Classification
The Lahu language, along with the closely relatedDialects
Matisoff (2006)
A few dialects are noted, which are each known by a variety of names: * Lahu Na (Black Lahu, Musser Dam, Northern Lahu, Loheirn) * Lahu Shi (Yellow Lahu, Kutsung); the divergent ' dialect is spoken in Nanduan 南段村 (Lahu: ') Village, Nuofu Township 糯福乡, Lancang County, China * Lahu Nyi (Red Lahu, Southern Lahu, Musseh Daeng, Luhishi, Luhushi), Shehleh * Lahu ShehlehPham (2013)
Phạm Huy (2013:13) lists the following 3 branches. * La Hủ Phu (White Lahu): only found inYunnan (1998)
Yunnan (1998:280)Yunnan Gazetteer Commission 南省地方志编纂委员会(ed). 1998. ''Yunnan Provincial Gazetteer, Vol. 59: Minority Languages Orthographies Gazetteer'' 南省志. 卷五十九, 少数民族语言文字志 Kunming: Yunnan People's Press 南人民出版社 lists 5 Lahu dialects. *Lancang (''standard'') dialect 澜沧标准音区片 (in most of Lancang, Ximeng, Menglian, Cangyuan, and Shuangjiang counties) *Nanmei dialect 南美土语群片 (in Nanmei Township 南美乡, Lincang County; Gengma County, and other nearby areas) *Mojiang dialect 墨江土语群片 (in Pu'er, Simao, Mojiang, Xinping counties, etc.; Lahu Shi) *Menghai dialect 勐海土语群片 (in Menghai, Jinghong, Mengla, Lancang counties (in Jiujing 酒井, Yakou 雅口, Qianliu 谦六 townships, etc.); Lahu Shi) *Jinping-Lüchun dialect 金绿土语群片 (in Jinping and Lüchun counties) Traditionally Lahu folk taxonomy splits the Lahu people into the two groups of Black Lahu and Yellow Lahu; Red Lahu and White Lahu are new dialect clusters originating in messianic movements within the past few centuries. Black Lahu is the standard dialect in China, as well as the lingua franca among different groups of Lahu in Thailand. However, it is intelligible to speakers of Yellow Lahu only with some difficulty.Bradley (1979)
Based on the numbers of shared lexical items, Bradley (1979) classifies the Lahu dialects as follows: ;Common Lahu *Black Lahu **Shehleh **(Core) ***Black Lahu proper ***Red Lahu *Yellow Lahu **Bakeo **BanlanLama (2012)
Lama (2012) gives the following tentative classification for what he calls ''Lahoid''. ;Lahoid *Lahu-Xi (Yellow Lahu) *(Black Lahu cluster) **Lahu-Na (Black Lahu) **Lahu-Ni (Red Lahu) **Lahu-Pu (White Lahu) **Lahu-ShehlehJin (2007)
Jin Youjing (2007) classifies the Lahu dialects as follows. *Lahu Na 拉祜纳 (Black Lahu 黑拉祜): about 80% of all Lahu **''Xia'nanxian 下南现'' (Nanling Township 南岭乡) dialect **''Dongkahe 东卡河'' (Laba Township 拉巴乡) dialect *Lahu Xi 拉祜西 (Yellow Lahu 黄拉祜): about 20% of all Lahu **''Northern dialect'': Donghe 东河, Xincheng 新城, Qianliu 谦六, Wendong 文东, Fudong 富东, and Dashan 大山 townships **''Central dialect'': Yakou 雅口, Qianmai 谦迈, and Yingpan 营盘 townships **''Southern dialect'': Southern Nuofu 糯福(南), Northern Nuofu 糯福(北), and Huimin 惠民 townships *Lahu Alai 拉祜阿莱: located in Alai Dazhai 阿莱大寨, Fubang Township 富邦乡, Lancang County and a few other nearby villages *Kucong 苦聪: located in Jinping, Lüchun, Zhenyuan, and other counties Jin Youjing (1992) covers Lahu linguistic geography and dialectology in detail.Heh (2008)
Heh (2008) lists Lahu Shi (Yellow Lahu) dialects as: *Mikeng *Nakeo *Lahu Aga (also called Aphubele; spoken in Laos) *Bakeo *Balan Lahu Aga was classified as Lahu Shi by Bradley (1979), but Heh (2008) found that it is actually linguistically closer to Lahu Na (Black Lahu). In Laos, there are about 9,000 Lahu Aga located in Bokeo Province (Tonpheung district, Muang Muang district, Houj Xai district, and the special region of Nam Yut) and Luang Namtha Province (Vieng Phoukha district, Boten district, and Muang Long district) (Heh 2008:161). In Laos, the Lahu Aga are most numerous in Tonpheung district (in Baan Dong Keap, Baan Sam Sip, Baan Khi Lek, Baan Beu Neong, Baan Hoe Ong, and Baan Nan Fa villages) and Vieng Phoukha district (in Baan Na Kat Tai, Baan Na Kat Neua, Baan Pamak, Baan NaNoi, Baan NaVa, Baan NaPhe, and Baan Na Shin villages) (Heh 2008:161-162). The Yellow Lahu are also called Lahu Kui Lung in Laos (Schliesinger (2003:110), with ''Kui'' meaning 'people'. There are about 21 Lahu Aga villages in Bokeo and Luang Namtha provinces, including in Ban Don Keao, Bokeo, and Ban Na Kat Neua, who had originally migrated from Yunnan, China. (Heh 2008:8). There are also 11 Lahu Aga families living in Baan Son Pu Nong, Chiang Saen District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. Heh (2008) provides comparative Lahu Aga dialectal data for: *Na Kat Neua village, Vieng Phoukha district, Luang Namtha province *Don Keao village, Tonpheung district, Bokeo province *Na Kha village, Muang Muang Township, Bokeo provincePhonology
Consonants
* Palatal consonant sounds when occurring before a close central vowel are heard as dental affricate sounds . Stop sounds may also be heard as palato-alveolar sounds elsewhere, in free variation. * may also be heard as a velar fricative , in free variation. * before , can be articulated as a palatal nasal . * Labial sounds before a close back vowel have affricated variants, heard as .Vowels
* When following palatal or labial consonants, have special allophones .Tones
Sound changes
Lama (2012) lists the following sound changes from Proto-Loloish as Lahu innovations. * *s-l- > x- * *z- > dz- * *ŋ- > x-Grammar
Lahu is a typicalSee also
*Notes
Sources
* * * Phạm Huy (1997). ''Một phần chân dung: dân tộc La Hủ (nhật ký điền dã)''. Lai Châu: Sở văn hóa thông tin Lai Châu. *Further reading
* * *External links
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