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Kyirong language

{{Short description|Tibetic language spoken in Tibet}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Kyirong

| nativename={{lang|ne|स्युबा}}

| altname = {{plainlist|

  • Lende
  • Kyerung

}}

| region = Tibet

| speakers = {{sigfig|100|2}}

| date = 2002

| ref = e25

| familycolor = Sino-Tibetan

| fam2 = Tibeto-Kanauri ?

| fam3 = Bodish

| fam4 = Tibetic

| fam5 = Kyirong–Kagate

| iso3 = kgy

| lc2 = kgy

| ld2 = Kyirong

| glotto = kyer1238

| glottoname = Kyerung

| glottorefname = Kyerung

}}Kyirong is a language from the subgroup of Tibetic languagesN. Tournadre (2005) "L'aire linguistique tibétaine et ses divers dialectes." Lalies, 2005, n°25, p. 7–56 [http://tournadre.nicolas.free.fr/fichiers/2005-aire.pdf] spoken in the Gyirong County of the Shigatse prefecture, of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Kyirong has lexical tone, with a three-tone system.{{Cite book|title=The Tibetan dialect of Lende (Kyirong).|last=Huber|first=Brigitte|publisher=VGH Wissenschaftsverlag|year=2005|location=Bonn}}

Relationship to other languages

There is a varying degree of mutual intelligibility between Kyirong and other Kyirong-Yolmo varieties. It is most closely related to the Nubri and Gyalsomdo languages,{{Cite book|title=An investigation of the relationship between the Kyirong, Yòlmo, and Standard Spoken Tibetan speech varieties (unpublished MA thesis)|last=Hedlin|first=Matthew|publisher=Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand|year=2011}} and more distantly related to other languages in the family.{{Cite journal|last=Gawne|first=Lauren|date=2013|title=Report on the relationship between Yolmo and Kagate|journal=Himalayan Linguistics|volume=12|pages=1–27}}

Phonology

= Consonants =

There are 36 consonants in Kyirong, which are summarized in the table below.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
colspan="2" |

! Bilabial

! colspan="2" | Apico-Dental

! Retroflex

! Lamino-
post-alveolar

! Palatal

! Velar

! Glottal

colspan="2" | Nasal

| {{IPA link|m}}

| colspan="2" | {{IPA link|n}}

|

|

| {{IPA link|ɲ}}

| {{IPA link|ŋ}}

|

rowspan="3" | Plosive/
Affricate

!{{small|voiceless}}

| {{IPA link|p}}

| {{IPA link|t}}

| {{IPA link|ts}}

| {{IPA link|ʈ}}

| {{IPA link|tɕ}}

| {{IPA link|c}}

| {{IPA link|k}}

|

{{small|aspirated}}

| {{IPA link|pʰ}}

| {{IPA link|tʰ}}

| {{IPA link|tsʰ}}

| {{IPA link|ʈʰ}}

| {{IPA link|tɕʰ}}

| {{IPA link|cʰ}}

| {{IPA link|kʰ}}

|

{{small|voiced}}

| {{IPA link|b}}

| {{IPA link|d}}

| {{IPA link|dz}}

| {{IPA link|ɖ}}

| {{IPA link|dʑ}}

| {{IPA link|ɟ}}

| {{IPA link|ɡ}}

|

rowspan="2" | Fricative

!{{small|voiceless}}

|

| colspan="2" | {{IPA link|s}}

|

| {{IPA link|ɕ}}

|

|

| {{IPA link|h}}

{{small|voiced}}

|

| colspan="2" | {{IPA link|z}}

|

| {{IPA link|ʑ}}

|

|

| {{IPA link|ɦ}}

rowspan="3" | Liquid

!{{small|rhotic}}

|

| colspan="2" | {{IPA link|r}}

|

|

|

|

|

{{small|voiced lateral}}

|

| colspan="2" | {{IPA link|l}}

|

|

|

|

|

{{small|unvoiced lateral}}

|

| colspan="2" | {{IPA link|ɬ}}

|

|

|

|

|

colspan="2" | Semivowel

| {{IPA link|w}}

| colspan="2" |

|

|

| {{IPA link|j}}

|

|

= Vowels =

There are eight places of articulation for vowels. There is a length distinction at each place of articulation, as well as a long nasalised vowel.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
colspan="2" |

! colspan="2" |Front

!Central

!Back

rowspan="2" |Close

!{{small|oral}}

|{{IPA link|i}}   {{IPA link|iː}}

|{{IPA link|y}}   {{IPA link|yː}}

|

|{{IPA link|u}}   {{IPA link|uː}}

{{small|nasal}}

|{{IPA link|ĩː}}

|{{IPA link|ỹː}}

|

|{{IPA link|ũː}}

rowspan="2" |Half-close

!{{small|oral}}

|{{IPA link|e}}   {{IPA link|eː}}

|{{IPA link|ø}}   {{IPA link|øː}}

|

|

{{small|nasal}}

|{{IPA link|ẽː}}

|{{IPA link|ø̃ː}}

|

|

rowspan="2" |Half-open

!{{small|oral}}

|{{IPA link|ɛ}}   {{IPA link|ɛː}}

|

|

|{{IPA link|ɔ}}   {{IPA link|ɔː}}

{{small|nasal}}

|{{IPA link|ɛ̃ː}}

|

|

|{{IPA link|ɔ̃ː}}

rowspan="2" |Open

! {{small|oral}}

|

|

|{{IPA link|a}}   {{IPA link|aː}}

|

{{small|nasal}}

|

|

|{{IPA link|ãː}}

|

= Tone =

Kyriong has a three tone system; high, medium and low. Low tone is often accompanied by breathy voice.

Sources

  • Hedlin, M. (2011). An Investigation of the relationship between the Kyirong, Yòlmo, and Standard Spoken Tibetan speech varieties. Masters thesis, Payap University, Chiang Mai.
  • Huber, B. (2005). The Tibetan dialect of Lende (Kyirong). Beiträge zur tibetischen Erzählforschung, 15.

References

{{reflist}}

{{Sino-Tibetan languages}}

{{Bodic languages}}

{{Languages of Nepal}}

{{Languages of China}}

Category:Central Bodish languages

Category:Languages of Nepal

Category:Languages of Tibet