Pa-Hng (also spelled Pa-Hung; ''Bāhēng yǔ'') is a divergent
Hmongic (Miao) language spoken in
Guizhou
Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to the ...
,
Guangxi, and
Hunan
Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi ...
in
southern China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
as well as
northern Vietnam
Northern Vietnam ( vi, Bắc Bộ) is one of three geographical regions within Vietnam. It consists of three administrative regions: the Northwest (Vùng Tây Bắc), the Northeast (Vùng Đông Bắc), and the Red River Delta (Đồng Bằng S ...
.
Classification
Pa-Hng has long been recognized as divergent. Benedict (1986) argued that one of its dialects constituted a separate branch of the Miao–Yao family. Ratliff found it to be the most divergent Hmongic (Miao) language that she analyzed.
[Ratliff, Martha. 2010. ''Hmong–Mien language history''. Canberra, Australia: Pacific Linguistics.] This Bahengic branch also includes
Younuo (Yuno) and
Wunai (Hm Nai).
[毛宗武, 李云兵 / Mao Zongwu, Li Yunbing. 1997. 巴哼语研究 / Baheng yu yan jiu (A Study of Baheng a-Hng. Shanghai: 上海远东出版社 / Shanghai yuan dong chu ban she.]
Names
Pa-Hng speakers are called by the following names (Mao & Li 1997).
*' (巴哼)
*' (唔奈)
*Red Yao (红瑶)
*Flowery Yao (花瑶)
*Eight Surname Yao (八姓瑶)
In
Liping County
Liping County () is a county in the southeast of Guizhou province, China, bordering Hunan to the east and Guangxi to the southeast. It is part of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture.
History
The county was affected by the Miao r ...
, Guizhou, the Dong people call the Pa-Hng ' (嘎优), while the Miao people call them ' (大达优). In
Tongdao County
Tongdao (the full name: "''Tongdao Dong Autonomous County''", ; usually referred to as "''Tongdao County''", ) is an autonomous county of Dong people in Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Huaihua ...
, Hunan, the Pa-Hng (') are also known as the Seven Surname Yao 七姓瑶, since they have the seven surnames of Shen 沈, Lan 兰, Dai 戴, Deng 邓, Ding 丁, Pu 蒲, and Feng 奉.
[''Tongdao Dong Autonomous County Ethnic Gazetteer'' 通道侗族自治县民族志 (2004).]
In China, Pa-Hng speakers are classified as
Yao, even though their language is Hmongic rather than Mienic.
Varieties
Mao & Li (1997) splits Pa-Hng into the following subdivisions, and most closely related to Hm Nai:
*Pa-Hng proper (巴哼 ')
**Northern
**Southern
*
Hm Nai (唔奈 ')
Vocabulary word lists for these three Pa-Hng varieties can be found in Mao & Li (1997). An additional dialect is found in Vietnam.
*''Northern Pa-Hng'': Gundong 滚董,
Liping County
Liping County () is a county in the southeast of Guizhou province, China, bordering Hunan to the east and Guangxi to the southeast. It is part of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture.
History
The county was affected by the Miao r ...
黎平, Guizhou
*''Southern Pa-Hng'': Wenjie 文界,
Sanjiang County 三江, Guangxi
*''Hm Nai'': Huxingshan 虎形山,
Longhui County
Longhui County () is a county and the 6th most populous county-level division in the Province of Hunan, China; it is under the administration of Shaoyang City. Located in the mid-eastern Hunan, the county is bordered to the north by Xinhua and ...
隆回, Hunan
The ''Na-e'' dialect (also known by the Vietnamese rendition of Pa-Hng, ''Pà Then''
ateng, is a geographic outlier. Paul Benedict (1986) argued that it is not actually Pa-Hng, or even Hmongic, but a separate branch of the
Miao–Yao language family. However, Strecker (1987) responded that it does appear to be a Pa-Hng dialect, though it has some peculiarities, and that Pa-Hng as a whole is divergent.
Jerold A. Edmondson
Jerold Alan Edmondson (born 1941) (Chinese name: 艾杰瑞 Aì Jiéruì) is an American linguist whose work spans four subdisciplines: historical and comparative linguistics, Asian linguistics, field linguistics, and phonetics. He is a leading spe ...
has reported Pa-Hng dialects in
Bac Quang District and Hong Quang Village of
Chiem Hoa District in
northern Vietnam
Northern Vietnam ( vi, Bắc Bộ) is one of three geographical regions within Vietnam. It consists of three administrative regions: the Northwest (Vùng Tây Bắc), the Northeast (Vùng Đông Bắc), and the Red River Delta (Đồng Bằng S ...
, and found that they were most closely related to the Pa-Hng dialect spoken in Gaoji Township 高基,
Sanjiang County,
Guangxi.
Distribution
China
Pa-Hng speakers are distributed in the following counties in China. Most of the counties have 1,000 - 6,000 Pa-Hng speakers (Mao & Li 1997).
*
Hunan
Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi ...
**
Longhui County
Longhui County () is a county and the 6th most populous county-level division in the Province of Hunan, China; it is under the administration of Shaoyang City. Located in the mid-eastern Hunan, the county is bordered to the north by Xinhua and ...
,
Shaoyang
Shaoyang (), formerly named Baoqing (Paoking) (), is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Hunan province, China, bordering Guangxi to the south. It has a history of 2500 years and remains an important commercial and transportation city in Huna ...
(Hm-Nai speakers)
***''Hm-Nai'': Huxingshan 虎形山乡, Xiaoshajiang 小沙江乡, Motang 磨塘乡, Dashuitian 大水田乡
**
Dongkou County
Dongkou County () is a county in the Province of Hunan, China, it is under the administration of Shaoyang City. Located in west-central Hunan, the county is bordered to the northeast by Longhui County, to the northwest by Xupu County and Hongji ...
,
Shaoyang
Shaoyang (), formerly named Baoqing (Paoking) (), is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Hunan province, China, bordering Guangxi to the south. It has a history of 2500 years and remains an important commercial and transportation city in Huna ...
(Hm-Nai speakers)
**
Chenxi County
Chenxi County () is a county in Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of Huaihua prefecture-level City.
Located on the north of the province, it is adjacent to the north of the city proper of Huaihua. The county is bordered to ...
,
Huaihua
Huaihua () is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Hunan province, China. It covers and is bordered by Xiangxi to the northwest, Zhangjiajie and Changde to the north, Yiyang, Loudi and Shaoyang to the east, Guilin and Liuzhou of Guang ...
(Hm-Nai speakers)
**
Xupu County
Xupu County () is a county of Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of Huaihua Prefecturel-level City.
Located on the west central Hunan, the county is bordered to the north by Yuanling County, to the northeast by Anhua County, ...
,
Huaihua
Huaihua () is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Hunan province, China. It covers and is bordered by Xiangxi to the northwest, Zhangjiajie and Changde to the north, Yiyang, Loudi and Shaoyang to the east, Guilin and Liuzhou of Guang ...
(Hm-Nai speakers)
**
Tongdao County
Tongdao (the full name: "''Tongdao Dong Autonomous County''", ; usually referred to as "''Tongdao County''", ) is an autonomous county of Dong people in Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Huaihua ...
,
Huaihua
Huaihua () is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Hunan province, China. It covers and is bordered by Xiangxi to the northwest, Zhangjiajie and Changde to the north, Yiyang, Loudi and Shaoyang to the east, Guilin and Liuzhou of Guang ...
(Hm-Nai speakers): 1,779 people (2000), in Chuansu Township 传素瑶族乡 and Linkou Township 临口镇 (in Shangdong 上洞村 and Xiadong 下洞村 villages).
Highly endangered status.
[毛宗武 / Mao Zongwu. 优诺语研究 / Younuo yu yan jiu (A Study of Younuo). Beijing: 民族出版社 / Min zu chu ban she, 2007.]
**
Chengbu Miao Autonomous County
Chengbu Miao Autonomous County (; usually referred to as "Chengbu County", commonly abbreviated as "Chengbu", ) is an autonomous county of Miao people in the Province of Hunan, China, it is under the administration of Shaoyang City.
Located on ...
,
Shaoyang
Shaoyang (), formerly named Baoqing (Paoking) (), is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Hunan province, China, bordering Guangxi to the south. It has a history of 2500 years and remains an important commercial and transportation city in Huna ...
**
Xinning County
Xinning County () is a Counties of the People's Republic of China, county in the Provinces of China, Province of Hunan, China, it is under the administration of Shaoyang, Shaoyang City. Located on the south western margin of Hunan, the county is ...
,
Shaoyang
Shaoyang (), formerly named Baoqing (Paoking) (), is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Hunan province, China, bordering Guangxi to the south. It has a history of 2500 years and remains an important commercial and transportation city in Huna ...
**
Suining County,
Shaoyang
Shaoyang (), formerly named Baoqing (Paoking) (), is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Hunan province, China, bordering Guangxi to the south. It has a history of 2500 years and remains an important commercial and transportation city in Huna ...
(100+ speakers)
*
Guizhou
Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to the ...
**
Liping County
Liping County () is a county in the southeast of Guizhou province, China, bordering Hunan to the east and Guangxi to the southeast. It is part of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture.
History
The county was affected by the Miao r ...
***''Northern Pa-Hng'': Gundong 滚董乡, Shunhua 顺化乡
**
Congjiang County
Congjiang County () is a county in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou, China. It is divided by the Duliu River (), the upper reaches of the Liu River, and borders Guangxi to the south.
It is an important transit point a ...
***''Southern Pa-Hng'': Gaomang 高忙乡
*
Guangxi
**
Rongshui County
Rongshui Miao Autonomous County (; Standard Zhuang: ) is under the administration of Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The seat of Rongshui County is Rongshui Town. It borders the prefecture-level divisions of Qiandongnan (Guizhou ...
(12,000+ speakers)
***''Northern Pa-Hng'': Dalang 大浪乡, Danian 大年乡, Antai 安太乡, Dongtou 洞头乡, Gunbei 滚贝乡, Wangdong 汪洞乡, Gandong 杆洞乡; Huaibao 怀宝镇
***''Southern Pa-Hng'': Baiyun 白云乡, Dalang 大浪乡, Anchui 安陲乡, Xiangfen 香粉乡
**
Sanjiang County
***''Northern Pa-Hng'': Tongle 同乐乡, Laobao 老堡乡
***''Southern Pa-Hng'': Wenjie 文界乡, Liangkou 良口乡
**
Longsheng County
Longsheng Various Nationalities (Gezu) Autonomous County ( zh, s=龙胜各族自治县, t=龍勝各族自治縣, p=Lóngshèng Gèzú Zìzhìxiàn; za, Lungzhingz Gakcuz Swciyen; usually referred to as "Longsheng County" ) is a county in the nort ...
***''Southern Pa-Hng'': Sanmen 三门乡, Pingdeng 平等乡
**
Lingui County
Lingui District () is the county seat and district administered by Guilin, Guangxi, China, and located midway between Guilin and Yangshuo. The district is mostly rural and hilly, marked by the same dramatic karst topography for which Guilin is f ...
**(13 other counties)
Vietnam
Pa-Hng is also spoken in small pockets of northern Vietnam. In Vietnam, the Pa-Hng are an officially recognized ethnic group numbering around a few thousand people, where they are called
Pà Thẻn. ''Na-e'' as reported by Bonifacy (1905) is also found in northern Vietnam.
*Tân Trịnh,
Quang Bình District,
Hà Giang Province, Vietnam (Niederer 1997, 2004)
*
Bắc Quang District,
Hà Giang Province, Vietnam
[Edmondson, J.A. and Gregerson, K.J. 2001, "Four Languages of the Vietnam-China Borderlands", in ''Papers from the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society'', ed. K.L. Adams and T.J. Hudak, Tempe, Arizona, pp. 101-133. Arizona State University, Program for Southeast Asian Studies.]
**Minh Thương Village, Tân Lập Township
**Tân Thịnh Township
*Hồng Quang Village,
Chiêm Hoá District,
Tuyên Quang Province (62 km northwest of Chiêm Hoá City), where the speakers are known as ''Mèo Hoa'' (Flowery Miao)
According to Vu (2013:12-15),
[Vũ Quốc Khánh. 2013. ''Người Pà Thẻn ở Việt Nam ]he Pa Then in Vietnam
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
'. Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản thông tấn. the ancestors of the Pà Thẻn had first migrated from
Guangxi to Hải Ninh (now
Quảng Ninh Province), and then from Hải Ninh to the
Thái Nguyên
Thái Nguyên () is a city in Vietnam. It is the capital and largest city of Thái Nguyên Province. The city is listed as a first class city and is the ninth largest city in Vietnam. It has long been famous throughout Vietnam for its Tân Cư ...
area. The Pà Thẻn then split off to settle in three main areas.
*Linh Phú (
Chiêm Hoá District, Tuyên Quang) and Trung Sơn (
Yên Sơn District, Tuyên Quang)
*Lăng Can (
Na Hang District, Tuyên Quang), Hồng Quang (
Chiêm Hoá District, Tuyên Quang), and Hữu Sản (
Bắc Quang District, Hà Giang)
*From Xuân Minh (
Quang Bình District, Hà Giang), the Pà Thẻn migrated to the communes of Yên Bình, Yên Thành, Tân Trịnh, Tân Nam (all in
Quang Bình District, Hà Giang) and Tân Lập (
Bắc Quang District, Hà Giang).
Phonology
Consonants
* Alveolar sounds are heard as retroflex in the Laobao dialect.
Vowels
can also be centralized to or when following initial sounds.
See also
*
Pa-Hng comparative vocabulary list (Wiktionary)
References
* Mao Zongwu
宗武 Li Yunbing
云兵 1997. ''A study of Pa-Hng''
哼语研究 Shanghai: Shanghai Far East Publishing House
海远东出版社
External links
* http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/edmondson1992pa-hng.pdf
*
Pa-Hng and Hm Nai comparative vocabulary list on Wiktionary (6 dialects compared)
ABVD: Pa-Hng (Gundong) word listHm Nai of Longhui County, HunanYao of Malin Township, Xinning County, Hunan*https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224052/http://cema.gov.vn/modules.php?name=Content&op=details&mid=524
{{Languages of China
Hmongic languages
Languages of China
Languages of Vietnam