The language of Shànghǎi, China's most densely populated city, is at once highly typical of the Wú 吳 dialects in the central coastal region to which it belongs, while also having a distinct set of characteristics that give it a singular identity within the linguistic milieu of the territory. As in most Wú dialects, the Shànghǎi dialect has a strict division between upper (yīn 陰) and lower (yáng 陽) tonal registers, a rù 入 tone in which all syllables end in a glottal stop, and a plain negative with a labiodental initial: [vəʔ¹²]. Also like its neighboring Wú dialects, Shànghǎi has a tr…