The Evolution of the Initials of “bang” Set in Zhengzhou Dialect

This study first investigates the pronunciations of the initial consonants in the “bang set across seven dialect points in Zhengzhou and its neighboring Kaifeng dialect. Subsequently, the survey results are horizontally compared with the corresponding readings in the Beijing phonological system to highlight their synchronic differences. Furthermore, this study contrasts the survey findings with the respective pronunciations in Old Chinese, Middle Chinese, Late Middle Chinese, early 20th-century dialects, and late -century dialects, thereby illustrating the evolution of initial consonants in the Zhengzhou dialect through systematic tabulation.