Historical Background of the Origin of Wu Group

Pan Wuyun

Abstract The paper raises two kinds of important models of language contact, Haikou model and shanghai model. The feature of the shanghai model is that the natives ares so superior in culture that the immigrants, although larger in population, have to accept the native dialect. The feature of the Haikou model is that the immigrants, although smaller in population, are superior in culture and therefore the natives have to accept their dialect. Min group in Hainan, a new fossilized inter-language, formed in the process of the native learning the immigrant's language and assimilated the target language in turn. The history of Wu group is shaped in both the Shanghai and Haikou models.

Key words: Language contact, Haikou model, Shanghai model, inter-language, fossilization, Proto-Wu 

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