Abstract
The paper deals with phonological and lexical strata in Taiwanese Southern Min (TSM). TSM boasts a rich stratified lexicon that falls into two major parts: homogeneous and heterogeneous strata. The homogeneous stratum is further divided into native and non-native strata, whereas the heterogeneous stratum consists of unassimilated foreign loanwords. The identification and establishment of strata is based on the contrast of linguistic categories, phonological and otherwise, as a reflex of diachronic processes. There are mainly two ways in which elements in different strata interact: (1) competition for survival, and (2) division of labor with a complementary role. Competition takes place not only between literary and colloquial strata, but also between dialectal variants. The distinction between homogeneous and heterogeneous strata makes sense since alien elements remain in the peripheral area when first implanted into the system, but with the passage of time they will inevitably undergo adjustment or rather nativization in interaction with native elements. An intriguing aspect of Japanese loanwords is that they are introduced into TSM through two channels: (1) phonological borrowing, and (2) Chinese character-mediated borrowing, and the first type remains unassimilated and the second type has become part and parcel of the native system.