Dai Zhuang or Thu Lao is a

Tai language The Tai or Zhuang–Tai languages ( th, ภาษาไท or , transliteration: or ) are a branch of the Kra–Dai language family. The Tai languages include the most widely spoken of the Tai–Kadai languages, including Standard Thai or S ...

spoken in

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in 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 Kunming. The province borders the ...

, China and northern Vietnam. In China is it spoken in Yanshan, Wenshan, Maguan, Malipo, Guangnan counties of

Wenshan Prefecture Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in southeastern Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China and the easternmost prefecture-level division of the province. It borders Baise, Guangxi to the east, Vietnam's ...

. It is also spoken in Honghe Prefecture. The largest concentrations are in Wenshan (50% of total Zhuang population) and Yanshan (20% of total Zhuang population) counties (Johnson 2011b).

Names

Below are various names (both autonyms and exonyms) for speakers of Dai Zhuang (Johnson 2011a:43). *Pu Dai (濮岱) * *Tuliao, Tulao (土僚、土老) *Tuzu (土族) *Pulao, Puliao (濮僚; ancient Chinese ethnonym)

Subdivisions and distribution

Johnson (2011b) splits Dai Zhuang into 4 dialects according to tonal splitting patterns: Northern, Central, Southern, and Northeastern. They roughly correspond with the following ethnic subdivisions (Johnson 2011a). *Northern: Piled Headdress Tu (Da Tou Tu, 搭头土, Daigelai, Black Tulao). Spoken in northern Wenshan and western Yanshan counties. *Central: Flat Headdress Tu (Ping Tou Tu, 平头土, River Bank Tulao). Spoken around the city of Wenshan, and in central Wenshan County's Panzhihua (攀枝花) Township. *Southern: Pointed Headdress Tu (Jian Tou Tu, 尖头土). Spoken in Malipo and Maguan counties. *Northeastern: Slanted Headdress Tu (Pian Tou Tu, 偏头土). Spoken in Guangnan and eastern Yanshan counties. In Vietnam, Thu Lao (autonym: ''La Hừ'', meaning 'black earth') is spoken in the following 7 villages (Nguyễn 2014:14). *

Mường Khương District Mường Khương is a rural district of Lào Cai province in the Northeast region of Vietnam. ''Mường'' is as variation of ''Mueang''. As of 2003, the district had a population of 48,242. The district covers an area of 552 km². The dis ...

, Lào Cai Province **Tả Gia Khâu Commune ***La Hờ (48 households, 228 individuals) ***La Măng (26 households, 123 individuals) ***Lũng Thắng (15 households, 71 individuals) **Tào Túng, Thanh Bình Commune,

, Lào Cai Province (5 households, 28 individuals) * Si Ma Cai District, Lào Cai Province **Sin Chải, Thảo Chư Phìn Commune (42 households, 199 individuals) **Khuốn Pống, Bản Mộ Commune (29 households, 138 individuals) **Tả Chải, Nàn Sán Commune (71 households, 337 individuals) Jerold Edmondson describes Thu Lao as a

Central Tai The Central Tai languages include southern dialects of Zhuang, and various Nung and Tày dialects of northern Vietnam. Central Tai languages differ from Northern Tai languages in that Central Tai distinguishes unaspirated and aspirated onset ...

language with about 200 speakers that retains voiced initial consonants in low tones, like

Tay Tay may refer to: People and languages * Tay (name), including lists of people with the given name, surname and nickname * Tay people, an ethnic group of Vietnam ** Tày language *Atayal language, an Austronesian language spoken in Taiwan (ISO 639 ...

of Trùng Khánh District,

Cao Bằng Province Cao or CAO may refer to: Mythology *Cao (bull), a legendary bull in Meitei mythology Companies or organizations *Air China Cargo, ICAO airline designator CAO *CA Oradea, Romanian football club *CA Osasuna, Spanish football club * Canadian Assoc ...

. 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. reports that a Tai-speaking group called the Baiyi 摆彝 live in

Wenshan City Wenshan (; za, Vwnzsanh Si) is a city in and the seat of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in the southeast of Yunnan province, People's Republic of China. It once was a county (Wenshan County; ), but on 2 December 2010, with the app ...

Maguan County Maguan County (, vi, Mã Quan) is located in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China, bordering Vietnam's Lào Cai Lào Cai () is a city in the Northwest region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Lào Cai Provi ...

, and Qiaotou Township 桥头苗族壮族乡 of

Hekou Yao Autonomous County The Hekou Yao Autonomous County () is an autonomous county in the southern part of the Yunnan province of China. It is part of the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture and borders the northern Vietnamese city of Lào Cai. It was apparently kn ...

. Yunnan (1979) suggests that it may be similar to Tai Lue. The Baiyi are classified as ethnic Dai in Hekou, and as Zhuang in Wenshan and Maguan. In 1960, the Baiyi had a population of 6,958.

Phonology

Many Dai Zhuang dialects preserve voiced stops inherited from

Proto-Tai Proto-Tai is the reconstructed proto-language (common ancestor) of all the Tai languages, including modern Lao, Shan, Tai Lü, Tai Dam, Ahom, Northern Thai, Standard Thai, Bouyei, and Zhuang. The Proto-Tai language is not directly atteste ...

(L-Thongkum 1997). L-Thongkum calls the dialects with the voiced stops "Dai Tho," and the dialects without any voiced stops "Tai Tho."

Names

Subdivisions and distribution

Phonology

See also

References

Further reading