Jackson T.-S. SUN
Distinguished Research Fellow
Expertise
Functional-typological Linguistics, Historical Linguistics
Education
Ph. D. in Linguistics, University of California at Berkeley (1993)
Address
128 Academia Road, Section 2, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
Telephone
02-2652-5027
E-mail
hstssun@gate.sinica.edu.tw
My specific research focus is on languages of the vast Sino-Tibetan language family, especially those falling under the Tibetosphere. My long-term objectives are to conduct fine-tuned synchronic study of these languages with first-hand, accurately recorded linguistic materials, and to ascertain their genetic positions vis-a-vis Tibetan via historical comparative reconstructions. My research efforts in recent years have concentrated on Tibetic and rGyalrongic languages of Sichuan.
Since January 2014, my research endeavors have yielded eighteen journal articles and book chapters, eighteen conference presentations, one edited book and one single-authored book. These work output and other academic activities of mine make noteworthy contributions to Sino-Tibetan linguistics in the following ways:
(a) Elucidation of under-explored linguistic facts: I have discovered new linguistic phenomena bearing on typology and general linguistics, including (i) critical evidential usage from newly discovered Tibetic languages that helps resolve current controversies in evidentiality, (ii) phonemic uvularization and pharyngealization in Qiang and Northern Horpa vowels, (iii) inflectional marking of generic person in Rgyalrong, a typologically rare type signaling the salience of [±human] distinctions in the syntax, (iv) contrastive slack phonation in Central Horpa with lexical and morphological functions, providing a vital historical link between low tone, aspirated fricatives, and slack voice, (v) significant innovations that support significant revision of Tibetic, Horpa and Qiang classifications.
(b) Discovery and documention of new languages and dialects: Persistent field-based research on the Sino-Tibetan languages of Sichuan over the years has allowed me to bring to light and investigate for the first time several languages and dialects previously unknown to science, such as Takhog and Sastod Tibetan (Tibetic) and Yangslagshis and Upper Stongdgu (Horpa).
(c) Maintenance of an important scholarly forum: Over the years, I have endeavored to foster a workshop tradition ‘Workshop on Sino-Tibetan languages of Southwest China’ devoted specifically to Sino-Tibetan languages of Sichuan and adjacent areas. Since its successful launch at this institute in 2008, the torch has passed on to Beijing (2010), Paris (2013), Seattle (2016), Tianjin (2019), and soon to Kobe (2021). Upholding the principle of being ‘small but beautiful’, this workshop tradition has matured into an important forum for scholarly exchanges and cooperation among specialists young and old who occupy themselves with mining the rich linguistic heritage still extant in this part of the world.
In the process of conducting research on Sino-Tibetan languages of Sichuan, I have frequently stumbled across typologically rare phonetic features, esp. systematic pairwise vocalic contrast involving tongue-body movements, that require in-depth exploration. Although years of field experiences and ear and production training enable me to hear and mimic the distinctions involved, I am fully aware that a proper understanding and description of the data requires the expertise of a trained phonetician working in a properly equipped phonetics lab, unfortunately unavailable at my home institute. I have luckily managed in recent years to enlist help from extramural colleagues versed in physiological and acoustic phonetics to collaborate in conducting ultrasound and acoustic experiments and analysis of the observed phonetic phenomena. Hopefully, this faculty lacuna at ILAS will also be remedied before too long.
Research Topics
Tibetan
Tibetan is internally diverse, comprising a number of mutually unintelligible dialects. The current sub-classification schemes are incomplete and oversimplified, often based on global phonological typology (e.g. tonal vs. nontonal) or shared archaisms (e.g. preservation of consonant clusters). By focusing on little-known Tibetan dialects of China, I aim to provide new evidence in the light of which and methodologically sound reclassifications of modern Tibetan can be achieved.
rGyalrongic
rGyalrongic, a compact Tibeto-Burman language cluster affiliated apparently with the so-called ‘Qiangic’ languages, is composed of at least three distinct languages: rGyalrong, Lavrung, and Horpa. Since 1994, I have systematically investigated these languages via several projects sponsored by the National Science Council and Chiang Chingkuo Foundation, collecting a copious body of lexical, grammatical, and text data on several rGyalrongic dialects. Aside from a dozen journal articles, conference papers, and lecture notes, I aim to disseminate my main research results in the form a comprehensive grammar, a dictionary, and an annotated folklore collection in the Caodeng dialect of rGyalrong (in progress).
Concrete contributions
Tibetan
I have recently discovered a number of little-studied Tibetan varieties in the borderland between the Tibetan, Qiang, and rGyalrong areas in northwestern Sichuan, e.g. Qiuji, Khalong, Qinglanggou, and Zhongu. Subject to unusual historical developments and contact influences, they are highly divergent from mainstream Tibetan dialects. My NSC-funded project on Zhongu presented strong evidence that Zhongu Tibetan should be regarded as a minor yet full-fledged dialect of Tibetan. My attention has subsequently shifted to the equally distinct Chosrje, Thebo, Khalong, and gSerpa dialects. I have collaborated with Dr. Lin Youjing to explore the tonogenetic effects of onset breathiness and rhyme length on ‘habitual’ (allophonic) tones in Chosrje Tibetan, and to record Thewo and its neighboring dialects at the Sichuan-Gansu border.
rGyalrongic
My preliminary comparisons based on the accumulated field data lead me to believe that the three languages rGyalrong, Lavrung, and Horpa share a unique genetic affinity, going back to proto-rGyalrongic. Some evidence for this claim, involving shared native core vocabulary and unusual parallelisms in verbal morphology, was presented in two articles in 2000. Since 2001, I have conducted NSC projects to explore the history of Lavrung phonology and lexicon in cooperation with Prof. Huang Bufan. My work on rGyalrongic has also brought to light several important, previously unnoted phonological and grammatical phenomena. Pitch-related suprasegmental phenomena in rGyalrongic, for instance, are found to be halfway houses between tone and stress accent. Typologically uncommon tonality types include pitch accent in Caodeng rGyalrong, mixed system of pitch accent and tone (level vs. falling) in Ribu and Situ rGyalrong, and tonal accents in the Puxi variety of Horpa, where tonal distinctions (high vs. low) occur only in accented syllables. Even more remarkable is the phenomenon of vowel velarization in Puxi and Ribu rGyalrong which, unearthed for the first time in Sino-Tibetan, seem comparable to pharyngealized vowels reported in Khoisan, Tungustic, and Caucasian languages. On the morphosyntactic plane, my study on rGyalrong grammar has allowed me to give in-depth analyses of grammatical topics previously under-represented in the available rGyalrong literature, such as tense/aspect and irrealis, empathy hierarchy, syntactic pivots, converbs, complementation, and relativization constructions.
Since January 2014, my research endeavors have yielded eighteen journal articles and book chapters, eighteen conference presentations, one edited book and one single-authored book. These work output and other academic activities of mine make noteworthy contributions to Sino-Tibetan linguistics in the following ways:
(a) Elucidation of under-explored linguistic facts: I have discovered new linguistic phenomena bearing on typology and general linguistics, including (i) critical evidential usage from newly discovered Tibetic languages that helps resolve current controversies in evidentiality, (ii) phonemic uvularization and pharyngealization in Qiang and Northern Horpa vowels, (iii) inflectional marking of generic person in Rgyalrong, a typologically rare type signaling the salience of [±human] distinctions in the syntax, (iv) contrastive slack phonation in Central Horpa with lexical and morphological functions, providing a vital historical link between low tone, aspirated fricatives, and slack voice, (v) significant innovations that support significant revision of Tibetic, Horpa and Qiang classifications.
(b) Discovery and documention of new languages and dialects: Persistent field-based research on the Sino-Tibetan languages of Sichuan over the years has allowed me to bring to light and investigate for the first time several languages and dialects previously unknown to science, such as Takhog and Sastod Tibetan (Tibetic) and Yangslagshis and Upper Stongdgu (Horpa).
(c) Maintenance of an important scholarly forum: Over the years, I have endeavored to foster a workshop tradition ‘Workshop on Sino-Tibetan languages of Southwest China’ devoted specifically to Sino-Tibetan languages of Sichuan and adjacent areas. Since its successful launch at this institute in 2008, the torch has passed on to Beijing (2010), Paris (2013), Seattle (2016), Tianjin (2019), and soon to Kobe (2021). Upholding the principle of being ‘small but beautiful’, this workshop tradition has matured into an important forum for scholarly exchanges and cooperation among specialists young and old who occupy themselves with mining the rich linguistic heritage still extant in this part of the world.
In the process of conducting research on Sino-Tibetan languages of Sichuan, I have frequently stumbled across typologically rare phonetic features, esp. systematic pairwise vocalic contrast involving tongue-body movements, that require in-depth exploration. Although years of field experiences and ear and production training enable me to hear and mimic the distinctions involved, I am fully aware that a proper understanding and description of the data requires the expertise of a trained phonetician working in a properly equipped phonetics lab, unfortunately unavailable at my home institute. I have luckily managed in recent years to enlist help from extramural colleagues versed in physiological and acoustic phonetics to collaborate in conducting ultrasound and acoustic experiments and analysis of the observed phonetic phenomena. Hopefully, this faculty lacuna at ILAS will also be remedied before too long.
Research Topics
Tibetan
Tibetan is internally diverse, comprising a number of mutually unintelligible dialects. The current sub-classification schemes are incomplete and oversimplified, often based on global phonological typology (e.g. tonal vs. nontonal) or shared archaisms (e.g. preservation of consonant clusters). By focusing on little-known Tibetan dialects of China, I aim to provide new evidence in the light of which and methodologically sound reclassifications of modern Tibetan can be achieved.
rGyalrongic
rGyalrongic, a compact Tibeto-Burman language cluster affiliated apparently with the so-called ‘Qiangic’ languages, is composed of at least three distinct languages: rGyalrong, Lavrung, and Horpa. Since 1994, I have systematically investigated these languages via several projects sponsored by the National Science Council and Chiang Chingkuo Foundation, collecting a copious body of lexical, grammatical, and text data on several rGyalrongic dialects. Aside from a dozen journal articles, conference papers, and lecture notes, I aim to disseminate my main research results in the form a comprehensive grammar, a dictionary, and an annotated folklore collection in the Caodeng dialect of rGyalrong (in progress).
Concrete contributions
Tibetan
I have recently discovered a number of little-studied Tibetan varieties in the borderland between the Tibetan, Qiang, and rGyalrong areas in northwestern Sichuan, e.g. Qiuji, Khalong, Qinglanggou, and Zhongu. Subject to unusual historical developments and contact influences, they are highly divergent from mainstream Tibetan dialects. My NSC-funded project on Zhongu presented strong evidence that Zhongu Tibetan should be regarded as a minor yet full-fledged dialect of Tibetan. My attention has subsequently shifted to the equally distinct Chosrje, Thebo, Khalong, and gSerpa dialects. I have collaborated with Dr. Lin Youjing to explore the tonogenetic effects of onset breathiness and rhyme length on ‘habitual’ (allophonic) tones in Chosrje Tibetan, and to record Thewo and its neighboring dialects at the Sichuan-Gansu border.
rGyalrongic
My preliminary comparisons based on the accumulated field data lead me to believe that the three languages rGyalrong, Lavrung, and Horpa share a unique genetic affinity, going back to proto-rGyalrongic. Some evidence for this claim, involving shared native core vocabulary and unusual parallelisms in verbal morphology, was presented in two articles in 2000. Since 2001, I have conducted NSC projects to explore the history of Lavrung phonology and lexicon in cooperation with Prof. Huang Bufan. My work on rGyalrongic has also brought to light several important, previously unnoted phonological and grammatical phenomena. Pitch-related suprasegmental phenomena in rGyalrongic, for instance, are found to be halfway houses between tone and stress accent. Typologically uncommon tonality types include pitch accent in Caodeng rGyalrong, mixed system of pitch accent and tone (level vs. falling) in Ribu and Situ rGyalrong, and tonal accents in the Puxi variety of Horpa, where tonal distinctions (high vs. low) occur only in accented syllables. Even more remarkable is the phenomenon of vowel velarization in Puxi and Ribu rGyalrong which, unearthed for the first time in Sino-Tibetan, seem comparable to pharyngealized vowels reported in Khoisan, Tungustic, and Caucasian languages. On the morphosyntactic plane, my study on rGyalrong grammar has allowed me to give in-depth analyses of grammatical topics previously under-represented in the available rGyalrong literature, such as tense/aspect and irrealis, empathy hierarchy, syntactic pivots, converbs, complementation, and relativization constructions.
- 1984-08~1986-07 Lecturer Department of Chinese Language and Literature National Tsing Hua University
- 1993-02~1997-07 Associate Research Fellow: August 1997 till August 1997 Assistant Research Fellow: August 1986 till January 1994 Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica (Taiwan)
- 1996-08~1997-07 August 1996 till July 1997 Adjunct Associate Professor Department of Ethnology, National Chengchi University
- 1997-08~2000-05 Associate Research Fellow: August 1997 till June 2000 Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica (Taiwan)
- 2005-08-01~2006-07-31 Deputy Director: August 1 2005-July 31, 2006 Research Fellow: June 2000 till present
- 2007-02~2013-06 February 2007 till present Adjunct Professor Graduate School of Chinese, National Taiwan Normal University
- 2007-03-01~2007-05-31 Visiting Fellow Research Centre for Linguistic Typology, La Trobe University, AUSTRALIA
- 2008-06-27~2011-06-26 Institute Director: June 27, 2008-June 26, 2011 Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica (Taiwan)
- Fulbright Grant, Ph.D. study program (Renewed once; August 1988-August 1990)
- National Science Council Foreign Study Fellowship (Renewed twice; August 1988-July 1991)
- Humanities Research Grant, University of California at Berkeley (1992, cash grant for conducting fieldwork in Tibet)
- Chancellor’s Dissertation Year Fellowship, University of California at Berkeley (August 1992- July 1993)
- National Science Council Distinguished Research Award
- Ministry of Education Award for Distinguished Research on Non-Chinese Languages of China (1994)
- National Science Council Outstanding Research Award (1995)
- Academia Sinica Distinguished Young Scholar’s Research Award (1995)
- National Science Council Distinguished Research Award (2003)
- Keynote address, 45th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)
- National Science Council Distinguished Research Award
- Keynote Speaker, 50th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (Beijing, October 2017)
- National Science Council/Ministry of Science and Technology Special Excellence Flexible Salary Award (2009-2011; 2014-2018)
- Keynote Speaker, 47th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, (Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, October 2014)
- CLASS Visiting Scholar，Division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University，Singapore. (2015)
- The Fourth Workshop on Sino-Tibetan Languages of South-west China （Seattle, September 8-10, 2016
- 49th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Language and Linguistics. 特邀講者（2016.11.11）
- The International Conference on the Ancestry of the Languages and Peoples of China, Jinan University, Guangzhou.特邀講者（2017.05.30）
- Keynote Speaker, 50th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (Beijing, October 2017)
- Keynote Speaker, 2nd Li Fang-Kuei Society for Chinese Linguistics Young Scholars Symposium (Academia Sinica, July 2018)
- Keynote Speaker, 1st ILAS Annual Linguistics Forum (Academia Sinica, April 2018)
- Academician of the Academia Sinica (elected at the 32nd Convocation of Academicians, July 2018)
- Keynote Speaker, 51st International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (Kyoto University, September 2018)
- Keynote Speaker, 13thAnnual Conference of the Society for the Study of Minority Languages of China (Shanghai Normal University, October 2018)
- Ministry of Science and Technology Outstanding Research Award (2018)2019 President, Scientific Committee of the 3rd Sino-Tibetan Languages of Sichuan
- Keynote Speaker, 52nd International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (University of Sydney, June 2019)
- Keynote Speaker, 5th Workshop on Sino-Tibetan Languages of Southwest China (STLS-2019; Nankai University, Tianjin, August 2019)
- *[A Historical Comparative Study of the Tani Branch in Tibeto-Burman] (NSC100-2410-H-001-097-MY2)
- *[Nominalization Structures in rGyalrong: A Cross-dialect Investigation] NSC 97-2410-H-001-072-MY3 (2008-2011)
- [A Comparative Study of Relative Clauses in rGyalrong] NSC 95-2411-H-001-074-MY2 (2006-2008)
- *[Aberrant Tibetan Dialects of Rangtang County] NSC 92-2411-H-001-041/NSC 93-2411-H-001-010 (2003-2005)
- *[Comparative Study of the Lavrung Language in rGyalrongic] NSC 90-2411-H-001-036 / NSC 91-2411-H-001-053 (2001-2003)
- *[Comparative Study of Sidaba rGyalrong] NSC 89-2411-H-001-005/NSC 90-2411-H-001-088 (1999-2001)
- *[Study on the Zhongu Tibetan Dialect of Songpan] NSC 88-2411-H-001-030 (1998-1999)
- *[Research of the Austroasiatic Languages of Southeast Asia] Academia Sinica (1994-1997)
- *[Collection and Analysis of Oral Texts in the rGyalrong Language Group], NSC 83-0301-H-070-P2 / NSC 85-2418-H-001-003-P2 / NSC 86-2411-H-001-001-P2) (1994-1997)
- *[Investigation and Research of the Qiangic Branch in Tibeto-Burman] Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation (1994-1997)
- 上海師範大學汪嵐（博士）甘孜州德欽縣藏語研究個別指導（2020/03~）
- 第六屆中國西南地區漢藏語國際研討會，籌備委員（2020/02~）
- Studia Linguistica文稿審查人(2020/02)
- Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area文稿審查人(2020/02-06)
- 上海師範大學張勉（博士）甘孜州德欽縣藏語研究個別指導（2019/10~）
- 第五屆中國西南地區漢藏語國際研討會Fifth Workshop on Sino-Tibetan Languages of Southwest China籌備委員會主席、學術委員會委員（2019.08.21-23）
- lecturer (2019.07) for the International Olympiad Linguistics training camp
- Himalayan Linguistics文稿審查人（2019.03-04）
- Endangered Languages Documentation Program，計畫審查人（2019.03-04）
- Board of Directors, Li Fang-Kuei Society for Chinese Linguistics (2018)
- 《中國語言學集刊》主編（2018.08～）
- 中央研究院獎勵國內學人短期來院訪問研究，語言所申請案審查人（2018.04）
- Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area文稿審查人（2018.02-03）
- MA and Ph.D. supervision:University of Berne, Switzerland, PhD, Lin Ling, since October 2017
- 台灣語言學會，提供學會主辦「語言分析研習營暨語奧代表隊集訓」提供語言分析題組（2017.02-03）
- Language and Linguistics文稿審查人（2017.02-04）
- Journal of Chinese Linguistics文稿審查人(2017.04)
- 本所學術委員會，委員（2017.01～）
- 本所新聘小組委員、綜合審查意見撰稿人（2017.01～）
- 國立台灣師範大學國文所楊之帆博士論文指導教授（丹巴縣霍爾語動詞形態研究；2016.10迄今）
- Journal of Chinese Linguistics文稿審查人(2016.08-12）
- 夏威夷大學語言學系陳彥伶博士候選人培育指導人（2016.07-2017.06）
- 暨南大學,陳宣如碩士論文考試委員（2016.04）
- 《漢語史與漢藏語研究》編委（2016.3.01迄今）
- Endangered Languages Documentation Programme,計劃審查人（2016.02-2016.03）
- 《漢語史與漢藏語研究》期刊編委 (2016.03.01迄今)
- 第四屆中國西南地區漢藏語國際研討會籌備會主席（2015.08-2016.09）
- Journal of Chinese Linguistics文稿審查人（2015.08-10）
- Ph.D. thesis external examiner/oral defence juror: National University of Singapore; PhD Candidate: Zheng Wuxi; August 2015
- National University of Singapore,Zheng Wuxi 博士論文校外審查及口試委員（2015.08-2015.11）
- 國科會2014語言學卓越營：語言演變，主講人（2014.07.23-2014.07.24）
- 2nd Cross-Strait Workshop on Tibeto-Burman Languages), Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
- Editorial Board, <> (since 2007)
- Editorial Board, <> (since 2000.01.01)
- Organizer of workshops and conferences: 1st Cross-Strait Workshop on Tibeto-Burman Languages (with special focus on Qiangic languages), Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
- 英國OED大詞典漢藏語條目長期顧問
- 台灣聲韻學會創會會員
- 《東方民族語言學》期刊學術委員會
- Linguistic Society of America會員
- 語言暨語言學期刊執行編輯 (2012.01.01-2013.06.30)
- 語言暨語言學期刊執行編輯 (2008.12.15-2011.12.31)
- 語言暨語言學期刊代理編輯 (2008.04.14-2008.12.14)
- 同心圓：語言學研究編輯委員 (2005.09-) & 共同主編 (2006.01)
- Oceanic Linguistics 副編輯委員 (2004.09-)
- Pacific Linguistics 編輯委員 (2003-2018)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 1993-08. A Historical-Comparative Study of the Tani (Mirish) Branch in Tibeto-Burman. Department of Linguistics. University of California. (524 pages.)
- 田阡子、孫天心. 2024. 格西霍爾語的補語句. Journal of Chinese Linguistics
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 2023. Gser-Rdo. A new Tibetic language across the Rngaba-Dkarmdzes border.. Language and Linguistics 24(2), 345-390.
- 田阡子、孫天心. 2023. 格西霍爾語的示證範疇. Language and Linguistics 24(3), 543-566.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 2022. Pluralizing verbal reduplication in Central Horpa.. Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics15 (Special issue: New Horizons in Historical, Comparative Linguistics--Essays in Memory of Professor Li Fang-Kuei on His 120th Birthday)
- Chiu, Chenhao & Sun, Jackson T.-S. 2020. On pharyngealized vowels in Northern Horpa: An acoustic and ultrasound study. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 147 (4)., 2928-2946..
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2020. Synchronic and diachronic phonology of Lavïa: A Wa language of Yunnan and Myanmar. Language and Linguistics 21(2)., 285-330.
- 田阡子、孫天心. 2019. 格西霍爾語動詞的時與體. LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS 20(3)., 432-469.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2018. The Synchronic and diachronic phonology of Va: A Wa-Lawa language of Yunnan. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 41(2), 133-174.
- 孫天心、田阡子、邱振豪. 2017. 上東谷霍爾語的發聲態對立. JOURNAL OF CHINESE LINGUISTICS 第45卷第1期，頁1-19.
- Jonathan P. Evans, Jackson T.-S. Sun, Chenhao Chiu, Michelle Liou.. 2016. Uvular approximation as an articulatory vowel feature. Journal of the International Phonetic Association 45(3), 1-30.
- 田阡子、孫天心. 2016. 格西霍爾語動詞以重疊詞根方式體現的數標記. 雲南師範大學學報 第48卷第4期，頁15-21.
- 田阡子、孫天心（通訊作者）. 2016. 西部霍爾語動詞的詞幹交替. 民族語文 第3卷，頁35-43.
- 孫天心. 2015. 黑水縣沙石多嘉戎語動詞人稱範疇的特點. 語言暨語言學 第16卷第5期，頁731-749.
- 孫天心、田阡子. 2014. 霍爾語格西話動詞對協初探. 中國語言學集刊 第7卷第2期，頁221-241.
- 林幼菁、孫天心、陳正賢. 2012-08. 蒲西霍爾語軟顎化的語音對立. 語言學論叢 第45輯，頁187-195.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 2012-04. Complementation in Caodeng rGyalrong. Language and Linguistics 13(3), 471-498.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2010. Tone Categorization in Taiwanese: A Case Study in Concept Formation. Journal of Chinese Linguistics 38.1: 115-133.
- 孫天心. 2008. 草登嘉戎語動詞的時—體範疇. 漢藏語學報 2：135-146.
- Jackson T.S. Sun. 2007-12. Morphological Causative Formation in Shangzhai Horpa. Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics 2(1), 211-231.
- 孫天心. 2007-12. 藏緬語的調查. 語言學論叢 36, 98-107.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2007-07. The irrealis category in rGyalrong. Language and Linguistics 8(3), 797-819.
- Sun, Tia-Hsnin. 2006. Special linguistic features of gSerpa Tibetan. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 29(1), 107-126.
- 孫天心. 2006. 嘉戎語的派生形態. 民族語文 第2006卷第4期，頁3-14.
- 孫天心. 2006. 草登嘉戎語的關係句. Language and Linguistics 7.4: 905-933.
- 孫天心. 2005. 嘉戎語組語言的音高：兩個個案研究. 語言研究 25.1期，P.50-P.59.
- 孫天心（共同作者：石丹羅）. 2004. 草登嘉戎語的狀貌詞. 民族語文 5: 1-11.
- 孫天心. 2004. 龔煌城院士談西夏語研究. 聲韻論叢 13, 1-12.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2003. Issues in Mawo Qiang Phonology. Journal of Taiwanese Languages and Literature 1(1)，223-238.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2003. Phonological Profile of Zhongu: A New Tibetan Dialect of Northern Sichuan. Language and Linguistics 4(4), 769-836.
- 孫天心. 2003. 求吉藏語的語音特徵. 民族語文 6期，P.1-P.6.
- 孫天心（共同作者：石丹羅）. 2002. 草登嘉戎語與「認同等第」相關的語法現象. Language & Linguistics 3.1: 79-99.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 2000. Parallelisms in the verb morphology of Sidaba rGyalrong and Guanyinqiao in rGyalrongic. Language & Linguistics 1.1: 161-190.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 2000. Stem alternations in Puxi verb inflection. Language & Linguistics 1.2: 211-232.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 1998. Nominal morphology in Caodeng rGyalrong. Bulletin of the Institute of History and Philology 69.1:103-149.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 1996. Caodeng rGyalrong phonology: A first look. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 17.2: 29-47.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 1994. Linguistic characteristics of the Tani (Mirish) branch in Tibeto-Burman. Bulletin of the Institute of History and Philology 65.1:175-220.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 1993. Evidentials in Amdo Tibetan. Bulletin of the Institute of History and Philology 63.4: 143-188.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 1993. The Linguistic position of Tani (Mirish) in Tibeto-Burman: a lexical assessment . Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 16.2: 143-188.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 1992. Review of 藏緬語語音和詞彙. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 15.2:73-113.
- 孫天心. 1987. 談安多藏語方言若兒蓋話的一種語音現象. 西藏研究會訊 3.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun.. 1984. Review of Melvyn C. Goldstein. English-Tibetan dictionary of modern Tibetan . 漢學研究通訊 4.3:189-90.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun & Bstan’dzin Blogros. 2019. Tshobdun Rgyalrong spoken texts: With a grammatical Introduction. (Language and Linguistics Monograph).. Taipei: Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica..
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 1993. A Historical-comparative study of the Tani (Mirish) branch in Tibeto-Burman. Univerisity of California: PhD dissertation. (524 pages.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun.. 1986. Aspects of the phonology of Amdo Tibetan: Ndzorge Sháme Xra dialect (Monumenta Serindica No. 16). Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa. (267 pages.)
- Sun, Jackson T.-S & Lin, Ling.. 2023. Bumyag phonology and vocabulary: an Amdo dialect of Lithang County.. In KONG Jiangping、PENG Gang 、SHEN Zhongwei 、WANG Feng (ed.), To appear in a confidential festschrift, . 香港:
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2019. The ancestry of Horpa: Further morphological evidence.. In In Kong, Jiangping (ed.) (ed.), Ancestry of the languages and peoples of China (Journal of Chinese Linguistics Monograph Series, Number 29)., 24-43. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press..
- Sun, Jackson T.-S. . 2018. Evidentials and person. In In Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald (ed.) (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Evidentiality, 47-63. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 2017. Pang phonology and vocabulary. In edited by Sun Jingtao and Yao Yumin (ed.), Festschrift, 630-650. Hong Kong:
- Post, Mark and Jackson T.-S. Sun. . 2017. Tani languages. In edited by Graham Thurgood and Randy J. LaPolla. (ed.), The Sino-Tibetan Languages, 2nd Ed, 322-337. New York: Taylor & Francis.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S. . 2017. Tshobdun Rgyalrong. In edited by Graham Thurgood and Randy J. LaPolla. (ed.), The Sino-Tibetan Languages, 2nd Ed., 557-571. New York: Taylor & Francis.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. with Jonathan Evans. 2016. Qiang. In edited by Rint Sybesma et al. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics, 517-526. Leiden: Brill.
- 孫天心. 2016. 漢藏語動詞詞幹變化的類型觀察. In 阿不都熱西提.亞庫普等編輯 (ed.), 慶祝戴慶廈教授八十壽辰文集, . 北京: 中國社會科學出版社.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S. 2014. Sino-Tibetan: Part 3 Rgyalrong. In edited by Rochelle Lieber and Pavol Štekauer (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Derivational Morphology, 630-650. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2014. Typology of Generic-Person Marking in Tshobdun Rgyalrong. . In Richard VanNess Simmons and Newell Ann Van Auken (ed.), Language and Linguistics Monograph Series 53. Festschrift to Honor South Coblin: Studies in Chinese and Sino-Tibetan Linguistics: Dialect, Phonology, Transcription and Text., 225-248. Taipei, Taiwan: Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica.
- 孫天心、余文生. 2013. 麻窩羌語元音音系再探. In 石鋒、彭剛 (ed.), 大江東去—王士元教授八十歲賀壽文集, 135-151. Kowloon:: City University of Hong Kong Press.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2008. Tonality in Caodeng rGyalrong. In Brigitte Huber, Marianne Volkart, Paul Widmer (ed.), Chomolangma, Demawend und Kasbe : Festschrift für Roland Bielmeier zu Seinem 65 Geburtstag, Band 1, 257-280. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2007. Perfective stem renovation in Khalong Tibetan. In Roland Bielmeier, Felix Haller (ed.), Linguistics of the Himalayas and Beyond, 323-340. Berlin & New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 2004. Verb-stem variations in Showu rGyalrong. In Ying-chin Lin et al. (ed.), Language and Linguistics, 269-296. Taipei: Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica.
- 孫天心. 2003. Caodeng rGyalrong.. In edited by Graham Thurgood and Randy LaPolla (ed.), Sino-Tibetan languages,, 490-502. London and new York: Routledge.
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 2003. Tani languages. In edited by Graham Thurgood & Randy J. LaPolla (ed.), Sino-Tibetan languages, 456-466. London and New York: Routledge.
- 孫天心. 2003. Variegated tonal developments in Tibetan. In David Bradley ... [et al.] (ed.), Language variation : papers on variation and change in the Sinosphere and in the Indosphere in honour of James A. Matisoff, 35-51. Pacific Linguistics Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies,ANU.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun.. 1997. The Typology of tone in Tibetan. In ed. by Chiu-yu Tseng. (ed.), Chinese languages and linguistics IV, 485-521. Nankang, Taipei: Academia Sinica.
- 孫天心. 1995. 安多藏語的小舌輔音：藏語語音史上朝「立體對立」發展的一個個案研 究. In 政大民族學研究所編 (ed.), 中國蒙古學藏學學術研討會論文集, 495-516. 台北: 蒙藏委員會.
- 孫天心. 1990. 中印邊界「麥克馬洪」地區的民族及語言. In 編輯部 (ed.), 西藏研究論文集－3, 19-36. 台北: 西藏研究委員會.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2022-10. On egophoricity in Tibetic evidential systems. (Paper presented at ILAS Colloquium presentation, 語言所, 2022-10-17~.)
- 孫天心. 2022. 談談藏語示證體系中的自知範疇. (發表於 「第二十三屆全國語言學論文研討會暨台灣語言學學會第十二屆第二次會員大會」台灣語言學學會2022年終身成就獎主題演講, 台北政治大學, 2022~.)
- 孫天心. 2020-11. Uniting Khalung and Gserpa: A New Tibetic Cluster Across the Rngaba-Dkarmdzes Border.. (發表於 第三屆中研語言學論壇「漢藏語言比較研究的回顧與前瞻：紀念龔煌城院士逝世十周年學術研討會」, 台北, 2020-11-05~2020-11-05.)
- 田阡子、孫天心. 2020-11. 格西霍爾語的示證式. (發表於 第三屆中研語言學論壇「漢藏語言比較研究的回顧與前瞻：紀念龔煌城院士逝世十周年學術研討會」, 台北, 2020-11-05~2020-11-05.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2019-11. How to Subgroup a new Tibetic lect? The case of Sastod (Khrochu County, Sichuan). (Paper presented at ILAS colloquium talk, 中研院語言所, 2019-11-18~2019-11-18.)
- 孫天心、田阡子.. 2019-08. Characterizing Sastod: A Tibetic language of Khrochu (Sichuan).. (發表於 5th Workshop on Sino-Tibetan Languages of Southwest China., Tianjin, China:, 2019-08-21~2019-08-23.)
- 孫天心. 2019-08. Evidentiality As information-access marking: Evidence from Tibetic. (發表於 5th Workshop on Sino-Tibetan Languages of Southwest China, Tianjin, China, 2019-08-21~2019-08-23.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2019-08. Understanding Tibetic Evidentials: New Evidence from Sichuan. (Paper presented at Keynote address presented at the 5th Workshop on Sino-Tibetan Languages of Southwest China, China, 2019-08-21~2019-08-23.)
- 孫天心. 2019-08. 語言接觸對語言結構的影響：以中國西南地區為例. (發表於 南開大學「南開百年大講壇」講座, 天津市, 2019-08-24~.)
- 孫天心. 2019-08. 語言接觸對語言結構的影響：以中國西南地區為例.. (發表於 南開大學「南開百年大講壇」講座., 天津市, 2019-08-24~.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun with Chiu Chenhao. 2019-06. Vocalic contrasts in Northern Horpa: An acoustic and ultrasound study. (Paper presented at keynote address presented at the 52nd International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Australia, 2019-06-24~2019-06-26.)
- 孫天心. 2019-03. Evidentiality as information-access marking: Evidence from Tibetic. (發表於 香港中文大學「中央研究院院士訪校計劃」講座, 香港, 2019-03-28~2019-03-28.)
- 孫天心. 2018-10. 示證與人稱. (發表於 中國民族語言學會第十三次全國學術討論會主題報告, 上海市, 2018-10-19~2018-10-21.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2018-09. Identifying Tibetic subgroups: A case in Khrochu (Sichuan). (Paper presented at The 51st International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Japan, 2018-09-26~2018-09-28.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2018-07. Takhog Tibetan evidentials: Making sense of the system. (Paper presented at The 2nd Li Fang-Kuei Society Young Scholars Symposium, 台北, 2018-07-12~2018-07-14.)
- 孫天心. 2018-04. 語言深度接觸對形態句法的影響：三個四川的個案. (發表於 第一屆中研語言學論壇主題演講, 台北, 2018-04-20~.)
- Tian Qianzi & Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2017-11. Nominalized Structures in Gexi Horpa. (Paper presented at The 50th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, CASS., Beijing, 2017-11-26~2017-11-28.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun & Jonathan Evans. 2017-11. Verbal affectee marking in Nigsi Rma (Qiang). (Paper presented at The 50th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, CASS., 北京, 2017-11-26~2017-11-28.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2017-08. Tonogenesis in Va. (Paper presented at Conference on Northern Mon-Khmer Languages, 日本京都, 2017-08-16~2017-08-19.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2017-05. The Ancestry of Horpa: Further Morphological Evidence. (Paper presented at International Conference on the Ancestry of the Languages and Peoples of China, 中國 廣州, 2017-05-30~2017-05-31.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2017-03. Verb-stem formation in Horpa languages: a comprehensive survey. (Paper presented at ILAS colloquium talk, 台灣台北, 2017-03-20~2017-03-20.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. and Qianzi Tian. . 2016-09. Argument Indexation Patterns in Horpa Languages: A Major Rgyalrongic Subgroup. (Paper presented at Fourth Workshop on Sino-Tibetan Languages of Southwest China, 美國華盛頓, 2016-09-08~2016-09-10.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. and Qianzi Tian. . 2016-09. On Tense and Aspect in Gexi Horpa. (Paper presented at Fourth Workshop on Sino-Tibetan Languages of Southwest China, 美國華盛頓, 2016-09-08~2016-09-10.)
- 孫天心. 2015-05. Verb agreement in Horpa languages: A preliminary survey. (發表於 新加坡南洋理工大學人文社會科學院特邀講座seminar paper presented during tenure as CLASS (Centre for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences) invited scholar at the Division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies, Nanyang Technological University, 南洋大學語言學暨多語制研究學系, 2015-05-20~2015-05-20.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun, Qiazni Tian. 2015-05. Verb-Stem Alternations in Horpa Languages. (Paper presented at 第25屆國際東南亞語言學會會議（SEALS 25）, 泰國清邁, 2015-05-27~2015-05-29.)
- 孫天心. 2015-04. Tibetic: sounds and script. (發表於 新加坡南洋理工大學人文社會科學院特邀講座seminar paper presented during tenure as CLASS (Centre for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences) invited scholar at the Division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies, Nanyang Technological University, 南洋大學語言學暨多語制研究學系, 2015-04-30~2015-04-30.)
- 孫天心. 2015-03. 藏語語音與文字. (發表於 台灣師範大學國文系特邀演講, 台灣師範大學國文系, 2015-03-18~2015-03-18.)
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 2014-10. Argument-number marking via reduplication in Brag’go-Rta’u-Rongbrag (Central) Horpa. (Paper presented at 47th International Conference on SinoTibetan Languages and Linguistics, Kunming, China., 2014-10-17~2014-10-19.)
- Sun, Jackson T.-S.. 2014-10. The Linguistic position of Woto Tibetan. (Paper presented at 47th International Conference on SinoTibetan Languages and Linguistics, Kunming, China., 2014-10-17~2014-10-19.)
- 孫天心. 2014-10. 藏緬語的語言變化. (發表於 語言與人類複雜系統國際研討會暨語言變化的跨學科視野系列講座, 中國 北京, 2014-10-25~2014-10-27.)
- 孫天心. 2014-07. 藏緬語值得注意的演變類型. (發表於 「語言演變」卓越營, 台灣台北中研院, 2014-07-24~2014-07-24.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. . 2014-04. The Linguistic Position of Woto Tibetan. (Paper presented at a colloquium presented at the Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, 2014-04-14~2014-04-14.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2013-09. Certain Phonological Peculiarities of Taku Tibetan. (Paper presented at 3rd Workshop on Sino-Tibetan Languages of Sichuan, Paris, 2013-09-02~2013-09-04.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun with Jonathan Evans. 2012-10. Uvularization in the Mawo Qiang vowel system. (Paper presented at 45th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Mainland China, 2012-10-26~2012-10-28.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun with Tian Qianzi. 2012-10. Verb Agreement in Gexi Horpa. (Paper presented at 45th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Mainland China, 2012-10-26~2012-10-28.)
- 孫天心（共同作者：林幼菁）. 2010-10. Vowel Velarization in Puxi Shangzhai. (發表於 2nd Workshop on Tibeto- Burman Languages of Sichuan, Beijing, 2010-10-29~2010-11-02.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun.. 2010. 北部羌語麻窩話元音音系再探. (Paper presented at The Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica colloquium, Taiwan,Taipei, 2010~2010.)
- 孫天心（共同作者：林幼菁）. 2009-11. Constraints on relativization in rGyalrong: a cross-dialectal comparison. (發表於 42nd International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Chiangmai, 2009-11-02~2009-11-04.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2008-11. Complementation in Caodeng rGyalrong. (Paper presented at Workshop on Tibeto-Burman Languages of Sichuan, Taipei, 2008-11-21~2008-11-22.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun, Lin You-Jing. 2007-11. Constructional variation in rGyalrong relativization: how to make a choice?. (Paper presented at International Workshop on Relative Clauses, Taipei, 2007-11-02~2007-11-03.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun.. 2007-03. 因位變韻. (Paper presented at 中央研究院語言學研究所成果發表會, Taiwan,Taipei, 2007-03-29~2007-03-29.)
- 孫天心. 2006-12. 因位變韻: 一種罕見的語音交替現象. (發表於 上海高校比較語言學E-研究院國際研討會, 上海, 2006-12-25~2006-12-27.)
- 孫天心. 2005-12. Linguistic coding of generic human arguments in rGyalrongic Languages. (發表於 The 11th Himalayan languages Symposium, Thailand, 2005-12-06~2005-12-09.)
- 孫天心. 2005-12. 〈藏緬語動詞的詞幹變化：初步的類型觀察〉. (發表於 漢語古音構擬研討會, 上海, 2005-12-13~2005-12-18.)
- 孫天心. 2005-10. Special linguistic features of gSerpa Tibetan. (發表於 第38屆國際漢藏會議, 福建省, 2005-10-28~2005-10-31.)
- 孫天心. 2005-05. 嘉戎語的關係句再探. (發表於 國科會九十三年度研究成果發表會傑出研究獎專題, 台北, 2005-05-28~2005-05-28.)
- 孫天心. 2004-04. 草登嘉戎語的狀貌詞初探. (發表於 第三屆兩岸三地藏緬語族語言學研討會, 香港九龍香港城大學, 2004-04-17~2004-04-18.)
- 孫天心. 2003-11. 修梧嘉戎語動詞的詞幹交替Verb-Stem Variations in Showu rGyalrong. (發表於 第３６屆國際漢藏語言及語言學會議The 36th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Melbourne, Australia, 2003-11-28~2003-11-30.)
- 孫天心. 2003-04. 霍爾語蒲西話的使動形態. (發表於 「韻律與構詞」系列研討會, 台北, 2003-04-23~2003-04-23.)
- 孫天心. 2003. 簡介嘉戎語的派生形態 －以四大壩方言草登話為例. (發表於 形態學 研習營, 台北，國立台灣師範大學, 2003~2003.)
- 孫天心（共同作者：林幼菁）. 2002-11. On breathy phonation in Qiuji Tibetan. (發表於 Eighth International Conference on Chinese Languages and Linguistics, Taipei, 2002-11-08~2002-11-11.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun.. 2002. Morphological causative formation in Shangzhai (rGyalrongic).. (Paper presented at The Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica colloquium., Taiwan,Taipei, 2002~2002.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2001-10. Variegated tonal development in Tibetan. (Paper presented at The 34th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Kunming, 2001-10-24~2001-10-28.)
- Jackson T.-S. Sun. 2001-07. Phonological profile of Zhongu: An aberrant Tibetan dialect of northern Sichuan. (Paper presented at Workshop on Tibeto-Burman Languages and Linguistics, Santa Barbara, 2001-07-27~2001-07-29.)
- 孫天心. 1995. 〈安多藏語的小舌輔音：藏語語音史上朝「立體對立」發展的一個個案研究〉. (發表於 中國蒙古學藏學學術研討會, 台北, 1995~1995.)
- 孫天心. 2022.05. 有一分證據，說一分話：語言有趣的示證機制..
- 孫天心. 2020-07-30. “有一分證據，說一分話：語言有趣的示證式”.
- 孫天心、邱振豪. 2019-12. Vocalic contrasts in Northern Horpa. Workshop: Of tongues and tones: recent insights in phonetics and phonology..
- 原文作者：James A. Matisoff.Tibeto-Burman prefixal dynamics: correcting some misconceptions. ；譯者：孫天心、田阡子. 2015. 藏緬語前綴的動態演化：澄清一些誤解.
- 原文作者:George van Driem; The Trans-Himalayan phylum and its implications for population prehistory. Communication on Contemporary Anthropology 5: 135-142.譯者: 孫天心、田阡子. 2015. 跨喜馬拉雅語系：兼論本譜系說對史前人群遷徙的啟發.
- 原文作者：James A. Matisoff ；譯者：孫天心、田阡子. 2014. 景頗語譜系地位再探：深論景頗語與魯語支的親緣關係.
- Jackson T.-S. Sun ed.. 2014. Phonological profiles of little-studied Tibetic varieties(Language and Linguistics Monograph).. Taipei, Taiwan: Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica. (Language and Linguistics Monograph Series 55. pages.)
- 孫天心. 2023. 科技部「稻城藏語比較研究」特約計畫第二年度期中報告.
- 孫天心. 2022. 科技部「稻城藏語比較研究」特約計畫第一年度期中報告。.
- 孫天心. 2009. 嘉戎語關係句比較研究. 國科會. (7 pages.)
- 孫天心. 2009. 語言學門規劃研究推動計畫. 國科會. (7 pages.)
- 孫天心. 2007. 國科會「嘉戎語關係句比較研究計畫」第1年期中進度報告. 行政院國家科學委員會.
- 孫天心. 2005. 壤塘縣特殊藏語方言調查研究. 國科會. (7 pages.)
- 孫天心. 2003. 嘉戎語組拉塢戎語比較研究. 國科會. (7 pages.)
- 孫天心. 2002. 四大壩嘉戎語比較研究. 國科會. (7 pages.)
- 孫天心. 1999. 松潘熱務溝藏語研究. 國科會. (7 pages.)
- 孫天心. 1997. 南亞語調查研究. 中研院「東南亞區域研究計畫」分計畫. (7 pages.)
- 孫天心. 1997. 嘉戎語群口語語料田野調查與分析. 國科會. (7 pages.)
- 孫天心. 1996. 藏緬語族羌語支田野調查研究. 蔣經國基金會. (7 pages.)
