《方言》是中国社会科学院语言研究所主办的语言学专业杂志，1979年2月24日由北京商务印书馆正式出版第1期，是为创刊号。《方言》不仅在中国语言学界是唯一一份研究方言的专业杂志，也是世界语言学史上唯一一份以方言调查研究为主题的专业杂志。
《方言》杂志的创刊出版还有着特殊的历史意义。由于十年“文革”的折腾，中国语言学同所有学科一样，人才凋零，万马齐喑。一九七九国家开始拨乱正，中国语言学研究开始复苏，并逐渐进入正常发展的轨道。汉语方言调查研究作为中国语言学的一个历史悠久的独立学科，迎来了全新发展的历史时期。所以，《方言》创刊也是20世纪中国语言学发展和复兴的标志性事件之一。
中国是一个文明古国。汉字，汉语，汉语方言既是中华文明数千年一脉相承的载体，又是中华文明数千年一脉相承的产物。因此，为使用人口十几亿，承载数千年中华文明的汉语方言创办一个专业杂志，也是传播和宏扬中华文化、彰显国家文化软实力的一个重要组成部分。
《方言》杂志是一个面向国内外，以登载方言调查和方言研究成果的学术期刊，每期128页，全年四期，共512个页面。每年二月、五月、八月、十一月的24日在北京出版，向国内外发行。
《方言》杂志提倡实事求是，注重调查，相互切磋的严谨学风，强调方言事实的描写和方言特点的挖掘，注意把方言研究从一般描写逐步引向深入探讨，《方言》杂志创刊以来，相继发表了一大批有较高学术价值的学术论文和调查报告，在培养和发现方言研究人才，提倡和引导方言研究方向方面也发挥了积极作用，在海内外语言学界都有广泛影响，是一个享有世界声誉的语言学专业杂志。
Fangyan《方言》
Fangyan, sponsored by the Institute of Linguistics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was first published by the Commercial Press on February 24th, 1979, and that was the initial issue. Fangyan is the only professional journal for dialect research in Chinese linguistics, as well as is the only professional journal focusing on dialect investigation and research in the linguistics history of the world.
The publication of the initial issue of Fangyan is a historic event in Chinese linguistics history. After the 10 years of Cultural Revolution, the Chinese linguistics began to anabiosis. As an independent branch with a long history of Chinese linguistics, Chinese dialectology came into a brand new period of development. So the start of this journal is one of the iconic events of the development and renaissance of Chinese linguistics in the 20th century.
China is a civilized country with a long history and the Chinese characters, languages and dialects are the carrier and product of Chinese civilizations for thousands of years. This journal, established for Chinese dialects spoken by billions of people, is one of the most important parts of the spread and development of Chinese culture.
Fangyan invites contributions from all over the world and publishes thesis about dialect investigation and research. It has 512 pages one year, which average to 128 pages each issue and 4 issues each year. Each issue is published on 24th in February, May, August and November in Beijing, and is released to the nation.
Fangyan emphasizes facts and investigations and thinks highly of strictness in academic and view exchanging. It focuses on facts and characters of dialects and tries to lead general descriptions to further discussions. Important academic thesis and reports of investigations have been published in Fangyan ever since the initial issue was published and this journal also brings up talent in Chinese dialectology and points out the direction of dialectology research. Fangyan has an extensive influence and is a famous journal in the linguistics of the world.