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/ and /pʰ/ change to /β/;
/t/,/tʰ/ and /s/ change to /l/;
/k/,/kʰ/ and /h/ change to null initial (without /ʔ/);
/ts/ and /tsʰ/ change to /ʒ/;
/m/,/n/, /ŋ/ and the null initial remain unchanged.
/-ŋ/
/p/ and /pʰ/ change to /m/;
/t/,/tʰ//s/ and /l/ change to /n/;
/k/,/kʰ/, /h/ and the null initial change to /ŋ/;
/ts/ and /tsʰ/ change to /ʒ/;
/m/,/n/ and /ŋ/ remain unchanged.
/-k̚/
All initials remain unchanged.
Tone sandhi
The two-syllable tonal sandhi rules are shown in the table below (the rows give the first syllable's original citation tone, while the columns give the citation tone of the second syllable):
dark level 55
light level 33
rising 42
dark departing 21
light departing 324
dark entering 2
light entering 5
dark level 55
21+55
21+33
21+42
24+21
24+544
24+2
21+5
light level 33
21+42
21+21
21+324
21+2
rising 42
21+55
21+24
21+42
24+21
24+544
24+2
21+5
dark departing 21
33+55
33+544
33+53
24+21
55+33
55+2
33+5
light departing 324
55+55
544+33
544+42
42+21
544+21
42+2
55+5
dark entering 2
33+55
33+55
33+53
55+21
55+33
55+2
55+5
light entering 5
33+55
21+33
21+42
21+21
21+324
21+2
33+5
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
