Push Chain Shift and the Emergence of Aspirated Fricatives in Yanghao Hmu

Yanghao Hmu has a set of aspirated voiceless fricatives [s(h)] [(sic)(h)] [f(h)], [x(h)] and [(sic)(h)]. by comparing the forms of cognate words between different Miao dialects and surveying the forms of Middle Chinese loanwords 7 this paper finds that they evolve respectively from the unaspirated fricatives [s] [(sic)] [f] [x] and [(sic)]. This is a rare converse evolution from the unmarked phonemes into the marked ones 7 which is motivated by the push chain shift of onsets occurring in the historical course of Hmu phonology. It is also the result of the reaction between the pronunciation economic principle and the principle of maintaining the minimal pair in the Hmu phonology.