The two-syllable initial assimilation rules are shown in the table below:
The Coda of the Former Syllable
The Initial Assimilation of the Latter Syllable
Null coda or /-ʔ/
/p/, /pʰ/ change to /β/;
/t/, /tʰ/, /θ/ change to /l/;
/x/ change to the null initial;
/ʦ/ and /ʦʰ/ change to /ʒ/;
/m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /k/, /kʰ/, /l/ and the null initial remain unchanged.
/-ŋ/
/p/ and /pʰ/ change to /m/;
/t/, /tʰ/, /θ/ change to /n/;
/k/, /kʰ/, /x/ and the null initial change to /ŋ/;
/ʦ/ and /ʦʰ/ change to /ʒ/;
/m/, /n/ and /ŋ/, /l/ remain unchanged.
/-k̚/
All initials remain unchanged.
Tone sandhi
The two-syllable tonal sandhi rules are shown in the table below:
the second syllable
the first syllable
dark level 44
light level 22
rising 42
dark departing 35
light departing 212
dark entering 5
light entering 2
dark departing 35
55
51
dark entering 5
rising 42
51
5
dark level 44
44
light departing 212
light entering 2
light level 22
22
Notes
^Min is believed to have split from Old Chinese, rather than Middle Chinese like other varieties of Chinese.[1][2][3]
References
^Mei, Tsu-lin (1970), "Tones and prosody in Middle Chinese and the origin of the rising tone", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, 30: 86–110, doi:10.2307/2718766, JSTOR2718766
