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Kra Language
The Kra languages (also known as the Geyang 仡央 or Kadai languages) are a branch of the Kra–Dai language family spoken in southern China (Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan) and in northern Vietnam ( Hà Giang Province). Names The name ''Kra'' comes from the word C "human" as reconstructed by Ostapirat (2000), which appears in various Kra languages as ''kra'', ''ka'', ''fa'' or ''ha''. Benedict (1942) used the term ''Kadai'' for the Kra and Hlai languages grouped together and the term ''Kra-Dai'' is proposed by Ostapirat (2000). The Kra branch was first identified as a unified group of languages by Liang (1990),Liang Min 梁敏. 1990Geyang yuqun de xishu wenti 仡央语群的系属问题/ On the affiliation of the Ge-Yang group of languages." In ''Minzu Yuwen'' 民族语文 1990(6): 1-8. who called it the ''Geyang'' 仡央 languages. ''Geyang'' 仡央 is a portmanteau of the first syllable of ''Ge''- in Gelao and the last syllable of -''yang'' in Buyang. The name ''Kra'' was prop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern And Southern China
Northern China () and Southern China () are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions is not precisely defined and only serve to depict where there appears to be regional differences between the climates and localities of northern regions of China vs southern regions of China. Nevertheless, regional differences in culture and language have historically fostered a number of local identities. Extent Often used as the geographical dividing line between northern and southern China is the Qinling–Huaihe Line (lit. Qin Mountains–Huai River Line). This line approximates the 0 °C January isotherm and the isohyet in China. Culturally, however, the division is more ambiguous. In the eastern provinces like Jiangsu and Anhui, the Yangtze River may instead be perceived as the north–south boundary instead of the Huai River, but this is a recent development. There is an ambiguous area, the region around Nanyang, Henan, that lies in th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hlai Languages
The Hlai languages () are a primary branch of the Kra–Dai language family spoken in the mountains of central and south-central Hainan in China by the Hlai people, not to be confused with the colloquial name for the Leizhou branch of Min Chinese (). They include Cun, whose speakers are ethnically distinct. A quarter of Hlai speakers are monolingual. None of the Hlai languages had a writing system until the 1950s, when the Latin script was adopted for Ha. Classification Norquest (2007) classifies the Hlai languages as follows. Individual languages are highlighted in bold. There are some 750,000 Hlai speakers. *Proto-Hlai ** Bouhin (Heitu 黑土) – 73,000 **Greater Hlai ***Ha Em 哈炎 (Zhongsha 中沙) – 193,000 ***Central Hlai ****East Central Hlai – 344,000 ***** Lauhut (Baoding 保定) – 166,000, the basis of the literary language *****Qi 杞 also known as ''Gei'' – 178,000 ****** Tongzha (Tongshi 通什) – 125,000 ****** Zandui (Qiandui 堑对) – 29,000 ** ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lachi Language
The Lachi language (, Vietnamese: La Chí; autonym in China: '; autonym in Vietnam: ', where ' means "person") is a Kra language spoken in Yunnan, China and in northern Vietnam. There were 9,500 Lachi speakers in Vietnam in 1990. Edmondson (2008) reports another 2,500 in Maguan County, Yunnan, China for 1995, but Li Yunbing (2000) reports 60 speakers in Maguan out of an ethnic population of 1,600. Subdivisions Weera Ostapirat proposed three major subdivisions for the Lachi language. *Northern (Chinese or Flowery Lachi) *Central (White Lachi) *Southern (Long Haired and Black Lachi) Jerold A. Edmondson notes that Vietnamese researchers recently have not been able to locate White (Central) Lachi speakers. It is also the least studied variety of Lachi. The ''Maguan County Gazetteer'' 马关县志 (1996) lists the following Lachi ethnic subdivisions. *Flowery Lachi 花拉基 *White Lachi 白拉基 *Black Lachi 黑拉基 *Chinese Lachi 汉拉基 *Manyou Lachi 曼忧拉基 *Manpeng L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gelao Language
Gelao (Endonym, autonym: Kláo, Chinese: 仡佬 Gēlǎo, Vietnamese: Cờ Lao) is a cluster of Kra languages in the Kra–Dai languages, Kra–Dai language family. It is spoken by the Gelao people in southern China and northern Vietnam. Despite an ethnic population of 580,000 (2000 census of China), only a few thousand still speak Gelao in China. Estimates run from 3,000 in China by Li Jinfang, Li in 1999, of which 500 are Monolingualism, monolinguals, to 7,900 by Jerold A. Edmondson, Edmondson in 2008. Edmondson (2002) estimates that the three Gelao Variety (linguistics), varieties of Vietnam have only about 350 speakers altogether. External relationships Like Buyang language, Buyang, another Kra languages, Kra language, Gelao contains many words which are likely to be Austronesian languages, Austronesian cognates. (''See Austro-Tai languages''.) As noted by Li and Zhou,李锦芳/Li, Jinfang and 周国炎/Guoyan Zhou. 仡央语言探索/Geyang yu yan tan suo. Beijing, China: 中 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laha Language
Laha () is a Kra language spoken by approximately 1,400 people out of a total population of 5,686 Laha. It is spoken in Lào Cai and Sơn La provinces, Vietnam. Laha dialects had been documented in 1986 by Russian linguists and in 1996 by American linguist Jerold A. Edmondson. Many Laha can also converse in the Khmu language, and Laha-speaking areas also have significant Black Thai (Tai Dam), Kháng, Ksongmul ( Ksingmul, Xinh-mun), and Hmong populations. Ostapirat (2000) considers the Laha dialects to form a subgroup of their own (Southern Kra) within the Kra branch.Ostapirat, Weera (2000).Proto-Kra. ''Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area'' 23 (1): 1-251 Geographic distribution Gregerson & Edmondson (1997) and Wardlaw (2000) report the following locations of two Laha dialects, namely the Wet Laha and Dry Laha dialects. Wet Laha (Laha Ung, ') of Lào Cai and Lai Châu *Tà Mít Commune, Tân Uyên, Lai Châu, Vietnam (just north of the Black River) — known as the "We ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Qau Language
Qau, Central Gelao, or Sinicized Gelao () is a Gelao language spoken in Guizhou, China. Dialects The dialects of Qau that are still spoken are: *Dagouchang 大狗场 (in Pingba County) *Wanzi 湾子 (in Anshun City) Pronouns The following are pronouns from Pingba Pingba District () is a district of the city of Anshun, Guizhou Guizhou (; Postal romanization, formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in the Southwest China, southwest region of the China, People's Republic of China. ... Gelao. *() – I *() - you *() - he, she, it *() - we *() - you all * - they * - my household * - your household * - his/her household Numerals Pingba Gelao numerals are given below. Note the similarities with the Austronesian numeral system. # # # # # # # # # # References Kra languages Languages of China {{tk-lang-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A'ou Language
A'ou (阿欧方言) or Red Gelao (红仡佬语) is an endangered Gelao language spoken by fewer than 100 people in Guizhou, China. Only the Hongfeng (红丰) and Bigong (比贡) dialects are still spoken, each with only a few dozen speakers. Dialects The main dialects of A'ou, which all have limited mutual intelligibility, are: *Hongfeng (红丰) *Bigong (比贡) *Qiaoshang (桥上) (extinct) Only one elderly speaker of the Houzitian (猴子田) dialect was found in 2013, and it is likely now extinct. Mulao (木佬) is sometimes also included, in addition to Yi (羿), an extinct A'ou variety of Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ....Zhang Jimin 张済民. 1993. ''Gelao yu yan jiu 仡佬语研究 (A study of Gelao)''. Guiyang, China: Guizhou People's Press ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vandu Language
Vandu or Red Gelao is an endangered Gelao language spoken in two villages of Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. 1-2 speakers have also been located across the border in Malipo County, Yunnan, China. Samarina (2011), which includes lengthy word lists and audio recordings, is the most detailed linguistic description to date. Speakers As the most endangered Gelao language variety, Red Gelao of Vietnam (not to be confused with A'ou of Guizhou, China, which is also referred to as Red Gelao) is spoken by only about 50 people. Many speakers have shifted to Southwestern Mandarin or Hmong. The Red Gelao people, who call themselves the ', send brides back and forth among the villages of Na Khê and Bạch Đích (or Bìch Đich) in Yên Minh District, Hà Giang Province, Vietnam and another village in Fanpo, Malipo County, Yunnan, China (autonym: ') in order to ensure the continual survival of their ethnic group. Edmondson (1998) reports that there are also Red Gelao people in Cán Tí, Quản ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hagei Language
Hagei (Hakei) or Green Gelao (; sometimes translated as Blue Gelao) is a Gelao language spoken in China and Vietnam. Dialects The primary dialectal areas where Hagei (Green Gelao) is still spoken are: *Guizhou: in Guanling County, Qinglong County, and Zhenfeng County *Guangxi: in Sanchong 三冲 village, Longlin County *Vietnam: in Hà Giang Province The Hagei varieties of northern Guizhou, such as in Zunyi Zunyi () is a prefecture-level city in northern Guizhou province, People's Republic of China, situated between the provincial capital Guiyang to the south and Chongqing to the north, also bordering Sichuan to the northwest. Along with Guiyang an ..., are extinct.Zhou Guoyan 周国炎. 2004. ''Gelaozu muyu shengtai yanjiu 仡佬族母語生态硏究 (Studies on the linguistic ecology of the Gelao people)''. Beijing: Ethnic Publishing House 民族出版社. References Kra languages Languages of China Languages of Vietnam {{tk-lang-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Variety (linguistics)
In sociolinguistics, a variety, also called an isolect or lect, is a specific form of a language or language cluster. This may include languages, dialects, registers, styles, or other forms of language, as well as a standard variety.Meecham, Marjorie and Janie Rees-Miller. (2001) "Language in social contexts." In W. O'Grady, J. Archibald, M. Aronoff and J. Rees-Miller (eds) ''Contemporary Linguistics''. pp. 537-590. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's. The use of the word "variety" to refer to the different forms avoids the use of the term ''language'', which many people associate only with the standard language, and the term ''dialect'', which is often associated with non-standard varieties thought of as less prestigious or "correct" than the standard.Schilling-Estes, Natalies. (2006) "Dialect variation." In R.W. Fasold and J. Connor-Linton (eds) ''An Introduction to Language and Linguistics''. pp. 311-341. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Linguists speak of both standard and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mutual Intelligibility
In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related varieties can readily understand each other without prior familiarity or special effort. It is sometimes used as an important criterion for distinguishing languages from dialects, although sociolinguistic factors are often also used. Intelligibility between languages can be asymmetric, with speakers of one understanding more of the other than speakers of the other understanding the first. When it is relatively symmetric, it is characterized as "mutual". It exists in differing degrees among many related or geographically proximate languages of the world, often in the context of a dialect continuum. Intelligibility Factors An individual's achievement of moderate proficiency or understanding in a language (called L2) other than their first language (L1) typically requires considerable time and effort through study and practical application if the two l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
