Larong or Zlarong (autonym: '; Tibetan name: ') is a recently documented Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Zogang and Markam counties of southeastern
Chamdo
Chamdo, officially Qamdo () and also known in Chinese as Changdu (), is a prefecture-level city in the eastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Its seat is the town of Chengguan in Karuo District. Chamdo is Tibet's third largest c ...
,
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
. It was recently documented by Zhao (2018) and Suzuki & Nyima (2018).
[Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Tashi Nyima. 2018]
Historical relationship among three non-Tibetic languages in Chamdo, TAR
''Proceedings of the 51st International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (2018)''. Kyoto: Kyoto University. Zhao (2018) tentatively classifies Zlarong as a
Qiangic language.
Names
Larong is referred to by the ''Changdu Gazetteer'' (2005)
[Xizang Changdu Diqu Difangzhi Bianzuan Weiyuanhui 西藏昌都地区地方志编纂委员会 (2005). Changdu Diquzhi 昌都地区志. Beijing: Fangzhi Chubanshe 方志出版社.] as ''Rumei'' 如美话, as it is spoken in Rumei Township 如美乡,
Markam County
Markam County (; zh, s=芒康县) is a county under the jurisdiction of the Chamdo in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the east and Yunnan to the south. It is the easternmost county-level division of the ...
.
Zhao (2018) reports the autonym ' and the Tibetan exonym ' for the speakers. Their language is referred to as ' by speakers, and by Tibetans as ' (Zhao 2018).
Nyina & Suzuki (2019) report the autonym ''m̥a55'', which is identical to the
Drag-yab autonym also reported by them (''m̥a55'' ~ ''ma55'').
Jiang (2023) refers to the language as ''Laronghua'' (拉茸话).
Locations
*
Renguo Township 仁果乡,
Mdzo sgang County 左贡县 (Suzuki & Nyima 2018; Zhao 2018), including the village of Phagpa 坝巴村
*
Cuowa Township 措瓦乡,
Markam County
Markam County (; zh, s=芒康县) is a county under the jurisdiction of the Chamdo in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the east and Yunnan to the south. It is the easternmost county-level division of the ...
芒康县
*
Rumei Township 如美镇,
Markam County
Markam County (; zh, s=芒康县) is a county under the jurisdiction of the Chamdo in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the east and Yunnan to the south. It is the easternmost county-level division of the ...
芒康县 (''Changdu Gazetteer'' 2005), including the village of Tangre Chaya 达日村
*
Qudeng Township 曲登乡,
Markam County
Markam County (; zh, s=芒康县) is a county under the jurisdiction of the Chamdo in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the east and Yunnan to the south. It is the easternmost county-level division of the ...
芒康县 (two villages)
Larong villages by township:
A computational phylogenetic analysis by Jiang (2022) shows that Rumei (如美话) to be the most divergent Chamdo, and is not closely related to the Larong dialect (拉茸话) of
Zogang County
Zogong County (; zh, s=左贡县) is a county of the Chamdo Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China,
Administrative divisions
Zogong County is divided in 3 towns and 7 townships.
Climate
Transportation
*China National Highway ...
(左贡县).
Dialects
Larong is spoken in four townships in the Larong valley, along the Lancang River (also known as the ''Zla chu'' or ''Lachu'' River in Tibetan). The four townships are:
*Ringo (Chinese: Renguo)
*Tshonga (Chinese: Cuowa): Larong villages are Tshonga, Rushul, Thosa, Thaya, Drori, and Kuze
*Rongsmad (Chinese: Rumei): Larong speakers in entire town
*Choedan (Chinese: Qudeng): Dempa (Chinese: Dengba) and Choedan village clusters, both Larong-speaking
The dialect spoken in Ringo and Tshonga differs from that of the dialect spoken in Rongsmad and Choedan.
Classification
Suzuki & Nyima (2018)
note that Zlarong (Larong) is closely related to two other recently documented Sino-Tibetan languages of
Chamdo
Chamdo, officially Qamdo () and also known in Chinese as Changdu (), is a prefecture-level city in the eastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Its seat is the town of Chengguan in Karuo District. Chamdo is Tibet's third largest c ...
, eastern
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
, namely
Lamo and
Drag-yab (spoken in southern
Zhag'yab County
Zhag'yab County (; ), also spelled Dragyab,[Tibet 2002: A Year Book](_blank)
).
Phonology
Suzuki & Nyima (2018)
report the following phonemes from the Tangre Chaya dialect of Larong.
Prenasalisation and preaspiration appear as a preinitial.
Suzuki & Nyima (2018) report that each vowel has a creaky and nasalized counterpart.
Syllable structure:
cCGV
Tones are high and rising. The first two syllables of each word act as the tone bearing unit. The second syllable is occasionally out of the tone bearing unit.
Vocabulary
Zhao (2018: 1-3) lists the following Zlarong words.
References
*Zhao, Haoliang. 2018
A brief introduction to Zlarong, a newly recognized language in Mdzo sgang, TAR ''Proceedings of the 51st International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (2018)''. Kyoto: Kyoto University.
{{Na-Qiangic languages
Unclassified Sino-Tibetan languages
Languages of China
Languages of Tibet