The Bolyu language (
autonym: '; ; also known as Paliu, Palyu, or Lai 俫语, 徕语) is an
Austroasiatic
The Austroasiatic languages , , are a large language family in Mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. These languages are scattered throughout parts of Thailand, Laos, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and southern China and are t ...
language of the
Pakanic branch. The
Bolyu
Bolyu is one of the unrecognized ethnic groups in China.
Bolyu language ( autonym: '; ; also known as Paliu, Palyu, or Lai 俫语, 徕语) is an Austroasiatic language of the Pakanic branch (Sidwell 1995). It is unwritten and moribund.
Furth ...
are among the
unrecognized ethnic groups of China
A number of ethnic groups of the People's Republic of China are not officially recognized. Taken together, these groups () would constitute the twentieth most populous ethnic group of China. Some scholars have estimated that there are over 200 d ...
.
Classification
Bolyu is related to the
Bugan language, forming the
Pakanic branch along with it. In 1984, Bolyu was first studied by Liang Min of the Nationalities Research Institute in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. Liang was the first to suggest a Mon–Khmer affiliation of Bolyu, which was later confirmed by Western linguists such as
Paul K. Benedict,
Paul Sidwell
Paul James Sidwell is an Australian linguist based in Canberra, Australia who has held research and lecturing positions at the Australian National University. Sidwell, who is also an expert and consultant in forensic linguistics, is most nota ...
, and
Jerold A. Edmondson. However, the place of the Pakanic branch within the Mon–Khmer family is uncertain. Sidwell (1995) suggests that the Pakanic branch may be an Eastern Mon–Khmer branch, thus making it most closely related to the
Vietic branch. However, Gérard Diffloth classifies Pakanic as Northern Mon–Khmer, making it most closely related to the
Palaungic branch.
Distribution
Bolyu speakers are found in the following locations 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 ...
.
*Douhong 斗烘屯, Xinhe 新合村, Changfa township 长发,
Longlin County,
Guangxi (often living with
Gelao neighbors). Also spoken in the nearby townships of Kechang 克长, De'e 德峨, and Changme 长么.
**Xinhe 新合村 - Datiezhai 打铁寨, Changfajie 长发街: 50 speakers
**Xinhua 新华村 - Luowan 罗湾: 300; Kabao 卡保, Renshang 仁上: 160 speakers
**Villages with only Bolyu people: Muzi 亩子, Dazhai 大寨, Xiaozhai 小寨
*Guosha/Hengsha 过沙/亨沙, Wenya 文雅村, Puhe Miao Autonomous Township 普合苗族自治乡,
Xilin County,
Guangxi. Also spoken in Naya 那牙, Badahe Township 八大河乡.
230 speakers total.
Li (1999) documents the Bolyu variety of Muzitun 亩子屯, Xinhe Village 新合村, Changfa Township 长发乡,
Longlin County,
Guangxi.
In the following villages, only elderly speakers of Bolyu remain.
*Zhelang township 者浪乡: Zhezhai 者寨, Langrong 郎荣, Linghao 岭好
*Kechang township 克场乡: Haichang 海长
*Shechang township 蛇场乡: Daguo 达果
1,400 Bolyu reside in Guangxi, and over 1,000 in Yunnan.
Phonology
Bolyu is a monosyllabic tonal language like the surrounding
Tai–Kadai,
Hmong-Mien and even
Vietic languages
The Vietic languages are a branch of the Austroasiatic language family, spoken by the Vietic peoples in Laos and Vietnam. The branch was once referred to by the terms ''Việt–Mường'', ''Annamese–Muong'', and ''Vietnamuong''; the term ' ...
. Unlike Bugan, Bolyu does not have a tense–lax voice quality distinction.
Initial consonants
:
Tones
Bolyu has a total of six tones.
There are seven vowels in Bolyu: .
Bolyu allows for a large variety of consonant clusters, and has eight possible consonantal finals:
-p, -t, -k, -m, -n, -ŋ, -w, -j.
References
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*
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*
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* http://www.docin.com/p-380721709.html
俫语使用人口稳定增长原因探究 In 中国少数民族语言使用现状及其演变研究.
*
External links
Bolyu vocabulary from SEAlang
{{authority control
Mangic languages
Pakanic languages
Endangered Austroasiatic languages
Languages of China