Bu-Nao, or Bunu proper ( ''Bùnǔyǔ''), is a Hmongic (Miao)

dialect 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 in Guangxi,

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 ...

, and

Guizhou Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to t ...

in China. Its speakers are among the ''Bunu'' (): ethnic Yao (Mien) speakers of

Miao languages Miao may refer to: * Miao people, linguistically and culturally related group of people, recognized as such by the government of the People's Republic of China * Miao script or Pollard script, writing system used for Miao languages * Miao (Unicode ...

Classification

The Bunu people are the

Yao people The Yao people (its majority branch is also known as Mien; ; vi, người Dao) is a government classification for various minorities in China and Vietnam. They are one of the 55 officially recognised ethnic minorities in China and reside in ...

who speak Hmongic languages. That is, ''Bunu'' in the broad sense is a cultural rather than linguistic group. Strecker (1987) had classified Bu-Nao (Bunu proper) as a

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

(Chuanqiandian) Hmongic language, and the other Bunu languages— Younuo (Yuno), Wunai (Hm Nai), and Jiongnai (Kiong Nai)—as distinct branches of Hmongic. Matisoff (2001) grouped all of these together in a ''Bunu'' branch of Hmongic (that is, outside Western Hmongic). Ratliff (2010) returned Bu-Nao to Western Hmongic, and moved Jiongnai to its own peripheral branch of Hmongic, but did not address Younuo or Wunai. Chinese sources generally do not treat the languages as Hmongic because the speakers are not ethnic Miao, but Wang & Deng (2003) classify Bunao as a cousin of Western Hmongic, and Jiongnai and Younuo as independent branches.

Varieties

Bu-Nao dialects include: *Bunu 布努 (Pu Nu) - 359,474 speakers; representative dialect: Nongjing, Qibainong

Township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

, Dahua County 大化七百弄乡弄京 **Dongnu 东努 (Tung Nu, autonyms: ) - 293,489 speakers in

Funing County Funing may refer to the following locations in China: *Ningde, Fujian, formerly named Funing * Funing County, Hebei (抚宁县) *Funing County, Jiangsu (阜宁县) *Funing County, Yunnan Funing County (; Zhuang language: ) is located in Wenshan ...

(in Longshao 龙绍, etc.) and northern Guangxi: Du'an (in Meizhu 梅珠, etc.), Dahua,

Bama Bama or BAMA may refer to: Places * Bama, shortened form of Alabama, a state of the United States of America ** The University of Alabama, the public university serving the state, often known as simply ''Bama'' * Bama, one of the colloquial Burm ...

, Pingguo,

Tiandong Tiandong County(, za, Denzdungh Yen) is a county of Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Baise. Demographics Tiandong's population was 411,500(2010). 85.22% of the people belong to the Zhuang ethnic gro ...

, Mashan, Debao, Long'an,

Baise Baise (; local pronunciation: ), or Bose, is the westernmost prefecture-level city of Guangxi, China bordering Vietnam as well as the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan. The city has a population of 4.3 million, of which 1.4 million live in the ur ...

Tianyang Tianyang District (; Standard Zhuang: ; Youjiang Zhuang: ) is a district in western Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Baise. History Tianyang County was formed in 1935 by combining Fengyi County () a ...

, Donglan,

Hechi Hechi () is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, bordering Guizhou to the north. In June 2002 it gained city status. Geography and climate Hechi is located in northwester ...

, Shanglin, Xincheng, Yishan,

Laibin Laibin (, Zhuang: Laizbinh) is a prefecture-level city in the central part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. History Laibin is an ancient town with more than 2000 years of history. The area was settled in prehistoric times, more th ...

. In

, they are known as Buzha 布咋 (their autonym) or the Mountain Yao 山瑶. **Nunu 努努 (Nu Nu, autonyms: ) - 53,870 speakers in northwestern Guangxi:

Lingyun Lingyun County () is a county in the northwest of Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous ...

(in Taohua 陶化, etc.), Fengshan, Donglan,

(in Xishan 西山, etc.), Tianlin, Leye **Bunuo 布诺 (Pu No, autonym: ) - 12,115 speakers in Du'an (in Sanzhiyang 三只羊; Longma 龙麻 of Xia'ao 下坳乡, etc.), Guangxi *Baonao 包瑙 (Nao Klao, Naogelao 瑙格劳, autonyms: ) - 28,952 speakers in Nandan,

, and Tian'e in Guangxi as well as Libo County,

; representative dialect: Lihu

Nandan County Nandan (, za, Nanzdanh) is a county of Hechi City, in the northwest of Guangxi, China. It has an area of and a population of (2010). Administrative divisions There are 7 towns, 3 townships and 1 ethnic township in the county. Towns: * Cheng ...

南丹里湖瑶族乡 *Numao 努茂 (Nu Mhou, autonym: ) - 1,715 speakers in Libo County,

; representative dialect: Yaolu

, Libo County 荔波瑶麓瑶族乡 **Numao 努茂 (Nu Mhou, White-Trouser Yao 白裤瑶, autonym: ) - about 1,200 speakers in the

townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

of Yaolu 瑶麓 and Jiarong 佳荣 **Dongmeng 冬孟 (Long-Shirt Yao 长衫瑶, autonym: ) - about 400 speakers in the

of Maolan 茂兰, Dongtang, 洞塘, and Weng'ang 翁昂 These add up to a total number of 390,000 speakers. The ''Guizhou Province Gazetteer'' (2002) lists the following autonyms for these villages in Libo County, Guizhou. *': Yaolu 瑶麓 *': Yaoshan 瑶山 *': Yao'ai 瑶埃 The ''Yunnan Province Gazetteer'' (1989) reports that a Bunu dialect known as ' (布咋) is spoken by about 7,000 people in Guichao 归朝乡 and Dongbo 洞波瑶族乡 (including in Dadongzhai 大洞寨, Saxiangdong Village 三湘洞村) townships of

. The ''Shaoyang Prefecture Gazetteer'' (1997:533) reports that the Miao of Xinning County,

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi ...

, speak a Bunu-branch language. Intelligibility among these varieties is difficult, and they may be separate languages. Strecker (1987) went so far as to suggest they may not form a group at all, but separate languages within West Hmongic.

Others

The following peoples may also speak Bunu languages. *Beidalao 北大老: 15,000 (1990) in Rong'an County and

Rongshui County Rongshui Miao Autonomous County (; Standard Zhuang: ) is under the administration of Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The seat of Rongshui County is Rongshui Town. It borders the prefecture-level divisions of Qiandongnan (Guizhou) ...

, Guangxi; probably Bunu, though divergent *Beidongnuo 被动诺: 244 (1984) in Libo County,

; likely a variety of Nagelao (Nao Klao). Identified as Dongmeng by Bradley (2007). *Changpao 长袍: 5,000 (1999) in southern

; undetermined linguistic affiliation, but could possibly be Bunu. Identified as Dongmeng by Bradley (2007). *Youmai 优迈: 2,000 (1999) in southwestern

; possibly a Bunu variety; classified as

Pingtang Miao Pingtang Miao, named after Pingtang County (平塘 ''píngtáng'') in which it is spoken, is a group of Miao language varieties of China. Classification The four varieties of Pingtang were listed as unclassified branches of Chuanqiandian Miao ( ...

by Li Yunbing (2000)

References

External links

Bunu basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database
{{Languages of China West Hmongic languages Languages of China

Classification

Varieties

Others

See also

References

External links