Dialectology as dialectic

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Dialectology has traditionally focused on the geographic distribution of language variation, often remaining isolated from other linguistic and extra-linguistic studies. Although interdisciplinary influences have emerged over the past decade, more work is needed for effective integration. This book aims to advance this integration by exploring the dialectic tensions within language variation research and dialect definition. It presents a comprehensive experiment in applied dialectics, advocating for a more robust approach to dialectology while defining the Phula languages of China and Vietnam. These languages, part of the Burmic sub-branch of the Tibeto-Burman family, are primarily spoken in southeastern Yunnan Province and have remained largely undefined and under-researched for centuries. Through extensive fieldwork, the book identifies 24 synchronic Phula languages derived from three distinct macro-clades. This identification blends typological-descriptive, historical-comparative, and socio-cognitive perspectives, employing both qualitative and quantitative measures. It draws on insights from history, geography, ethnology, language contact, and sociolinguistics for data interpretation. This dialogic approach emphasizes that dialectology thrives as an interdependent dialectic—a dynamic synthesis of competing perspectives.