Lalo (; Western Yi) is a
Loloish
The Loloish languages, also known as Yi in China and occasionally Ngwi or Nisoic, are a family of fifty to a hundred Sino-Tibetan languages spoken primarily in the Yunnan province of China. They are most closely related to Burmese and its relat ...
language cluster
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulate over distance so that widely separated varie ...
spoken in western
Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
by 300,000 speakers. Speakers are officially part of the
Yi nationality, and Chinese linguists refer to it as "Western Yi" due to its distribution in western Yunnan. Lalo speakers are mostly located in southern Dali Prefecture, especially Weishan County, considered the traditional homeland of the Lalo.
[Yang, Cathryn. 2009. ''Regional variation in Lalo: Beyond east and west''. La Trobe Papers in Linguistics, 12. http://arrow.latrobe.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.9/146522.] Historically, this area is the home of the Meng clan, who ruled the Nanzhao Kingdom (737–902 CE).
Many speakers of Core Lalo dialects claim to be descendants of the Meng clan.
Names
Many Lalo are referred to by the
exonym
An endonym (from Greek: , 'inner' + , 'name'; also known as autonym) is a common, ''native'' name for a geographical place, group of people, individual person, language or dialect, meaning that it is used inside that particular place, group, ...
''Menghua'' (蒙化), a name used during the
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...
to refer to an area comprising modern-day
Weishan County and
Nanjian County
Nanjian Yi Autonomous County () is a county in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture located in the west central part of Yunnan province, China.
Administrative divisions
Nanjian Yi Autonomous County has 5 towns and 3 townships.
;5 towns
;3 townsh ...
(Yang 2010:12). They are also referred to as ''Tujia'' (土家) people (Yunnan 1956:14-15).
David Bradley (2007)
[Bradley, David. 2007. East and Southeast Asia. In Moseley, Christopher (ed.), ''Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages'', 349-424. London & New York: Routledge.] refers to the Lalo language cluster, which includes the Samatu language of
Zhenkang County
Zhenkang County () is located in the west of Yunnan province, China, bordering Burma's Shan State to the west. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Lincang.
Ethnic groups
Ethnic Bulang are found in the following village ...
and
Yongde County
Yongde County () is a county in the west of Yunnan province, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Lincang.
Administrative divisions
Yongde County has 3 towns, 5 townships and 2 ethnic townships.
;3 towns
* Dedan ...
, as ''Laloid''.
Demographics
Cathryn Yang (2010) gives the following demographic information for various Lalo languages. Combined, speakers of Lalo languages number fewer than 300,000 people.
*Central Lalo: 213,000 speakers across west-central Yunnan in
Weishan County,
Nanjian County
Nanjian Yi Autonomous County () is a county in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture located in the west central part of Yunnan province, China.
Administrative divisions
Nanjian Yi Autonomous County has 5 towns and 3 townships.
;5 towns
;3 townsh ...
,
Jingdong County
Jingdong Yi Autonomous County () is an autonomous county in the west-central part of Yunnan Province, China. It is the northernmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Pu'er.
Administrative divisions
In the present, Jingdong Yi ...
, and several others
*West Lalo: 44,000 speakers
Yongping County
Yongping County () is a county of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, located in the west of Yunnan Province, China.
Administrative divisions
Yongping County has 3 towns, 1 township and 3 ethnic townships.
;3 towns
* Bonan ()
* Shanyang ()
* ...
,
Yangbi County
Yangbi Yi Autonomous County () is a county of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture located in the west of Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. Th ...
, and
Longyang County
Longyang District () is a district of the city of Baoshan, Yunnan province, China.
Administrative divisions
Longyang District has 6 subdistricts, 5 towns, 6 townships and 4 ethnic townships.
;6 subdistricts
;5 towns
;6 townships
;4 ethnic to ...
*East Lalo: 15,000 speakers in
Dali County
Dali County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Weinan, in the east-central part of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Shanxi province to the east. It covers . The population in 2002 was 690 thousand. Its eco ...
*
Yangliu
Yangliu (autonym: ') is a Loloish language of Yunnan, China. There are 7,000 speakers in Yangliu, Longyang District
Longyang District () is a district of the city of Baoshan, Yunnan province, China.
Administrative divisions
Longyang District ...
: 7,000 speakers in Yangliu,
Longyang District
Longyang District () is a district of the city of Baoshan, Yunnan province, China.
Administrative divisions
Longyang District has 6 subdistricts, 5 towns, 6 townships and 4 ethnic townships.
;6 subdistricts
;5 towns
;6 townships
;4 ethnic to ...
,
Baoshan Prefecture
*
Eka: 3,000 speakers in Yijiacun, Heliu,
Shuangjiang County
Shuangjiang Lahu, Va, Blang and Dai Autonomous County () is a county in the southwest of Yunnan province, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Lincang.
Administrative divisions
Shuangjiang Lahu, Va, Bulang and Da ...
,
Lincang
Lincang () is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Yunnan province, People's Republic of China.
History
Lincang was previously called Baihuai during the Shang dynasty.
On December 26, 2003, the state council approved the cancell ...
Prefecture
*
Mangdi: 3,000 speakers in Mangdi, Hepai,
Gengma County
Gengma Dai and Va Autonomous County () is located in Lincang City, in the west of Yunnan province, China.
History
In 1988, the county was affected by two strong earthquakes. It killed a total of 939 people and caused major destruction.
Administ ...
,
Lincang
Lincang () is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Yunnan province, People's Republic of China.
History
Lincang was previously called Baihuai during the Shang dynasty.
On December 26, 2003, the state council approved the cancell ...
Prefecture;
also in
Cangyuan County
Cangyuan Va Autonomous County (; Va: ) is under the administration of Lincang City, in the southwest of Yunnan province, China. Wa/Va people are the main inhabitants here. Wa language
Wa (Va) is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Wa p ...
*
Xuzhang: 2,000 speakers in Xuzhang, Wafang,
Longyang District
Longyang District () is a district of the city of Baoshan, Yunnan province, China.
Administrative divisions
Longyang District has 6 subdistricts, 5 towns, 6 townships and 4 ethnic townships.
;6 subdistricts
;5 towns
;6 townships
;4 ethnic to ...
,
Baoshan Prefecture
Wang & Zhao (2013), citing Chen, et al. (1985), divide Western Yi (彝语西部方言) into two dialects, namely Dongshan and Xishan. In
Lincang
Lincang () is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Yunnan province, People's Republic of China.
History
Lincang was previously called Baihuai during the Shang dynasty.
On December 26, 2003, the state council approved the cancell ...
Prefecture, Western Yi speakers number approximately 30,000 people and have the autonyms ' and '.
*Dongshan 东山: spoken in Weishan (eastern part), Dali, Midu (in Dajiaban 大甲板 and Xiaojiaban 小甲板), Yongping, Baoshan counties
*Xishan 西山: spoken in Weishan (western part), Dali, Yun, Changning, Lincang, Shuangjiang, Midu, Jingdong, Jinggu counties
In Jianxing Township 建兴乡,
Xinping County
Xinping Yi and Dai Autonomous County () is an autonomous county located in the central part of Yunnan Province, China. It is the westernmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Yuxi.
Administrative divisions
Xinping Yi and Dai A ...
, Yunnan, Lalu 腊鲁 is spoken in the two administrative villages of Malutang 马鹿塘 and Mowei 磨味 by about 3,000 people (Wang 2011:11,20).
*''Malutang 马鹿塘''
(1,552 Lalu people): in the 11 villages of Goutoupo 狗头坡, Gaoyingzhai 高阴寨, Cizhujing 刺竹警, Upper Mazongshan 上马宗山, Lower Mazongshan 下马宗山, Daliqi 大力气, Yuwuxiang 玉武乡, Upper Mowei 上磨味, Lower Mowei 下磨味, Upper Yunpan 上云盘, Lower Yunpan 下云盘
*''Mowei 磨味''
(1,460 Lalu people): in the 6 villages of Malu Dazu 马鹿大组, Lalu Xiaozhai 腊鲁小寨, Laojing 老警, Xinzhai 新寨, Tianfang 田房, and Meizijing 梅子警.
Lalu 腊鲁 (exonyms: Xiangtang 香堂 and Luoluo 罗罗) is also spoken in
Sipsongpanna
Xishuangbanna, Sibsongbanna or Sipsong Panna ( Tham: , New Tai Lü script: ; ; th, สิบสองปันนา; lo, ສິບສອງພັນນາ; shn, သိပ်းသွင်ပၼ်းၼႃး; my, စစ်ဆောင် ...
, including in Xiangmeng 象明乡, Yiwu 易武乡, Mengpeng 勐捧镇, and Jinghong 景洪市 townships.
Yunnan (1979)
[Yunnan minzu shibie zonghe diaocha zubian 云南民族识别综合调查组编 (1979). ]
Yunnan minzu shibie zonghe diaocha baogao (1960 nian)
' 云南民族识别综合调查报告(1960年). Kunming: Yunnan minzuxue yanjiu suoyin 云南民族学研究所印. mentions the Datou 达头 of
Pu'er and
Simao (population: 254 as of 1960) as having traditions and festivals similar to those of the Yi people of
Weishan County, who are mostly Lalo speakers.
The Aciga 阿次嘎 of
Lancang County
Lancang Lahu Autonomous County (; Lahu: ) is an autonomous county under the jurisdiction of Pu'er City, in southwestern Yunnan province, China. Lancang is the same as Lan Xang, and refers to the Mekong River (known in Chinese as the Lancang) on i ...
reside in Yakou Township 雅口乡 and Nanxian Township 南现乡
澜沧拉祜族自治县糯扎渡镇南现村
/ref> (now Nuozhadu Town 糯扎渡镇). They numbered 50 as of 1960. 100 years ago, they had migrated from Niujian Mountain 牛肩山, Zhenyue County 镇越县 (now renamed as Mengla County
Mengla County (; Tai Lue: , ''Mueang La''; lo, ເມືອງລ້າ; th, เมืองล้า) is a county under the jurisdiction of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, in far southern Yunnan province, China. ''Meng'' is a vari ...
), and had spoken a different language that is now extinct. They now speak Chinese and "Yi" (presumably Lalo, as the Yi dialects of Lancang are mostly Lalo). Aciga is an exonym, as the Aciga do not have an autonym.
Subdivisions
Lama (2012) splits ''Laluba'' into three dialects.
;Laluba
*''Misaba''
*(branch)
**''Laloba''
**''Laluba'' (')
A recent dialectological survey by Cathryn Yang (2010)[Yang, Cathryn. 2010. ''Lalo regional varieties: Phylogeny, dialectometry, and sociolinguistics''. Melbourne: La Trobe University PhD dissertation. http://arrow.latrobe.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.9/153015.] shows that the Lalo cluster comprises at least 7 closely related languages. Three of these (Eastern, Western, and Central) constitute the Core Lalo group and are located in the traditional Lalo homeland of southern Dali Prefecture. There are also four peripheral languages, Mangdi, Eka, Yangliu
Yangliu (autonym: ') is a Loloish language of Yunnan, China. There are 7,000 speakers in Yangliu, Longyang District
Longyang District () is a district of the city of Baoshan, Yunnan province, China.
Administrative divisions
Longyang District ...
, and Xuzhang, whose ancestors migrated out of the Lalo homeland at different times.
All Lalo languages show a reflex of the Proto-Lalo autonym *la2lo̠Hpa̠L; i.e. the name that the Proto-Lalo called themselves are still preserved in the various modern Lalo languages. Eka speakers’ autonym is now ', but elderly speakers report that their more archaic autonym is ' (Yang 2010).
Yang's (2010:209) phylogenetic tree of Lalo is as follows.
*Proto-Lalo
**'' Eka''
**'' Mangdi'' 芒底
**''Yangliu
Yangliu (autonym: ') is a Loloish language of Yunnan, China. There are 7,000 speakers in Yangliu, Longyang District
Longyang District () is a district of the city of Baoshan, Yunnan province, China.
Administrative divisions
Longyang District ...
'' 杨柳
**Greater Lalo
***'' Xuzhang'' 徐掌
***Core Lalo
****Eastern
*****Taoshu 桃树
*****Core Eastern
****Central-Western
*****Central
******East Mountain
******Core Central
*****Western
******Yilu 义路
******Core Western
Alu may also be a peripheral Lalo language, but this is uncertain due to limited data.[Hsiu, Andrew. 2017. ]
The Lawu languages: footprints along the Red River valley corridor
'.
Phonology
Consonants
* are heard as alveolo-palatal before front vowels .
* The glottal fricative is mainly always nasalized as , and vowels following are also nasalized.
* Approximant sounds are in complementary distribution. is before back vowels , and is before front vowels .
* is always heard as labio-dental before front vowels . In the Western dialects, is phonemically distinct.
* is always heard as a voiced glottal sound before vowels . In the Western dialects, is heard as before , before , and before vowels .
* Nasals are heard as palatal before a close vowel .
* Nasals can have syllabic allophones of when preceding other consonants.
* The glottalized is heard as a glottalized retroflex sound before a central close vowel.
* Syllables with no initial consonant, always phonetically begin with a glottal stop .
Vowels
* Close vowels are realized as mid sounds and the back vowel is realized as , within syllables of harsh phonation. Vowels do not occur in syllables with harsh phonation.
* The close rounded vowel mainly occurs after velar initials.
* The close central vowel is heard as rounded when after bilabial consonants , as syllabic after alveolar sounds and as a syllabic retroflex after retroflex sounds . also only occurs after bilabial, retroflex and velar initial consonants and never after alveolar stops, labio-dental or labio-velar initials.
* Mid-central vowel is realized as a syllabic labiodental fricative , when after labio-dental fricatives. never occurs after labial consonants or alveolar affricates or fricatives.
* In citation form, front vowels are heard as diphthongs with an offglide as .
* Close central vowel is heard as an apical syllabic sound after alveolar affricates and fricatives and as after retroflex affricates and fricatives.
* Open back vowel is typically realized as a central and is then raised after retroflex sounds as a mid sound .
* A syllabic fricative is contrastive with back vowels . It only occurs after labio-dental consonants .
Tones
The following are the tones in Central and Western Lalo:
See also
* List of Proto-Lalo reconstructions (Wiktionary)
Further reading
*Yang, Cathryn. (2019). CLDF dataset derived from Yang's "Lalo Regional Varieties" from 2011 ata set Zenodo.
References
{{Lolo-Burmese languages
Loloish languages