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, as well as Eastern Miao (). In Western sources, it has been called Meo, Red Miao, and North Hmongic. An official alphabet was adopted in 1956.

Distribution

Xong is spoken mainly in

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

province, but also in a few areas of

Guizhou ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_map = Guizhou in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_alt = Map showing the location of Guizhou Province , map_caption = Map s ...

and

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

provinces,

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

, and

Chongqing ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...

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

*** Huayuan County, Xiangxi ***

Jishou Jishou (; Tujia language, Tujia: Jiersouv) is a county-level city and the seat of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan, Hunan province, China. Located in western Hunan province, the city is bordered to the northwest by Huayuan Cou ...

, Xiangxi *** Fenghuang County, Xiangxi *** Baojing County, Xiangxi ***

Longshan County Longshan County () is a Counties of the People's Republic of China, county of Hunan, Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Located in northwestern Xi ...

, Xiangxi *** Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County,

Huaihua Huaihua () is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Hunan province, China. It is known as the "Western Gate" of Hunan and is the largest prefecture-level city in the province.It covers and is bordered by Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous P ...

***

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 *** Tongren County **

*** Xuan'en County **

*** Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Qianjiang *** Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Qianjiang **

***

Hechi Hechi ( zh, c=河池) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, bordering Guizhou to the north. The actual inner city itself is referred as Jinchengjiang ( zh, c=金城江). ...

(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 (, ) is a county of Hechi City, in the northwest of Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South ...

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

***

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

, Xiangxi (e.g., in Wujiazhai 吴家寨) *** Guzhang County, Xiangxi *** Luxi County, Xiangxi (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, Huayuan County; 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,

; 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, Baojing County; 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,

; 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, Fenghuang County (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, Guizhou.

Phonology and script

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

References

External links

* Xong comparative vocabulary list on Wiktionary (6 dialects compared)
Xong basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database
{{Languages of China Hmongic languages Languages of Hunan Languages of Guizhou Languages of Guangxi Languages of Hubei

Distribution

Classification

Phonology and script

References

Further reading

External links