Mechanization of Hearing in Chao Yuen Ren’s Dialect Research, 1927–1936: Senses, Objectivity, and Observation1

Abstract

When scientific research began in early twentieth-century China, a key issue was the acquisition of reliable empirical information through objective and precise observations. This article examines a specific case where a scientist grappled with such an issue: the linguist Chao Yuen Ren’s application of mechanical means in his phonetic studies. In the 1920s–1930s, Chao conducted a series of field and lab studies on the dialects in southern and central China. In contrast to traditional scholars’ exclusive reliance on sharp ears and rhyme books, Chao employed mechanical devices to inscribe and analyze the spectrographs of dialectical tones and used phonographs to record the articulations of his subjects. It is demonstrated that Chao’s machines not only provided a new method of observation; they also altered the theoretical understanding of certain fundamental categories in Chinese phonology, such as tones. Moreover, Chao did not aim to replace human perception with automatic mechanisms in empirical investigations. Rather, the use of machines in his research called for an active and engaged scientific persona.