the work of standardizing place names.