Research Interests

I am a linguist, and a philologist in Kra-Dai languages' oral art traditions.

I am currently working on my Ph.D. study of the formation of Lingnan linguistics areal features, in the University of Hong Kong (HKU). The goal of my research is to account for the formation of linguistic areal features of the languages in the Lingnan area of China in diachronic and typological perspectives (Liao 2023). My field of study includes Historical and Comparative Linguistics, Phonology, Phonetics, Grammar, Tonology, Language Typology, Areal linguistics and Language Contact, Bilingualism/Multilingualism and Sociolinguistics, focusing on the Kra-Dai, Sinitic, Austronesian, and Vietic languages. Before joining HKU, I have completed my MA study in Payap University, by conducting a study on tonal development of Tai languages (Liao 2016), in which I have been concerning with Gedney’s tone box (1989[1972]), and have developed a theory aiming at clarifying the practicability of using Tai tone chart as a research tool of tonal systems. On that basic, I have provided a more practical Tai tone-box scheme beyond Southwestern Tai, which is claimed to be able to capture all tonal distinctions in any Tai language variety (Liao 2022).

In addition to my linguistic studies, I am passionate about the research and preservation of Kra-Dai languages' oral literature and folk songs/poetry. Since 2008, I have been participating in the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage in the Zhuang areas of China, and helped Jingxi City of Guangxi to successfully apply for the registration of Mot Lan, a Southern Zhuang melodious art, onto the list of the national intangible cultural heritage units in 2020.

In 2019, my colleague and I worked together based on Liao (2010, 2016) to design an Integrated Yang Zhuang Orthography Scheme (Lee & Liao 2018) which is able to cover all dialectal varieties of the Yang Zhuang language.

I also focus on the bilingual development of Zhuang children, and from 2019, I have started to compile a Yang Zhuang Chinese-English-Thai online dictionary and an introductory textbook of Yang Zhuang language, hoping to provide resources for children’s bilingual teaching of Zhuang-Chinese in the future.

Reference

Gedney, William J. 1989[1972]. A checklist for determining tones in Tai dialects. In Robert J. Bickner, John Hartmann, Thomas John Hudak, and Patcharin Peyasantiwong (eds.), Selected Papers on Comparative Tai Studies, 191-206. Michigan: Center for South and Southeast Asian studies 29. Michigan: The University of Michigan.

Lee, Sampson Chun Yin & Liao HanBo. 2018. An Integrated Yang Zhuang Orthography Scheme. https://abcsampson.github.io/YangZhuang/documentation

Liao, Hanbo. 2023. The Formation of Lingnan Linguistic Traits: Typological Structures and Diachronic Issues. Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong PhD dissertation.

Liao Hanbo. 2022. An Integrated Tone Box Scheme for Determining Tones in Tai Varieties beyond Southwestern Tai: Diachronic and Synchronic Concerns. Folia Linguistica Historica; aop. https://doi.org/10.1515/flin-2022-2048

Liao, HanBo. 2016. Tonal Development of Tai languages. Chiang Mai: Payap University MA thesis.

Liao, HanBo. 2010. 台语支中部组佒侬语（德靖土语）音系概况及其拼音方案详解. Tái yǔzhī zhōngbùzǔ yāngnóngyǔ (déjìng tǔyǔ) yīnxì gàikuàng jíqí pīnyīn fāng’àn xiángjiě. [An overview of the sound system of the Central Taic language Yang-Nong (Dejing vernacular) and description of a phonetic spelling system]. In Li Fuqiang and Gao Ya-ning (eds.), Chinese Zhuang Studies, vol. 4, 70-192. Beijing: Publishing House of Minority Nationalities.