Languages
Southeastern Yi is one of the six Yi languages (''fangyan'' 方言) officially recognized by the Chinese government. Sani 撒尼 is the officially recognized literary standard for Southeastern Yi. Pelkey (2011) considers Southern Yi ( Nisu 尼苏) to be another officially recognized Yi ''fangyan'' 方言 that belongs to Southeastern Loloish.Pelkey (2011)
Jamin Pelkey (2011) lists the following languages in Southeastern Ngwi (Southeastern Loloish). Four branches of Southeastern Loloish are recognized, namely ''Nisu'', ''Sani–Azha'', ''Highland Phula'', and ''Riverine Phula''. *Nisu: Nyisu?; Northern Nisu, Southern Nisu Lope.html"_;"title="Lope_language.html"_;"title="_Lope_language">Lope">Lope_language.html"_;"title="_Lope_language">Lope*Sani–Azha:__Other languages
Pelkey (2011:353)Pelkey, Jamin. 2011. ''Dialectology As Dialectic: Interpreting Phula Variation''. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. specifically excludes Pholo, noting that although it has been closely associated with speakers of Southeastern Ngwi languages historically, it does not share the defining features of the branch. Pelkey (2011) classifies Nyisu ofyso
), previously named "Southeastern Lolo Yi", and still unclassified within branches of Southeastern Loloish.ISO 639-3 Registration Agency. 2007Innovations
Pelkey (2011:356-365) lists the following four mergers from Proto-Ngwi as Southeastern Ngwi innovations. # Proto-Ngwi * and * > Proto-Southeastern Ngwi * (modern reflexes: tɬ, kɬ, k, t, ɬ, etc. in words such as ''to load'') # Proto-Ngwi * and * > Proto-Southeastern Ngwi * (modern reflexes: tɬʰ, kɬʰ, kʰ, tʰ, ɬ, etc. in words such as ''bee, taro, destroy, change, excrement'') # Proto-Ngwi * and * > Proto-Southeastern Ngwi * (modern reflexes: dɮ, ɡɮ, ɡ, d, etc. in words such as ''silver, face, pus, full, to fly, lightning, four'') # Proto-Ngwi * and * > Proto-Southeastern Ngwi * (modern reflexes: ndɮ, ŋɡɮ, nd, etc.) Another Southeastern Ngwi lexical innovation is that of ‘bat’, which is compounded from *b-yam¹ (‘to fly’) and *wa² (‘person’), literally meaning ‘flyer’ (Pelkey 2011:375).Chen (1985)
Chen, et al. (1985)Chen Shilin 士林 et al. 1985. ''Yiyu jianzhi'' 语简志 Beijing: Ethnic Publishing House 族出版社 also recognizes a similar group called ''Southeastern Yi'' (彝语东南部方言), which includes the following dialects. *''Yiliang 宜良土语'': spoken in Yiliang (including the Shilin border area), Qiubei, Luxi, Mile, and Luliang counties *''Mile 弥勒土语'': spoken in Mile, Huaning, Kunming, Luxi, and Yiliang counties *''Huami 华弥土语'' (''Huaning-Mile''): spoken in Mile, Huaning, and Jianshui counties *''Wenxi 文西土语'' (''Wenshan-Xichou''): spoken in Wenshan, Xichou, Yanshan, Malipo, Maguan, Funing, Guangnan, and Qiubei counties. Internal variation is greatest within the Wenxi lect.Chen (2010)
In Chen (2010), Southeastern Loloish called ''Nesu'' (聂苏方言). Also listed are the counties where each respective dialect is spoken. *Nesu 聂苏方言 **Nesu, Nièsū 聂苏次方言 *** Nesu, Nièsū 聂苏 ('): 500,000 speakers in Honghe, Mojiang, Yuanjiang, Yuanyang, Luchun, Jiangcheng, Jinping, Hekou, Pu'er, Jinghong, Mengla, etc. ***Narsu, Nuósū 娜苏 ('): 500,000 speakers in Shiping, Eshan, Tonghai, Jianshui, Kaiyuan, Gejiu, Mengzi, Pingbian, etc. *** Zoko, Zuòkuò 作括 ('): 100,000 speakers in Wenshan, Yanshan, Xichou, Maguan, Malipo, etc. **Sani, Sǎní 撒尼次方言 *** Sani, Sǎní 撒尼 ('): 200,000 speakers in Lunan, Yiliang, Luliang, Mile, Luxi, Shizong, Malong, Luquan, Qiubei, etc. *** Asi, Āxì 阿细 ('): 200,000 speakers in Mile, Lunan, Chengjiang, Kunming, Huaning, etc. ***Nise, Nísài 尼赛 ('): 100,000 speakers in Lunan **Azi, Āzhé 阿哲次方言 ***Demographics
The following demographics of Southeastern Loloish languages are from Pelkey (2011). The following datapoints (i.e., sample locations) for Phula languages are from Pelkey (2011:26-27).References
*Bradley, David. 1997.