港大中文學院

School of Chinese Scholar Seminar

Computational Approaches to Diachronic Dialectology

Speaker: Dr. Matthew Sung 
(Leiden University, Netherlands)

Moderator: Prof. Richard Van Ness SIMMONS
(School of Chinese, HKU)

Date & Time: April 13, 2026 (Mon) 16:15-17:45pm (HKT)
Language: English
Venue: CRT-7.30, 7/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU

Delivery Mode: Face-to-face

Registration:
https://forms.gle/HZ8NSMqbqYLsS4yX9

Abstract:
Dialectometry is a quantitative branch of dialectology that makes use of computational and statistical methods to analyse dialect data. Although dialectometric approaches are commonly used for synchronic classification, techniques such as multidimensional scaling and automatic feature extraction are also useful for diachronic research.

In this talk, I will first outline the rationale for using dialectometric methods and then introduce popular techniques used in dialectometry. I will then demonstrate how these methods can be applied to diachronic dialectology. Using case studies from Yue and other languages, I will show how computer-assisted historical dialectology can enhance our understanding of regional dialect history and unlock new insights to the reconstruction of historical dialect developments.

About the speaker:
Dr. Matthew Sung received his PhD in Linguistics at Leiden University. His research interests include general dialectology, computational dialectology, historical linguistics, linguistic mapping, Yue and West Germanic dialectology. He is currently working at the Leiden University Institute for History (African Studies) as a Postdoctoral researcher.

ALL are welcome*
*Pre-registration (Click HERE) is required.