Tianheng Wang

WangTianheng Wang (she/her)
王天恒 [wɑŋ˧˥ tʰjɛn˥ xɤŋ˧˥]

PhD Student in Linguistics, Nankai University
Tianjin, China

Research interest: phonetics, computational linguistics, speech recognition and synthesis, Chinese historical phonology, early Beijing Mandarin

Member of: EL&CL nk2028

Links: ORCID Google Scholar GitHub

Contact: tw1701@nyu.edu

Journal Papers

  • Wang, Tianheng. 2026 (in press). Tones of Beijing dialect since 1900 and their evolution: Evidence from early recordings. Language and Linguistics 27(1).
  • Huang, Wei (黄玮), Qi-bin Ran (冉启斌) & Tian-heng Wang (王天恒). 2025. 中心区域与辐射扩散——中古音与现代方言的语言距离和地理距离视角 (Central region and radial diffusion: Perspective of language distance and geographical distance between Middle Chinese reconstructions and Modern Chinese dialects). Studies in Language and Linguistics (语言研究) 45(2). 41–50.
  • Wang, Shuai, Yuzhu Liang, Tianheng Wang, Wei Huang, Ke Xu, Aleksandr Mitkov, Shuting Yuan, Jun Ding, Lining Wang, Yongdao Zhou, Quansheng Xia & Qibin Ran. 2024. Unraveling the influence of essential climatic factors on the number of tones through an extensive database of languages in China. Journal of Language Evolution 9(1–2). 29–48. doi: 10.1093/jole/lzae009
  • Alkhattabi, Muhannad, Wei Huang, Ke Xu, Tianheng Wang & Qibin Ran. 2024. The voice acoustic analysis of cross-regional accented English speakers: Based on recordings from IDEA and SAA (跨地区口音英语发音人的嗓音声学分析——以IDEA和SAA的录音为例). Nankai Linguistics (南开语言学刊) 2024(1). 10–21.
  • Wang, Tianheng, Søren Wichmann, Quansheng Xia & Qibin Ran. 2023. Temperature shapes language sonority: Revalidation from a large dataset. PNAS Nexus 2(12). pgad384. doi: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad384
  • Liang, Yuzhu, Lining Wang, Søren Wichmann, Quansheng Xia, Shuai Wang, Jun Ding, Tianheng Wang & Qibin Ran. 2023. Languages in China link climate, voice quality, and tone in a causal chain. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 10. 453. doi: 10.1057/s41599-023-01969-4

Conference Poster

  • Wang, Tianheng (王天恒). 2021. 一种直观的调值格局可视化方法 (A novel approach to visualization of tone value pattern). The 14th Phonetic Conference of China (第十四届中国语音学学术会议) [PCC 2021], Lanzhou: Northwest Minzu University, 18–20 July 2021. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10152833

Selected Presentations

  • Wang, Tianheng (王天恒). 2024. 切韵音系的舌根偏后与咽化 (Retracted tongue root and pharyngealization in the Qieyun system). Global Graduate Forum on Chinese Language and Literature (中国语言文学全球博士生论坛), Beijing: Peking University, 26–28 Dec 2024. [The Outstanding Paper Award (优秀论文奖)]
  • Wang, Tianheng (王天恒). 2024. 三家子满语的语音特点 (Phonetic aspects of Sanjiazi Manchu). The 2024 Annual Conference of the Linguistic Society of Tianjin (天津市语言学会2024年学术年会), Tianjin: Tianjin University of Technology and Education, 16 Nov 2024.
  • Wang, Tianheng (王天恒). 2024. 论元代汉语臻痕韵韵腹为 [ɨ] (The nucleus of zhenhen 臻痕 rhyme in Yuan Mandarin is [ɨ]). The 22nd Annual Conference of the Chinese Language Society (中国语言学会第二十二届学术年会), Changchun: Jilin University, 21–22 Sept 2024.
  • Wang, Tianheng (王天恒). 2024. 切韵音系介音新构拟两题 (Two new reconstructions of medials in the Qièyùn system). Linguistics Salon (语言学沙龙) 4, Tianjin: Nankai University, 16 May 2024.
    1. 试论切韵“无重纽三等韵”尚无介音 (Disproving the existence of Qièyùn’s non-chóngniǔ division-III medial). Abstract: 前人将切韵音系帮、见、影组声母拆分为三等、非三等两类，并认为见组非三等为小舌辅音。本文肯定上述观点，提出切韵音系帮、见、影组非三等同属 [+RTR]（retracted tongue root，舌根偏后）这一自然类，其对应的三等声母则为 [−RTR] 的普通辅音。据反切和对音，切韵音系的无重纽三等韵（三等C类）应当没有介音，与对应的非三等韵靠声母的 [±RTR] 对立，仍和上古汉语格局相似；三等介音的音位化可能始于唐五代。新方案比以往更简洁，并且更能揭示早期中古汉语使用者的感知。
    2. 试论切韵二等为咽化元音 (On the reconstruction of pharyngealized vowels for Qièyùn division II). Abstract: 切韵二等韵来自上古汉语 *r介音现已成为共识，但其中古构拟仍有争议。本文重审二等韵在押韵、反切、对音、古今演变中表现出的特性，提出将其构拟为东北高加索语式的咽化元音。这种咽化元音具有偏低偏前色彩，需舌体呈双拱形姿态，形成硬腭–咽腔双重收紧，且与美国英语r的常见调音姿态相似。咽化更能有效解释中古二等的特性及来龙去脉，优于软腭介音和r介音的构拟。韵图的“四等 × 内外转”进而可以认为代表着一种垂直元音系统（vertical vowel system）。
  • Wang, Tianheng (王天恒). 2024. 试论切韵“无重纽三等韵”尚无介音 (Disproving the existence of Qièyùn’s non-chóngniǔ division-III medial). The 5th Young Scholars’ Forum on Historical Linguistics (第五届历史语言学青年学者论坛), Beijing: Peking University, 20–21 Apr 2024. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.11017658
  • Wang, Tianheng (王天恒). 2023. 再论中古汉语的四声：性质和演变 (Revisiting Middle Chinese tones: Characteristics and evolution). The 4th Young Scholars’ Forum on Historical Linguistics (第四届历史语言学青年学者论坛), Beijing: Peking University, 22–23 Apr 2023. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10454374
  • Wang, Tianheng (王天恒). 2022. 刘宝全京韵大鼓录音反映的早期北京话io韵 (The final io in early Beijing dialect reflected in Liu Baoquan’s jingyun dagu recordings). The 19th National Academic Symposium on Early Mandarin (第十九届全国近代汉语学术研讨会), Dalian: Liaoning Normal University (online), 25–26 Jun 2022. Abstract: 京韵大鼓一代宗师刘宝全留有唱片和录像共33段，其语音带有许多早期北京话的特点。本文考察录音中的全部觉药韵细音字韵母，发现文读有io、üe的变异。通过提取文读韵母主元音的共振峰并绘制声学元音图，与其他ie、üe、uo韵对比，发现觉药韵细音字读üe时与普通üe韵无别，读io时主元音则与uo相同。io和üe的主元音无交集。由此证明io韵在19世纪北京话中仍是独立韵母。在刘宝全口中，io的介音在 [i] 和 [y] 之间连续地自由变异，但io、üe之间的变异并不完全自由，部分字只读其中一种韵母。本文由此推测近代北京话io > üe以词汇扩散而非语音渐变的形式进行。

Open-Source Tools and Projects

Selected Data and Materials

  • Wang, Tianheng (王天恒). 2023. 对《齐梁陈隋押韵材料的数理分析》韵次数据的修正 (A revision of rhyme count data from Mathematical analysis of rhyming materials of Qi, Liang, Chen, and Sui). Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10153223
  • Mikazuki, Ayaka (三日月绫香) & Tianheng Wang (王天恒) (eds.). 2023. 《王三》小韵全表 (Complete syllable table of Wangsan). Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10499263
  • Wang, Tianheng (王天恒) (trans.). 2020. VoQS：音质符号（2016中英双语版） (VoQS: Voice Quality Symbols (2016 in Chinese)). Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10206204

Education

2022–PhD in Linguistics, Nankai University

2017–2019MS in Computer Science, New York University

2013–2017BS in Fundamental Sciences (Chemistry and Biology), Tsinghua University

Honors

7 Jan 2019Excellent Influencer, Zhihu Linguistics, Beijing

4 Dec 2012Gold Medal, The 26th Chinese Chemistry Olympiad, Tianjin

Selected Middle Chinese Performances

  • 2022. 晚期中古汉语三十六字母歌 (36 Initials Song of the Late Middle Chinese). bilibili YouTube
  • 2022. 神女劈观 (The Divine Damsel of Devastation). (Sung in Early Tang Chinese) bilibili YouTube
  • 2019. 苏幕遮·燎沈香 (Sumuzhe (Liao Chenxiang)). (Sung in Northern Song Mandarin) bilibili YouTube
  • 2019. 八扇屏·莽撞人 (Bashanping: Mangzhuang Ren). 2019 Summer Workshop on Chinese Historical Phonology (2019年中国音韵学暑期讲习班), Tianjin, 1–6 Jul 2019. (Recited in Early Middle Chinese)