The Xong language ( ) is the northernmost Hmongic language, spoken in south-central China by around 0.9 million people. It is called (, "Western Hunan Miao") in Chinese. In Western sources, it has been called Eastern Miao, Meo, Red Miao and North Hmongic. An official alphabet was adopted in 1956.

Distribution

Xong is spoken mainly in

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 ...

province, but also in a few areas of

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 ...

and

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The pr ...

provinces, the Guangxi autonomous region and

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Cou ...

municipality in China. Xong-speaking communities, by county, are, *Western (Xong): 800,000 speakers (autonym ') **

***

Huayuan County Huayuan County () is a county of Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Located on the western margin of the province and the south western Xiangxi, it is immediately adjacent to the borders of Gu ...

Xiangxi Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (; Tujia: Xianxxix bifzivkar befkar zifzifzoux; Miao: Xangdxid tutjadcul maolcul zibzhibzhoud) is an autonomous prefecture of the People's Republic of China. It is located in northwestern Hunan provi ...

*** Jishou,

***

Fenghuang County Fenghuang County (), named after the mythological birds ''Fenghuang'', is a county of Hunan Province, China, under the administration of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Located on the western margin of the province and the southern Xiangxi, it i ...

***

Baojing County Baojing County () is a county of Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Located on the western margin of the province and the west central Xiangxi, it is immediately adjacent to the southeast of ...

***

Longshan County Longshan County () is a county of Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Located on the western margin of the province and the north western Xiangxi, it is immediately adjacent to the borders of C ...

*** Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County,

Huaihua Huaihua () is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Hunan province, China. It covers and is bordered by Xiangxi to the northwest, Zhangjiajie and Changde to the north, Yiyang, Loudi and Shaoyang to the east, Guilin and Liuzhou of ...

***

Mayang Miao Autonomous County Mayang ( "''Mayang Miao Autonomous County''", ; usually referred to as "''Mayang County''", ) is an autonomous county of Miao people in Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Huaihua. Mayang is loca ...

***

Songtao Miao Autonomous County Songtao Miao Autonomous County () is an autonomous county in the northeast of Guizhou province, China, bordering Chongqing to the north and Hunan province to the east. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Tongren Tongre ...

*** Tongren County **

*** Xuan'en County **

*** Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Qianjiang *** Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Qianjiang ** Guangxi *** Hechi (including Beiya 坝牙村 of Xia'ao 下坳乡, Yong'an 永安乡, and Banling 板岭乡 of Du'an County) ***

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 ...

*Eastern (Suang): 80,000 speakers **

*** Jishou,

(e.g., in Xiaozhangzhai 小章寨, with autonym ') ***

(e.g., in Wujiazhai 吴家寨) ***

Guzhang County Guzhang County () is a county of Hunan Province, China. The county is the 2nd least populous administrative unit of the counties or county-level cities (after Shaoshan City) in the province, it is under the administration of Xiangxi Autonomous ...

*** Luxi County,

(e.g., in Dongtouzhai 洞头寨, with autonym ')

Classification

Xong was classified in its own branch of the Hmongic family in Strecker (1987). Xiang (1999) divided Xong into western and eastern dialects. Matisoff (2001) considered these to be two distinct languages, but Matisoff (2006) consolidated them into one. Yang (2004) divides each of these dialects into three subdialects, as listed below. Speaker populations and locations are from Li and Li (2012). *Western (includes standardized Xong) **''Lect 1'' (autonym: '): Jiwei 吉卫,

; 769,000 speakers in the counties of Fenghuang (except Baren 叭仁乡), most of Huayuan, southern Jishou, Xinhuang, Mayang, Songtao, parts of Rongjiang, parts of Ziyun, Xiushan, parts of Nandan, parts of Hechi, and parts of Du'an. **''Lect 2'' (autonym: '): Yangmeng 阳孟, Jishou; 120,000 speakers in the counties of eastern Huayuan, western and northern Jishou, eastern Baojing, southwestern Guzhang, Fenghuang (in Baren 叭仁乡), and Xuan'en. **''Lect 3'' (autonym: '): Zhongxin 中心,

; 30,000 speakers in southeastern Baojing County. *Eastern **''Lect 4'' (autonym: '): Xiaozhang 小章, Luxi County; 6,000 speakers in and around Xiaozhang, Luxi County **''Lect 5'' (autonym: '): Danqing 丹青, Jishou; 48,000 speakers in the counties of northwestern Luxi, eastern Jishou, and southeastern Guzhang. **''Lect 6'' (autonym: '): Dengshang 蹬上,

; 300 speakers in southern Longshan County and Yongshun County (in Shouche 首车乡). He Fuling (2009) describes a western Qo Xiong dialect of Gouliang Ethnic Miao Village, Ala Township,

(凤凰县阿拉镇勾良苗寨). Chen (2009) describes a western Qo Xiong dialect of Daxing Town 大兴镇,

Songtao County Songtao Miao Autonomous County () is an autonomous county in the northeast of Guizhou province, China, bordering Chongqing to the north and Hunan province to the east. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city A prefecture ...

, Guizhou.

Phonology and script

A written standard based on the Western dialect in Làyǐpíng village and Jíwèi town, Huāyuán county, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture was established in 1956.

References

External links

Xong basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database
{{Languages of China Hmongic languages Languages of China fr:Miao du Xiangxi occidental

Distribution

Classification

Phonology and script

References

Further reading

External links