<p>Here's a partially supported theory. I hope someone comes up with better evidence:</p>

<ul>
<li>The closest translation of <code>什么</code> into 成都话 is <code>啥(子) = sa˩˧ tsɿ˥˧</code>.</li>
<li>I believe that the <code>娘</code> in question is actually <code>哪</code> in a certain context. For evidence, I give the following example. <code>怎样</code> is <code>哪个样(子) = naŋ˥˧ ko˩˧ iaŋ˩˧ tsɿ˥˧</code>.</li>
<li>I don't have the foggiest clue why <code>哪</code> is only in some circumstances pronounced <code>naŋ˥˧</code>.</li>
</ul>

<p>My source is a <a href="http://vdisk.weibo.com/s/cUXWC5uPRE9X" rel="nofollow">"freely" available copy</a> of 汉语方言词汇. Note that it's not searchable and is therefore somewhat tedious to use. I don't speak any variety of 四川话 and I have not found corroborating resources.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-23T19:06:39.267Z
啷个 occurs at least ６ times in 《饥饿的女儿》 虹影著，also cf. news report from Chongqing:“我们都没看到啷个跳下来的，听到声音才过来看。”(男子欲跳河轻生结果摔在河岸上 重伤入院 文章来源: 重庆晨报 于 2015-02-11)
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-23T21:22:17.093Z
@S.Rhee Do we know how that's actually pronounced? I presume that 啷 is another phonetic rendering (like 娘), so this might support my answer.
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-23T21:43:10.327Z
as Chongqing dialect （applying to 《饥饿的女儿》 and 重庆晨报) iciba／baike only have the pronunciations indicated above （comment ＃２）
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-23T21:50:52.830Z
@S.Rhee It'd be nice to have IPA for it. Given that 四川話 is famous for it's n-l merger, it's hard to know whether it's phonetically an [l] or an [n] from that.
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-23T07:10:33.303Z
2015-07-23T07:10:33.303Z
Stumpy Joe Pete
<p>There is a better link to the article that is quoted above in <a href="http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_841e7ae70102v684.html" rel="nofollow">this post</a> on Sina Blog, which will let you search the whole article in your browser. </p>

<p>The article mentions the use of 合音字 in Qionglai and related Sichuan dialects, i.e. one character writing two syllables. Examples the author gives include “不晓” 写作 “表”，and “那样” 写作 “浪”.  Possibly 娘 is simply a 合音字 for the interrogative form 哪样. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-25T07:10:59.767Z
Although I will say, I've seen 表 written as 嫑 which seems to be a far more convincing character for “不晓”. Might "浪" have a more *convincing* character too?
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-25T06:37:22.363Z
2015-07-25T06:46:52.503Z
2015-07-25T06:46:52.503Z
wpt
<p><a href="http://www.docin.com/p-738260200.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">邛崃方言</a></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/hMN8F.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/hMN8F.png" alt="niang1"></a></p>

<p>The character used here to represent ‘niang’ is 娘 but that obviously can't be the etymologically correct character for the above meanings (i.e.: what, how, etc.).</p>

<ul>
<li>Etymologically Correct Character For The Sichuanese ‘niang’ Meaning "What"?</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-23T06:08:46.267Z
Many characters like this are just used to help people write the pronunciation. I think most of them cannot find a correct character cause it is used for speaking.
zzy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-23T06:14:01.670Z
the following does not even come close to answering the question, is just a comment: cf. 啷个 http://baike.baidu.com/view/2938296.htm  基本信息
方言读音：1、làngge（表疑问）
2、lǎngge（表肯定）...
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-23T06:19:26.643Z
@S.Rhee thats quite a different pronunciation, but interesting direction.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-23T06:21:14.563Z
Not an answer, but a suggested resource: The 方言词汇 is a spectacular book, including surveys of common vocab across many dialects, using etymologically correct character choices (or commenting when one is not easily available). For example, 东西 will be listed in the various 吴 dialects as 物事, along with a pronunciation (~meh zy), rather than picking characters that sound like the pronunciation (e.g., 么子).
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-23T06:39:09.750Z
@StumpyJoePete do you have a z.cn or dang dang link
Mou某
<characters><topolect>
Etymologically Correct Character For The Sichuanese ‘niang’ Meaning "What"
# Etymologically Correct Character For The Sichuanese ‘niang’ Meaning "What"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-23)

[邛崃方言](http://www.docin.com/p-738260200.html)

[![niang1](https://i.sstatic.net/hMN8F.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/hMN8F.png)

The character used here to represent ‘niang’ is 娘 but that obviously can't be the etymologically correct character for the above meanings (i.e.: what, how, etc.).

* Etymologically Correct Character For The Sichuanese ‘niang’ Meaning "What"?

**Tags:** characters, topolect
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Many characters like this are just used to help people write the pronunciation. I think most of them cannot find a correct character cause it is used for speaking.  
> **username_2**: the following does not even come close to answering the question, is just a comment: cf. 啷个 http://baike.baidu.com/view/2938296.htm  基本信息 方言读音：1、làngge（表疑问） 2、lǎngge（表肯定）...  
> **username_0**: @S.Rhee thats quite a different pronunciation, but interesting direction.  
> **username_3**: Not an answer, but a suggested resource: The 方言词汇 is a spectacular book, including surveys of common vocab across many dialects, using etymologically correct character choices (or commenting when one is not easily available). For example, 东西 will be listed in the various 吴 dialects as 物事, along with a pronunciation (~meh zy), rather than picking characters that sound like the pronunciation (e.g., 么子).  
> **username_0**: @StumpyJoePete do you have a z.cn or dang dang link  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-07-25. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

There is a better link to the article that is quoted above in [this post](http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_841e7ae70102v684.html) on Sina Blog, which will let you search the whole article in your browser.

The article mentions the use of 合音字 in Qionglai and related Sichuan dialects, i.e. one character writing two syllables. Examples the author gives include “不晓” 写作 “表”，and “那样” 写作 “浪”. Possibly 娘 is simply a 合音字 for the interrogative form 哪样.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Although I will say, I've seen 表 written as 嫑 which seems to be a far more convincing character for “不晓”. Might "浪" have a more *convincing* character too?  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-07-23. Score: 1

Here's a partially supported theory. I hope someone comes up with better evidence:

* The closest translation of `什么` into 成都话 is `啥(子) = sa˩˧ tsɿ˥˧`.
* I believe that the `娘` in question is actually `哪` in a certain context. For evidence, I give the following example. `怎样` is `哪个样(子) = naŋ˥˧ ko˩˧ iaŋ˩˧ tsɿ˥˧`.
* I don't have the foggiest clue why `哪` is only in some circumstances pronounced `naŋ˥˧`.

My source is a ["freely" available copy](http://vdisk.weibo.com/s/cUXWC5uPRE9X) of 汉语方言词汇. Note that it's not searchable and is therefore somewhat tedious to use. I don't speak any variety of 四川话 and I have not found corroborating resources.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: 啷个 occurs at least ６ times in 《饥饿的女儿》 虹影著，also cf. news report from Chongqing:“我们都没看到啷个跳下来的，听到声音才过来看。”(男子欲跳河轻生结果摔在河岸上 重伤入院 文章来源: 重庆晨报 于 2015-02-11)  
> **username_3**: @S.Rhee Do we know how that's actually pronounced? I presume that 啷 is another phonetic rendering (like 娘), so this might support my answer.  
> **username_2**: as Chongqing dialect （applying to 《饥饿的女儿》 and 重庆晨报) iciba／baike only have the pronunciations indicated above （comment ＃２）  
> **username_3**: @S.Rhee It'd be nice to have IPA for it. Given that 四川話 is famous for it's n-l merger, it's hard to know whether it's phonetically an [l] or an [n] from that.  

---

