An analysis of spatial patterns of toponyms in Guangdong,China

The unique geographical environment and the historical waves of immigration of the northern Han Chinese to the Lingnan region have contributed to the development of a complex and unique culture in Guangdong Province. Four ancient ethnic groups, the Zhuang, Cantonese, Hoklo and Hakka, have resided in this area for centuries. As an important part of local culture, toponyms often survive changes in history and can reveal the temporal differences between the past and present in landforms and the spatial differences in the distribution of different ethnic group populations. In this study, two goals were sought: (1) the adoption of spatial smoothing and interpolation methods to reveal the spatial patterns of the Zhuang, Cantonese, Hoklo and Hakka toponyms based on comparisons among the proportions of those who speak various languages and (2) the investigation of the differences among toponymic layers under regional environmental conditions and the influences of geographic factors using an independent samples t-test and a binary logistic regression.     

南诏时期洱海地区的白蛮语地名考释

白蛮语地名在南诏时期行政区划中出现频率较高,这些地方往往在政治、军事和经济上占有重要地位,在历来的南诏史研究中受到较多的关注。本文在前人研究基础上,运用藏缅语材料对白蛮语地名的含义作了考释,认为从总体上看其语源呈多样化,这与历史上该地的民族社会历史变迁息息相关。