Nisu (Southern Yi) is a
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 vari ...
spoken by half a million
Yi people
The Yi or Nuosu people,; zh, c=彝族, p=Yízú, l=Yi ethnicity historically known as the Lolo,; vi, Lô Lô; th, โล-โล, Lo-Lo are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Numbering nine million people, they are the seve ...
of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
. It is one of six Yi languages recognized by the government of China. The
Yi script was traditionally used, though few can still read it.
[ According to Lama (2012), Nisu (Nishu) autonyms include ', ', and '.
The position of Nisu within Nisoish is debated. Nisu is classified as ]Southeastern Loloish
The Southeastern Loloish languages, also known as Southeastern Ngwi, are a branch of the Loloish languages. In Lama's (2012) classification, it is called ''Axi-Puoid'', which forms the Nisoish languages, Nisoish branch together with the ''Nisoid' ...
by Pelkey (2011), but is traditionally classified as a Northern Loloish language, including by Lama (2012).
Internal classification
Chen et al. (1985)
Chen et al. (1985:114) recognizes three major varieties of ''Southern Yi'' (i.e., Nisu) 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 ...
province: ''Shijian'' (石建; Shiping-Jianshui), ''Yuanjin'' (元金; Yuanjiang-Jinping), and ''Exin'' (峨新; Eshan-Xinping). Autonyms include ''na̠33 su55'' and ''na̠33 su55 pho21'' (alternatively ''ne̠33 su55 pho21''). Chen (1985) reported a speaker population of nearly 1.6 million.
*Shijian 石建土语: spoken in Shiping, Jianshui, Tonghai, Gejiu, Kaiyuan, Mengzi, and Hekou counties
*Yuanjin 元金土语: spoken in Yuanyang, Jinping, Mojiang, Yuanjiang, Pu'er, Jiangcheng, and Honghe counties
*Exin 峨新土语: spoken in Eshan, Xinping, Jiangchuan, Yuxi, Yimen, and Kunming counties
Yang (2009)
Yang (2009) classifies the Nisu dialects as follows.
*Northern Nisu
**North-central (''Shijian'' 石建): spoken in Shiping, Xinping, Jiangcheng, Mojiang, and Lüchun counties
**Northwestern (''Exin'' 峨新): spoken in Eshan and Jinning counties
*Southern Nisu (''Yuanjin'' 元金): spoken in Honghe, Yuanyang, Jinping, Yuanjiang, Shiping, and perhaps also Jianshui counties
*Far Northwestern Nisu: spoken in Beidou Township (北斗彝族乡), Yongping County (descendants of Nisu soldiers who migrated to Yongping during the early Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
; most divergent Nisu variety)
The Jiangcheng, Mojiang, and Lüchun varieties were grouped by Chen (1985) to be southern varieties, but Yang (2009) found that they actually belonged to the Northern Nisu group.
Other varieties
Other Nisu or Southern Yi groups with similar autonyms or language varieties are:
*Ache 阿车: Autonym in Xinping County (population 100+ as of 1955) is '.
*Luowu 罗武 (300+ people in Xinping County (1955); 100 households in Shuangbai County; also in Zhenyuan County): '
*Achang 阿常 of Niukong 牛孔, Lüchun County
*Pulian 普连 of Qimaba 骑马坝, Daxing 大兴, and Gekui 戈奎, Lüchun County
* Alu 阿鲁 of Dashuigou 大水沟, Lüchun County
A variety of Southern Nisu (autonym: ') spoken in Aka Luoduo (阿卡洛多) village (also called Taiping village; 太平村),
Phonology
Consonants
Vowels
* Diphthongs occur with alveolo-palatal consonants in complementary distribution, in the Laochang dialect.
*Open-mid sounds only occur in the Shaochong dialect.
*Rhotic vowels occur mainly in the Northwestern dialects.
* Sounds are heard as syllabic consonants when following alveolar sibilants or affricates, and as syllabic retroflex when following retroflex ones.
Tones
3 tones occur as follows:
Notes
References
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雲南彝語方言詞彙彙編3
{{Lolo-Burmese languages
Loloish languages
Languages of China