Yutian Tan

Yutian Tan is a Continuing Lecturer of Chinese at the University of California, Davis, located in Sproul Hall. Their research focuses on Cantonese dialectology, historical linguistics, and phonological analysis with a specialization in Siyi dialects and morphosyntactic structures. Tan holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Linguistics from Ohio State University (2017), an M.Phil. in Linguistics from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2010), and a B.A. in Chinese from Peking University (2008).

Research interests include quantitative approaches to dialect classification, verb-particle constructions in Cantonese, and the legacy of notable linguists in Chinese studies. Tan has published extensively on tonal phenomena in Siyi dialects, including diminutive tone changes and stratification patterns. Their work bridges theoretical linguistics with empirical fieldwork, contributing to both Cantonese-specific studies and broader linguistic methodologies.

Teaching includes foundational Chinese language courses (CHN 001–011, 120) focusing on modern standard Chinese and linguistic analysis. While no explicit grants or awards are listed, their scholarly contributions reflect active engagement in linguistic documentation and historical analysis.