Shaozhou Tuhua
Encyclopedia
Shaozhou Tuhua or simply Tuhua
, is an unclassified Chinese language spoken in the border region of the provinces Guangdong
, Hunan
and Guangxi
. It is mutually unintelligible with Hunanese, Cantonese, or Mandarin.
It is known as Yuebei Tuhua 粤北土话 "Northern Guangxi/Guangdong Tuhua" in Guangxi and Guangdong and as Xiangnan Tuhua 湘南土话 "Southern Hunanese Tuhua" or Hunan Tuhua in Hunan
, and as 虱婆话 shīpó huà "Shipo dialect", 虱乸话 shīnǎ huà "Shina dialect", or 虱婆声 shīpó shēng "Shipo accent" in its own region. It is also known as Pingdi Yaohua (平地瑶话 "Lowland Yao dialect"), locally Piongtuojo, Piongtoajeu; "Yao" here might be a cultural designation, as only half of the one million speakers are classified as ethnic Yao.
Tuhua is retreating before Cantonese
and Hakka and is found in rural dialect islands in the northern Guangdong counties of Lechang
, Renhua, Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County
, Qujiang
, Nanxiong
, Zhenjiang
, Wujiang
(parts of Shaoguan
prefecture-level city), and Lianzhou
and Liannan Yao Autonomous County
in Qingyuan prefecture-level city. In Hunan it is found in the southeast, throughout most of Yongzhou
prefecture (apart from Qiyang County
in the northeast) and the western half of Chenzhou
prefecture.
Some scholars consider it to be an extension of Ping Chinese (Pinghua) in Guangxi. Others consider it to have a foundation in Song dynasty
Middle Gan
, mixed with Hakka, Cantonese, and Southwestern Mandarin
. There is likely also significant non-Chinese influence such as Yao
, and it may even have started out as Sinicized Yao.
Tuhua is the language of nüshu, the "women's script" of Jiangyong County
in Yongzhou, Hunan.
Tuhua
Tuhua can mean:*Various rural dialects and languages in China, such as Shaozhou Tuhua or Naxi language *Mayor Island / Tuhua in New Zealand-External links:*...
, is an unclassified Chinese language spoken in the border region of the provinces Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
and Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, 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...
. It is mutually unintelligible with Hunanese, Cantonese, or Mandarin.
It is known as Yuebei Tuhua 粤北土话 "Northern Guangxi/Guangdong Tuhua" in Guangxi and Guangdong and as Xiangnan Tuhua 湘南土话 "Southern Hunanese Tuhua" or Hunan Tuhua in Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, and as 虱婆话 shīpó huà "Shipo dialect", 虱乸话 shīnǎ huà "Shina dialect", or 虱婆声 shīpó shēng "Shipo accent" in its own region. It is also known as Pingdi Yaohua (平地瑶话 "Lowland Yao dialect"), locally Piongtuojo, Piongtoajeu; "Yao" here might be a cultural designation, as only half of the one million speakers are classified as ethnic Yao.
Tuhua is retreating before Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
and Hakka and is found in rural dialect islands in the northern Guangdong counties of Lechang
Lechang
Lechang is a city in the northern Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hunan province to the north. It is administratively a county-level city of Shaoguan City.-Administrative division:* Lecheng Jiedao...
, Renhua, Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County
Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County
Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County is a county of Guangdong Province, China. It is under the administration of Shaoguan city....
, Qujiang
Qujiang District, Shaoguan
Qujiang District is a district of Guangdong Province, China. It is under the administration of Shaoguan city....
, Nanxiong
Nanxiong
Nanxiong is a city district of Guangdong Province, China. It is under the administration of Shaoguan city....
, Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang District
Zhenjiang District is a district of Guangdong Province, China. It is under the administration of Shaoguan city....
, Wujiang
Wujiang District
Wujiang District is a district of Guangdong Province, China. It is under the administration of Shaoguan city....
(parts of Shaoguan
Shaoguan
Shaoguan , historically known as Shaokwan and Shao-chow, is a prefecture-level city in the north of Southern China's Guangdong province...
prefecture-level city), and Lianzhou
Lianzhou
Lianzhou is a county-level city of Guangdong Province, China, directly under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Qingyuan. Lianzhou has become famous for an international photography festival celebrated yearly in the city....
and Liannan Yao Autonomous County
Liannan Yao Autonomous County
Liannan Yao Autonomous County , is located in the northeast of Guangdong Province, China, in Qingyuan prefecture-level city....
in Qingyuan prefecture-level city. In Hunan it is found in the southeast, throughout most of Yongzhou
Yongzhou
Yongzhou is a prefecture-level city in the Hunan province of China.YongZhou is located in the central and south of China, on the southern side of Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang rivers. Yongzhou is one of the four ancient counties in Hunan; it is 2000 years old...
prefecture (apart from Qiyang County
Qiyang County
Qiyang County is a county of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Yongzhou city.-References:Missing...
in the northeast) and the western half of Chenzhou
Chenzhou
Chenzhou is a city located in the southern area of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. Its administrative area covers , 9.2% of the provincial area, and its total population reached 4,559,600 as of 2001, 26% of them living in urban areas, 74% of them live in rural areas.-History:Chenzhou...
prefecture.
Some scholars consider it to be an extension of Ping Chinese (Pinghua) in Guangxi. Others consider it to have a foundation in Song dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
Middle Gan
Middle Gan
Middle Gan corresponds to the Gan language from the Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty. The last time of large-scale settlement in Jiangxi by people from Zhongyuan took place due to the An Shi Rebellion and Gan language also became stabilized since the period.Research on the rhyming system of...
, mixed with Hakka, Cantonese, and 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...
. There is likely also significant non-Chinese influence such as Yao
Mienic languages
The Mienic languages are spoken by the Yao people of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.-Classification:Mienic is one of the primary branches of the Hmong–Mien language family, with the other being Hmongic...
, and it may even have started out as Sinicized Yao.
Tuhua is the language of nüshu, the "women's script" of Jiangyong County
Jiangyong County
Jiangyong County is a county located in the southwestern part of the prefecture of Yongzhou in Hunan province, China. Nüshu is a local script understood only by women in Jiangyong County....
in Yongzhou, Hunan.