Gelao language
Encyclopedia
Gelao is a dialect cluster of Kra languages
in the Tai–Kadai language family, spoken by the Gelao people in China and Vietnam. Despite an ethnic population of 580,000 (2000 census), however, only a few thousand still speak the language. Estimates run from 3,000 in China by Jinfang
in 1999, of which 500 are monolinguals, to 7,900 by Edmonson
in 2008. Edmondson (2002) estimates the three varieties in Vietnam number 350. The language has not been very well attested, having only been studied by a few scholars such as Jinfang, Edmondson, Weera Ostapirat, and Zhang Jimin. The three varieties in Vietnam are not mutually intelligible, and three varieties in China may be distinct languages as well.
In 2009, a book allegedly written in a native Gelao script has been found in Guizhou
, China. It is not known whether this find is authentic.
, another Kra language
, Gelao contains many words which are likely to be Austronesian
cognates. (See Austro-Tai.)
As noted by Li and Zhou, Gelao shares much vocabulary with the Hlai
and Ong Be
languages, suggesting contact with Pre-Hlai speakers before their migration to Hainan
.
classifies Klao as four languages, perhaps as closely related to the two Lachi language
s as they are to each other.
Central (Gao)
Northern (Red Gelao)
Southwestern (White and Green Gelao)
The most extensively studied varieties are the Wanzi and Zhenfeng dialects, while the most endangered one is Red Gelao. Like Buyang
, White Gelao also appears to have more Austronesian cognates than the other varieties.
, Buyei
, and Miao
. Many Gelao speakers can also speak Buyei, Zhuang, or Miao, and nearly all can speak local varieties of Chinese
.
The most endangered variety, Red Gelao of Vietnam, is spoken by only about 50 people. Many speakers have shifted to Southwestern Mandarin
or Hmong
. The Red Gelao people, who call themselves the va35 ntɯ31, send brides back and forth among the villages of Na Khê and Bìch Đich in Yên Minh District, Hà Giang Province
, Vietnam and another village in Fanpo, Malipo County
, Yunnan
, China (autonym: u33 wei55) in order to ensure the continual survival of their ethnic group.
Among Gelao-speaking families, most middle-age Gelao have very limited speaking abilities for Gelao, while much of the younger generation cannot understand Gelao. In many cases, Gelao-speaking families are often the only ones left in their villages.
s. Many varieties also preserve consonant cluster
s that have been lost in most other related languages. These consonant clusters, such as pl, bl, phl, ml, mpl, vl, and kl, correspond regularly with consonants in Lachi, Mulao, Qabiao (Pubiao), Buyang, and various Kam–Tai languages. Gelao also shares many phonological features with the Buyei language.
Many Gelao varieties have a total of 6 tones, including 2 level (33 and 55), 2 rising (13 and 35), and 2 falling tones (31 and 53).
Sound correspondences between the Liuzhi (六枝) and Zhenfeng
(贞丰) varieties include:
[Liuzhi : Zhenfeng]
language. Like Buyang
, one unusual feature of Gelao is that negatives usually come at the end of a sentence. Reduplication
is very common and is used for dimunitive or repetitive purposes. Other common features include the use of serial verb constructions and compound nouns. Although numerals and classifiers precede nouns, adjectives (including demonstrative
s) always follow the noun. Function words, such as prepositions and auxiliary words, are often derived from verbs.
Like Buyang
and Dong
, Gelao retains many prefixes that have been lost in most other Tai–Kadai languages. Zhang (1993:300) notes that the Moji (磨基) Longlin variant makes especially extensive use of prefixing syllables before nouns, verbs, and adjectives. These prefixes are especially important for reconstruction purposes.
Many words in Gelao are derived from vernacular Southwest Mandarin Chinese. These loanwords are often used interchangeably with native Gelao words. There is also a highly rich system of classifier
s.
Gelao also has a rich set of pronouns not attested in other Tai–Kadai languages. There are also pronouns referring to one's household in particular. The following are pronouns from Pingba Gelao.
Pingba Gelao numerals are given below. Note the similarities with the Austronesian
numeral system.
Word lists
Kra languages
The Kra languages , also called Gēyāng in China, are a branch of the Tai–Kadai family spoken in southern China and in northern Vietnam. Out of the entire Tai–Kadai family, the Kra branch is the least studied...
in the Tai–Kadai language family, spoken by the Gelao people in China and Vietnam. Despite an ethnic population of 580,000 (2000 census), however, only a few thousand still speak the language. Estimates run from 3,000 in China by Jinfang
Li Jinfang
Li Jinfang is a Chinese linguist at Minzu University in Beijing, China. Li is a leading specialist in the Tai–Kadai languages of southern China, especially the Kra branch.-References:*http://www.panjizhai.com/html/2010/0808/317852.php...
in 1999, of which 500 are monolinguals, to 7,900 by Edmonson
Jerold A. Edmondson
Jerold A. Edmondson is a professor of linguistics at the University of Texas at Arlington. Edmondson is a leading specialist in Tai–Kadai languages, especially the Kam–Sui branch. He was one of the researchers who discovered the En language during a linguistic field expedition in the late...
in 2008. Edmondson (2002) estimates the three varieties in Vietnam number 350. The language has not been very well attested, having only been studied by a few scholars such as Jinfang, Edmondson, Weera Ostapirat, and Zhang Jimin. The three varieties in Vietnam are not mutually intelligible, and three varieties in China may be distinct languages as well.
In 2009, a book allegedly written in a native Gelao script has been found in Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, China. It is not known whether this find is authentic.
External relationships
Like BuyangBuyang language
Buyang is a Tai–Kadai language spoken in Guangnan and Funing counties, Yunnan Province, China by the Buyang people. It is important to the reconstruction of Austro-Tai as it retains the disyllabic roots characteristic of Austronesian languages. Examples are "to die", "eye", "head", and "eight"...
, another Kra language
Kra languages
The Kra languages , also called Gēyāng in China, are a branch of the Tai–Kadai family spoken in southern China and in northern Vietnam. Out of the entire Tai–Kadai family, the Kra branch is the least studied...
, Gelao contains many words which are likely to be Austronesian
Austronesian languages
The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia that are spoken by about 386 million people. It is on par with Indo-European, Niger-Congo, Afroasiatic and Uralic as one of the...
cognates. (See Austro-Tai.)
As noted by Li and Zhou, Gelao shares much vocabulary with the Hlai
Hlai languages
The Hlai languages are a primary branch of the Tai–Kadai language family spoken in China on the island of Hainan. They include Hlai proper, with 600,000 speakers, and Cun, which has 80,000 speakers. The most divergent language is Jiamao, with 52,300 speakers in southern Hainan.-Classification:The...
and Ong Be
Ong Be language
Ong Be , also known as Bê, or Vo Limgao in Chinese, is a language spoken by 600,000 people, 100,000 of them monolingual, on the north-central coast of Hainan Island, including the suburbs of the provincial capital Haikou. The language is taught in primary schools and broadcast on the radio...
languages, suggesting contact with Pre-Hlai speakers before their migration to Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
.
Varieties
EthnologueEthnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
classifies Klao as four languages, perhaps as closely related to the two Lachi language
Lachi language
The Lachi language is a Kra language spoken in Yunnan, China and in northern Vietnam. There were 9,500 Lachi speakers in Vietnam as of 1990...
s as they are to each other.
Ostapirat (2000)
Ostapirat (2000) proposed three major subdivisions for Gelao, with a total of 17 varieties. The Central and Southwestern branches shares various phonological innovations, suggesting an initial split with the Northern branch.Central (Gao)
- Wanzi 弯子寨, Anshun 安顺, GuizhouGuizhou' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
(also spoken in Heizhai 黑寨) - Dagouchang 大狗场, Pingba 平坝, Guizhou
- Xinzhai 新寨, Baiyan 白岩乡, Puding 普定, Guizhou (also spoken in Wozi 窝子)
Northern (Red Gelao)
- Qiaoshang 桥上, Xiongjiazhai 熊家寨乡, Longchang 龙场区, Renhuai 仁怀, Guizhou
- Bigong 比贡, Zhenning 镇宁, Guizhou
- Longli 龙里, Majiang 麻江, Guizhou (Zhang calls this dialect Mulao 木佬.)
- Longjia 龙家寨, Zhijin 织金, Guizhou
Southwestern (White and Green Gelao)
- Laozhai 老寨, Malipo 麻栗坡, YunnanYunnanYunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
(related dialect spoken in Yueliangwan 月亮弯) - Ban Ma Che, Đồng Văn, Hà GiangHà Giang ProvinceHà Giang is a province in northeastern Vietnam. It is located in the far north of the country, and contains Vietnam’s northernmost point. It shares a 270 km long border with Yunnan province of southern China. Hence it is known as the final frontier of Vietnam...
, Vietnam - Moji 摩/磨基, Longlin 隆林, GuangxiGuangxiGuangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
(near Dashuijing 大水井; < 400 speakers) - Niupo 牛坡, Liuzhi 六枝, Guizhou (most populous; also spoken in Machang 马场镇 of Puding 普定县 and Agong 阿弓镇 of Zhijin 织金县; Judu 居都, Yanjiao 岩脚, Houzitian 猴子田, Langjiaba 郞家坝, and Duojiao 堕脚 of Liuzhi 六枝)
- Datiezhai 打铁寨, Shuicheng 水城, Guizhou (also spoken in Gaoshi 高石 and Miluo 米箩)
- Dingyinshao 定银哨, Zhenning 镇宁, Guizhou
- Pudi 普底, Dafang 大方, Guizhou (also spoken in Hongfeng 红丰村)
- Jianshan 尖山, Zunyi 遵义, Guizhou (also spoken in Pingzheng 平正, Zunyi along with Red and Green Gelao; < 500 speakers)
- Qinglong 青龙, Zunyi 遵义, Guizhou
- Sanchong 三冲村, Longlin 隆林, Guangxi (grouped as Central by Shen Yumay and Jerold A. Edmondson)
Edmondson (2008)
The following list of varieties is from Jerold A. Edmondson.- Southwestern (White and Green Gelao)
- Laozhai (老寨), Malipo (麻栗坡县), YunnanYunnanYunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
- Moji (磨基), Longlin (隆林县), GuangxiGuangxiGuangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
- White Gelao of Hà GiangHa GiangHà Giang is a town in northeastern Vietnam. It is the capital of Ha Giang province. The town has an area of 168.7 km² and population of 40,000 inhabitants.-Administration:Hà Giang is divided into one city and ten districts:Bắc MêBắc Quang...
Province: Đồng Vǎn, Hoàng Su PhìHoang Su PhiHoang Su Phi is a district of Ha Giang Province in the northeastern region of Vietnam. the district had a population of 53,937. The district covers an area of 629 km²...
, Quản BạQuan BaQuan Ba is a district of Ha Giang Province in the Northeast region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 39,821. The district covers an area of 550 km²...
, and Mèo VạcMeo VacMeo Vac is a district of Ha Giang Province in the northeastern region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 58,944. The district covers an area of 574 km²...
districts - Red Gelao of Fanpo (翻坡), Malipo (麻栗坡县), YunnanYunnanYunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
- Laozhai (老寨), Malipo (麻栗坡县), Yunnan
- Central (Gao)
- Wanzi (弯子寨) near AnshunAnshunAnshun is a prefecture-level city in China in the southwestern province of Guizhou where the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall is located. Within the borders of its prefecture one also finds attractions such as Long Gong Dragon Caves and the Getu River. As of 1999, it had a population of 217,215...
(安顺), GuizhouGuizhou' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :... - Sanchong (三冲村), Longlin (隆林县), GuangxiGuangxiGuangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
- Green Gelao of Hoàng Su PhìHoang Su PhiHoang Su Phi is a district of Ha Giang Province in the northeastern region of Vietnam. the district had a population of 53,937. The district covers an area of 629 km²...
, Vietnam
- Wanzi (弯子寨) near Anshun
- Northern (Red Gelao) (or Western)
- Bigong (比贡), northern Guizhou
- Qiaoshang (桥上) of Zhijin (织金), western Guizhou
Moseley (2007)
The Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages groups Gelao into five subdivisions.- Hakhi (哈给 Hagei, ha53 kei33, Green Gelao): west-central GuizhouGuizhou' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, western GuangxiGuangxiGuangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
, southeastern YunnanYunnanYunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, northern VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
- including Yangliu (杨柳) variety in Renhuai County; southwestern Gelao of Sanchong (三冲) and Qinglong (青龙). Hagei varieties are also spoken in Ma'ao (麻凹村), Guanling County (关岭县), Pomao (坡帽) in Zhenfeng County (贞丰县), and Pingzheng Gelao Village (平正仡佬族乡), ZunyiZunyiZunyi is a prefecture-level city in Guizhou province in southwestern China. Along with Guiyang and Liupanshui, it is one of the most important cities of the province...
(遵义). Estimated by Jiashan He (1983) at 1,700 speakers. He (1983) also listed Anliang 安良 and Taiyang 太阳 of Renhuai 仁怀县, Huajiangzhen 花江镇 and Ma'ao 麻垇 of Zhenning 镇宁县, Dingying 顶营 of Guanling 关岭县, Maixiang 麦巷 near Qingzhen 清镇, and Liangshuiying 凉水营 of Qinglong 晴隆县 as Hagei-speaking places. - Tolo (多罗 Duoluo, to31 ʔlo55, White Gelao): west-central GuizhouGuizhou' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, western GuangxiGuangxiGuangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
, southeastern YunnanYunnanYunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, northern VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
; all other southwestern Gelao varieties. The Niupo variety is also spoken in Machang village (马场镇), Puding CountyPuding CountyPuding County is a county of Guizhou, China. It is under the administration of Anshun city....
(普定县), Anshun, as well as Agong village (阿弓镇), Zhijin CountyZhijin CountyZhijin County is a county-level administrative district in southwestern China, part of the Bijie Prefecture within the Guizhou province.-History:...
(织金县), Bijie. The Datiezhai variety is spoken in Gaoshi (高石) of Shuicheng (水城) and Miluo (米箩) of Shuicheng (水城). Estimated by Jiashan He (1983) at 1,200 speakers. - A-uo (阿欧 A'ou/Ao, Red Gelao): west-central GuizhouGuizhou' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, western GuangxiGuangxiGuangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
, southeastern YunnanYunnanYunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, northern VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
- including Banli (板栗湾) variety in Renhuai County; all northern Gelao varieties, as well as southwestern Gelao of Puding County (普定县) and Maocaozhai (茅草寨), Zhijin County (织金县). Estimated by Jiashan He (1983) at 1,500 speakers. He (1983) also listed Shawo 沙窝, Xinkaitian 新开田, Lannigou 滥泥沟 (all in Qianxi 黔西县) as A'ou-speaking places. - Aqao (稿 Gao): west-central GuizhouGuizhou' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
; all central Gelao varieties. Estimated by Jiashan He (1983) at 2,000 speakers. He (1983) also listed Dongkou 洞口 of Shuicheng 水城县 and Niudong 牛洞 of Zhijin 织金县 as Gao-speaking places. - Qaw: Gulin CountyGulin CountyGulin County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Luzhou city.*The county covers 3,182 square kinometres with a population of 833,000 in 2008.-External links:*...
(古蔺县), SichuanSichuan' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
; mostly unattested. This dialect is spoken by the Yi (羿人), who are the least-known Gelao subgroup.
The most extensively studied varieties are the Wanzi and Zhenfeng dialects, while the most endangered one is Red Gelao. Like Buyang
Buyang language
Buyang is a Tai–Kadai language spoken in Guangnan and Funing counties, Yunnan Province, China by the Buyang people. It is important to the reconstruction of Austro-Tai as it retains the disyllabic roots characteristic of Austronesian languages. Examples are "to die", "eye", "head", and "eight"...
, White Gelao also appears to have more Austronesian cognates than the other varieties.
Demographics
Zhang Jimin estimated a total of over 10,000 Gelao speakers in the early 1990s, while Li Jinfang places this number at 3,000 in 1999. Jerold A. Edmondson's 2008 estimate is 7,900 speakers. This number is rapidly declining, as the Gelao are intermarrying with the neighboring HanHan people
Han people may refer to:* Han Chinese , the majority ethnic group of China.* Han , an indigenous people of North America.* Koreans , whose ethnicity can also be called "Han" in the Korean language....
, Buyei
Buyei
The Buyei are an ethnic group living in southern mainland China. Numbering 2.5 million, they are the 11th largest of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China...
, and Miao
Miao people
The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
. Many Gelao speakers can also speak Buyei, Zhuang, or Miao, and nearly all can speak local varieties of Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
.
The most endangered variety, Red Gelao of Vietnam, is spoken by only about 50 people. Many speakers have shifted to Southwestern Mandarin
Southwestern Mandarin
Southwestern Mandarin , also known as Upper Yangtze Mandarin , is a primary branch of Mandarin Chinese spoken by Han Chinese people throughout many regions of central and southwestern China, such as Sichuan, Yunnan, Chongqing, Guizhou, most parts of Hubei, the western part of Hunan, the northern...
or Hmong
Hmong language
Hmong or Mong is the common name for a dialect continuum of the West Hmongic branch of the Hmong–Mien/Miao–Yao language family spoken by the Hmong people of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, northern Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos...
. The Red Gelao people, who call themselves the va35 ntɯ31, send brides back and forth among the villages of Na Khê and Bìch Đich in Yên Minh District, Hà Giang Province
Hà Giang Province
Hà Giang is a province in northeastern Vietnam. It is located in the far north of the country, and contains Vietnam’s northernmost point. It shares a 270 km long border with Yunnan province of southern China. Hence it is known as the final frontier of Vietnam...
, Vietnam and another village in Fanpo, Malipo County
Malipo County
Malipo County is located in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China.-External links:*...
, Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, China (autonym: u33 wei55) in order to ensure the continual survival of their ethnic group.
Among Gelao-speaking families, most middle-age Gelao have very limited speaking abilities for Gelao, while much of the younger generation cannot understand Gelao. In many cases, Gelao-speaking families are often the only ones left in their villages.
Phonology
Gelao has many uvular and prenasalized consonantPrenasalized consonant
Prenasalized consonants are phonetic sequences of a nasal and an obstruent that behave phonologically like single consonants. The reasons for considering these sequences to be single consonants is in their behavior, not in their actual composition...
s. Many varieties also preserve consonant cluster
Consonant cluster
In linguistics, a consonant cluster is a group of consonants which have no intervening vowel. In English, for example, the groups and are consonant clusters in the word splits....
s that have been lost in most other related languages. These consonant clusters, such as pl, bl, phl, ml, mpl, vl, and kl, correspond regularly with consonants in Lachi, Mulao, Qabiao (Pubiao), Buyang, and various Kam–Tai languages. Gelao also shares many phonological features with the Buyei language.
Many Gelao varieties have a total of 6 tones, including 2 level (33 and 55), 2 rising (13 and 35), and 2 falling tones (31 and 53).
Sound correspondences between the Liuzhi (六枝) and Zhenfeng
Zhenfeng County
Zhenfeng County is a county of Guizhou, China. It is under the administration of the Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture....
(贞丰) varieties include:
[Liuzhi : Zhenfeng]
- pl : pj
- plh : p
- ml : m
- mp : m
- ntɕ : ɲ/nʲ
- ŋk : ŋ/k
Grammar
Like all of its surrounding languages, Gelao is a head-first, SVOSVO
SVO is an acronym for several terms:* Mustang SVO, a car developed by Ford Motor Company* Saturn Valley Online, an EarthBound MMORPG.* Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, IATA Airport Code...
language. Like Buyang
Buyang language
Buyang is a Tai–Kadai language spoken in Guangnan and Funing counties, Yunnan Province, China by the Buyang people. It is important to the reconstruction of Austro-Tai as it retains the disyllabic roots characteristic of Austronesian languages. Examples are "to die", "eye", "head", and "eight"...
, one unusual feature of Gelao is that negatives usually come at the end of a sentence. Reduplication
Reduplication
Reduplication in linguistics is a morphological process in which the root or stem of a word is repeated exactly or with a slight change....
is very common and is used for dimunitive or repetitive purposes. Other common features include the use of serial verb constructions and compound nouns. Although numerals and classifiers precede nouns, adjectives (including demonstrative
Demonstrative
In linguistics, demonstratives are deictic words that indicate which entities a speaker refers to and distinguishes those entities from others...
s) always follow the noun. Function words, such as prepositions and auxiliary words, are often derived from verbs.
Like Buyang
Buyang language
Buyang is a Tai–Kadai language spoken in Guangnan and Funing counties, Yunnan Province, China by the Buyang people. It is important to the reconstruction of Austro-Tai as it retains the disyllabic roots characteristic of Austronesian languages. Examples are "to die", "eye", "head", and "eight"...
and Dong
Dong language
The Kam language, also known as Gam , or in Chinese, Dong or Tung-Chia, is the language of the Dong people...
, Gelao retains many prefixes that have been lost in most other Tai–Kadai languages. Zhang (1993:300) notes that the Moji (磨基) Longlin variant makes especially extensive use of prefixing syllables before nouns, verbs, and adjectives. These prefixes are especially important for reconstruction purposes.
Many words in Gelao are derived from vernacular Southwest Mandarin Chinese. These loanwords are often used interchangeably with native Gelao words. There is also a highly rich system of classifier
Classifier
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s.
Gelao also has a rich set of pronouns not attested in other Tai–Kadai languages. There are also pronouns referring to one's household in particular. The following are pronouns from Pingba Gelao.
- (su33) i42 - I
- (su33) mu21 - you
- (su33) u42 - he, she, it
- (su33) ta33 - we
- (su33) sa33 - you all
- pə42 nu42 - they
- qa33/a33 qei42 - my household
- qa33/a33 mu21 - your household
- qa33/a55 qu42 - his/her household
Pingba Gelao numerals are given below. Note the similarities with the Austronesian
Austronesian languages
The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia that are spoken by about 386 million people. It is on par with Indo-European, Niger-Congo, Afroasiatic and Uralic as one of the...
numeral system.
- si33
- su33
- ta33
- pu33
- mpu33
- naŋ33
- ɕi13
- zua55
- sə13
- pan13
Further reading
- 张済民/Zhang, Jimin. 仡佬语研究/Gelao yu yan jiu (A Study of Gelao). 贵阳市/Guiyang, China: 贵州民族出版社/Guizhou min zu chu ban she, 1993.
- 贺嘉善/He, Jiashan. 仡佬语简志/Gelao yu jian zhi (A Sketch of Gelao). Beijing, China: 民族出版社/Min zu chu ban she: 新華書店发行/Xin hua shu dian fa xing, 1983.
- Ryūichi Kosaka, Guoyan Zhou, Jinfang Li. 仡央语言词汇集/Geyang yu yan ci hui ji. 贵阳市/Guiyang, China: 贵州民族出版社/Guizhou min zu chu ban she, 1998.
- 李锦芳/Li, Jinfang and 周国炎/Guoyan Zhou. 仡央语言探索/Geyang yu yan tan suo. Beijing, China: 中央民族大学出版社/Zhong yang min zu da xue chu ban she, 1999.
- 周国炎 / Zhou Guoyan. 仡佬族母語生态硏究 / Gelao zu mu yu sheng tai yan jiu [Studies on the linguistic ecology of the Gelao people]. Beijing: 民族出版社 / Min zu chu ban she, 2004.
- Ostapirat, Weera (2000). "Proto-Kra". Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 23 (1): 1-251
- Shen Yumay. 2003. Phonology of Sanchong Gelao. M.A. Thesis, University of Texas at Arlington.
- Edmondson, J. A., & Solnit, D. B. (1988). Comparative Kadai: linguistic studies beyond Tai. Summer Institute of Linguistics publications in linguistics, no. 86. [Arlington, Tex.]: Summer Institute of Linguistics. ISBN 0-88312-066-6
- Diller, Anthony, Jerold A. Edmondson, and Yongxian Luo ed. The Tai–Kadai Languages. Routledge Language Family Series. Psychology Press, 2008.
External links
- Gelao-language Swadesh vocabulary list of basic words (from Wiktionary's Swadesh-list appendix)
- Entry for Gelao at Rosetta Project
- Recordings of various minority languages of northern Vietnam
- Bible recordings in Huangniu （黄扭） Longlin Gelao (also known as Sanchong Gelao, Hagei, Green Gelao)
- ztgl.net
Word lists