Guiqiong (autonym: '; ) is a poorly attested Qiangic language 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 t ...

and

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

. There are differences in the

phonology Phonology is the branch of linguistics that studies how languages or dialects systematically organize their sounds or, for sign languages, their constituent parts of signs. The term can also refer specifically to the sound or sign system of a ...

of the dialects, but communication is possible. Two or three varieties have low

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 ...

with the rest. It may be the same language as ''Sötati-pö'' in early editions of ''

Ethnologue ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' (stylized as ''Ethnoloɠue'') is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensi ...

''. Sun (1991) documents Guiqiong of Maiben Township 麦本乡, Yutong District 鱼通区, Kangding County 康定县, Sichuan (Sun 1991:227). The Qiangic languages are split into two language clusters. Guiqiong is categorized into a specific Qiangic cluster based on its vocabulary. This Qiangic language cluster also includes Zhaba, Queya, Ersu, Shixing, and Namuzi. Outside their villages, speakers communicate utilizing the

Chinese language Chinese (, especially when referring to written Chinese) is a group of languages spoken natively by the ethnic Han Chinese majority and many minority ethnic groups in Greater China. About 1.3 billion people (or approximately 16% of the ...

. Guiqiong is heavily influenced by the Chinese language, as it contains many loanwords.Hongkai, S. (1990). ''Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area'' (Vols. 13 - 1, pp. 11). (J. T, Trans.). The Guiqiong language utilizes four tones and has no written

script Script may refer to: Writing systems * Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire * Script (styles of handwriting) ** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of ha ...

. Although Guiqiong lacks a written script, it has been able to successfully transcend from generation to generally orally. The language has no presence in media today.

General Information

Population of Speakers

The population of speakers of this language for a long time have only been estimates. It has been difficult to provide an accurate count of how many exist because since the People's Republic of China was founded, the government has considered the Guiqiong people to be a part of the Tibetan minority. Because of this, the national census cannot provide an official count of the Guiqiong people.

Location

The general location of Guiqiong speakers is confined to a very small rectangular area. This area stretches 20 kilometers from its northern boundary to the southern boundary, and just reaches about 1 kilometer from its eastern to its western boundary. The area is situated to the west of the well-known Sichuan Province in China. Jiang (2015: 2) reports that Guiqiong is spoken in the townships of Maibeng, Shelian, Qianxi, Guzan, Lan'an, and Pengba. Jiang's (2015) data is mostly from Guzan Township. Most groups who speak languages that are part of the Qiangic subgroup of Tibeto-Burman are classified as members of the Tibetan national minority and live in western Sichuan province.Moseley, C. (Ed.). (2010). ''Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger'' (3rd ed., p. 70). Paris, France: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved March 9, 2017. Speakers of Guiqiong live in small communities that are intertwined among larger Chinese communities. They are distributed along the terraces of the Dadu River Yuton District, Kangding County of the Ganzi Autonomous Prefecture of the Tibetan Nationality, Sichuan.

Name of the language

Guiqiong is known by many different names, some that the Guiqiong people use to refer to themselves and their language, and some that others use to refer to the Guiqiong people and their language. The Guiqiong people refer to themselves as . It is believed that Chinese names such as 貴瓊 (guiqiong) are transliterations of .

Phonology

* Older speakers retain the distinction between the alveolo-palatal and retroflex series; younger speakers do not. * Older speakers retain the distinction between the velar and uvular series; younger speakers have both series in free variation. * The zero-initial is realized as � * In clusters, ** The language has a very complex initial consonant system.Bradley, D. ''Anthropological Linguistics'', ''57''(4), 456-459. * The following table is the phonological consonant inventory of Guiqiong.Namkung, J. (Ed.). (1996). ''Phonological Inventories of Tibeto-Burman Languages'' (p. 114). Berkeley, CA: Center for Southeast Asia Studies.

Vowels

Guiqiong distinguishes eight different vowel qualities. Nasalization and diphthongs are also used to distinguish words.Jiang, L. (2015). ''A Grammar of Guiqiong: A Language of Sichuan'' (p. 23). Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV.

References

External links

Guiqiong at the Endangered Languages Project

Chinese Documentary on Guiqiong People
{{Qiangic languages Qiangic languages Languages of China