This is the first book in Chinese linguistics which discusses the grammar of a dialect group from both synchronic and diachronic perspectives. The author uses new data and new frameworks to present an analysis of the grammar of the Xiang dialect spoken in Hunan, China. The discussions in this book also raise new issues on dialect research which have not yet been fully acknowledged by Chinese dialectologists. Furthermore, the book shows that the Xiang dialect group has an important strategic value since it forms a transitional zone between northern and southern Chinese dialects. Key Features a monumental work on the highly neglected Xiang dialects in China the first detailed work on the Xiang dialects to appear in English and on the international market an important reference work for typological studies