The Study of Modern Colloquial Language Based on Western Materials: Retrospect and Prospect

Abstract

Literature written, edited, or published by Westerners in the Ming to Qing periods and pre-World War II are important source materials for the study of Chinese linguistics. Since the 1990s, linguistic study of the modern colloquial language through Western materials has been evolving and is a popular area of study. This paper reviews this developing field, explores its possibilities and problems, and puts forward ideas for future directions.