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Nisu language

{{Short description|Loloish language cluster spoken in China}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Nisu

|altname=Southern Yi

|image=Nyier sut miep.svg

|imagecaption=Native name written in classical Yi script

|states=China

|ethnicity=Yi

|speakers={{sigfig|300,000|2}} apart from Northern

|date=2004–2007

|ref=e18

|speakers2=160,000 Northern (no date){{e16|yiv|Northern Nisu}}

|familycolor=Sino-Tibetan

|fam2=Tibeto-Burman

|fam3=Lolo-Burmese

|fam4=Loloish

|fam5=Nisoish

|fam6=Northern Loloish or Southeastern Loloish?

|script=Yi logograms

|lc1=nsd

|lc2=yiv

|lc3=nos

|lc4=nsv

|ld1=Southern

|ld2=Northern

|ld3=Eastern

|ld4=Southwestern

(duplicate or spurious code)

|lc5=nsf|ld5=Northwestern

|glotto=nisu1237

|glottoname=Nisu–Nyisu

}}

Nisu (Southern Yi, Classical Yi script: 50px) is a language cluster spoken by half a million Yi people of China. It is one of six Yi languages recognized by the government of China. The Yi script was traditionally used, though few can still read it. According to Lama (2012),{{sfn|Lama|2012}} Nisu (Nishu) autonyms include {{IPA|ne̠33 su55}}, {{IPA|ne̠33 su55 pʰo21}}, and {{IPA|ɲe̠33 ʂu55}}.

The position of Nisu within Nisoish is debated. Nisu is classified as Southeastern Loloish by Pelkey (2011),{{sfn|Pelkey|2011}} but is traditionally classified as a Northern Loloish language, including by Lama (2012).{{sfn|Lama|2012}}

Internal classification

=Chen et al. (1985)=

Chen et al. (1985:114){{sfn|Chen|Bian|Li|1985}} recognizes three major varieties of Southern Yi (i.e., Nisu) spoken in Yunnan province: Shijian (石建; Shiping-Jianshui), Yuanjin (元金; Yuanjiang-Jinping), and Exin (峨新; Eshan-Xinping). Autonyms include na̠33 su55 and na̠33 su55 pho21 (alternatively ne̠33 su55 pho21). Chen (1985) reported a speaker population of nearly 1.6 million.

  • Shijian 石建土语: spoken in Shiping, Jianshui, Tonghai, Gejiu, Kaiyuan, Mengzi, and Hekou counties
  • Yuanjin 元金土语: spoken in Yuanyang, Jinping, Mojiang, Yuanjiang, Pu'er, Jiangcheng, and Honghe counties
  • Exin 峨新土语: spoken in Eshan, Xinping, Jiangchuan, Yuxi, Yimen, and Kunming counties

=Yang (2009)=

Yang (2009){{sfn|Yang|2009}} classifies the Nisu dialects as follows.Hammarström (2015) Ethnologue 16/17/18th editions: a comprehensive review: online appendices

  • Northern Nisu
  • North-central (Shijian 石建): spoken in Shiping, Xinping, Jiangcheng, Mojiang, and Lüchun counties
  • Northwestern (Exin 峨新): spoken in Eshan and Jinning counties
  • Southern Nisu (Yuanjin 元金): spoken in Honghe, Yuanyang, Jinping, Yuanjiang, Shiping, and perhaps also Jianshui counties
  • Far Northwestern Nisu: spoken in Beidou Township (北斗彝族乡), Yongping County (descendants of Nisu soldiers who migrated to Yongping during the early Ming Dynasty; most divergent Nisu variety){{sfn|Blackburn|Blackburn|2007}}

The Jiangcheng, Mojiang, and Lüchun varieties were grouped by Chen (1985) to be southern varieties, but Yang (2009){{sfn|Yang|2009}} found that they actually belonged to the Northern Nisu group.

=Other varieties=

Other Nisu or Southern Yi groups with similar autonyms or language varieties are:

  • Ache 阿车: Autonym in Xinping County (population 100+ as of 1955) is {{IPA|nei˧su˧ pʰɯ˨˩}}.{{sfn|Yunnan sheng minzu shiwu weiyuanhui yanjiushi|1955|page=40}}
  • Luowu 罗武 (300+ people in Xinping County (1955); 100 households in Shuangbai County; also in Zhenyuan County): {{IPA|ni33 su33 pʰo33}}{{sfn|Yunnan sheng minzu shiwu weiyuanhui yanjiushi|1955|page=40}}
  • Achang 阿常 of Niukong 牛孔, Lüchun County{{sfn|Yunnan sheng Lüchun xianzhi bianzuan weiyuanhui|1992}}
  • Pulian 普连 of Qimaba 骑马坝, Daxing 大兴, and Gekui 戈奎, Lüchun County{{sfn|Yunnan sheng Lüchun xianzhi bianzuan weiyuanhui|1992}}
  • Alu 阿鲁 of Dashuigou 大水沟, Lüchun County{{sfn|Yunnan sheng Lüchun xianzhi bianzuan weiyuanhui|1992}}

A variety of Southern Nisu (autonym: {{IPA|ɲe33 su55 pʰo21}}) spoken in Aka Luoduo (阿卡洛多) village (also called Taiping village; 太平村),{{Cite web |title=Jiāngchéng Hānízú Yízú Zìzhìxiàn Guóqìng Xiāng Tiánfáng Cūnwěihuì Tàipíng Zìráncūn |script-title=zh:江城哈尼族彝族自治县国庆乡田房村委会太平自然村 |trans-title=Taiping Natural Village, Tianfang Village Committee, Guoqing Township, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County |url=http://www.ynszxc.gov.cn/villagePage/vIndex.aspx?departmentid=219483 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925195038/http://www.ynszxc.gov.cn/villagePage/vIndex.aspx?departmentid=219483 |archive-date=2017-09-25 |access-date=2016-12-20 |website=ynszxc.gov.cn}} Tianfang Village (田房村), Jiangcheng County is covered in Lu Yan (2008).{{sfn|Lu|2008}}

In Tonghai County, Southern Yi (Nisu) is spoken by all generations only in Xiangping (象平), Bajiao (芭蕉), Sizhai (四寨), Shikan (石坎), Pingba (平坝), Shangzhuangke (上庄科), and Xiazhuangke (下庄科) villages.{{sfn|Yunnan sheng Tonghai xian shizhi gongzuo weiyuanhui|1992|p=600}}

Lexicography

Pu wrote a Nisu-Chinese dictionary in 2021, with Nisu words transcribed in both IPA and Yi script. It is based on the Nisu dialect of Renhou Village 仁厚村 and Yongning Village 永宁村, both of which are located several kilometers north of Mengzi City, Yunnan.Pu Changshou 普长寿. 2021. Yiyu Nisuhua Hanyu changyong cihui duizhao 彝语尼苏话与汉语常用词汇对照. Kunming: Yunnan People's Publishing House 云南民族出版社. {{ISBN|9787536788206}}.

Phonology

= Consonants =

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

! rowspan="2" | Labial

! colspan="2" | Alveolar

! rowspan="2" | (Alveolo-)
palatal

! rowspan="2" | Retroflex

! rowspan="2" | Velar

! rowspan="2" | Glottal

plain

!sibilant

colspan="2" |Nasal

| {{IPAlink|m}}

| {{IPAlink|n}}

|

| {{IPAlink|ȵ}}

|

| {{IPAlink|ŋ}}

|

rowspan="3" |Stop/
Affricate

! voiceless

| {{IPAlink|p}}

| {{IPAlink|t}}

| {{IPAlink|t͡s}}

| {{IPAlink|t͡ɕ}}

| {{IPAlink|t͡ʂ}}

| {{IPAlink|k}}

| {{IPAlink|ʔ}}

aspirated

| {{IPAlink|pʰ}}

| {{IPAlink|tʰ}}

| {{IPAlink|t͡sʰ}}

| {{IPAlink|t͡ɕʰ}}

| {{IPAlink|t͡ʂʰ}}

| {{IPAlink|kʰ}}

|

voiced

| {{IPAlink|b}}

| {{IPAlink|d}}

| {{IPAlink|d͡z}}

| {{IPAlink|d͡ʑ}}

| {{IPAlink|d͡ʐ}}

| {{IPAlink|ɡ}}

|

rowspan="3" |Fricative

! voiceless

| {{IPAlink|f}}

| {{IPAlink|s}}

|

| {{IPAlink|ɕ}}

| {{IPAlink|ʂ}}

| {{IPAlink|x}}

|

voiced

| {{IPAlink|v}}

| {{IPAlink|z}}

|

| {{IPAlink|ʑ}}

| {{IPAlink|ʐ}}

| {{IPAlink|ɣ}}

|

lateral

|

| {{IPAlink|ɬ}}

|

|

|

|

|

colspan="2" |Lateral

|

| {{IPAlink|l}}

|

|

|

|

|

= Vowels =

There is distinction between tight-throat vowels and lax-throat (plain) vowels.

class="wikitable" style=text-align:center

! rowspan="2" |

! colspan="2" |Front

! colspan="2" |Central

! colspan="4" |Back

unrd.

!tight

!unrd.

!tight

!unrd.

!rnd.

! colspan="2" |tight

Close

| {{IPAlink|i}}

|{{IPA|i̱}}

|

|

| {{IPAlink|ɯ}}

| {{IPAlink|u}}

|{{IPA|ɯ̱}}

|{{IPA|u̱}}

Mid

| {{IPAlink|e}}

|{{IPA|e̱}}

|({{IPAlink|ə˞}})

|({{IPA|ə̱˞}})

| {{IPAlink|ɤ}}

| {{IPAlink|o}}

|{{IPA|ɤ̱}}

|{{IPA|o̱}}

Open-mid

|({{IPAlink|ɛ}})

|({{IPA|ɛ̱}})

|

|

|

|

| colspan="2" |

Open

|

|

| {{IPAlink|a}}

|{{IPA|a̱}}

|

|

| colspan="2" |

  • Diphthongs {{IPA|/iɛ, i̱ɛ̱/}} occur with alveolo-palatal consonants {{IPA|/t͡ɕ, t͡ɕʰ, d͡ʑ, ɕ, ʑ/}} in complementary distribution, in the Laochang dialect.
  • Open-mid sounds {{IPA|/ɛ, ɛ̱/}} only occur in the Shaochong dialect.
  • Rhotic vowels {{IPA|/ə˞, ə̱˞/}} occur mainly in the Northwestern dialects.{{sfn|Li|1996}}
  • Sounds {{IPA|/i, i̱/}} are heard as syllabic consonants {{IPA|[z̩, ẕ̩]}} when following alveolar sibilants or affricates, and as syllabic retroflex {{IPA|[ʐ̩, ʐ̱̩]}} when following retroflex ones.{{sfn|Yang|2009}}

= Tones =

3 tones occur as follows:

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Pitch

!Symbol

Low (falling)

|21

|{{IPAlink|˨˩}}

Mid

|33

|{{IPAlink|˧}}

High

|55

|{{IPAlink|˦}}

Notes

{{reflist}}

References

{{Refbegin}}

  • {{Citation |last=Blackburn |first=P. L. |title=Yongping Nisu Wordlist |date=2007 |place=Dali |publisher=SIL East Asia Group |last2=Blackburn |first2=Laura |mode=cs1}}
  • {{Cite book |last=Chen |first=Shilin 陈士林 |title=Yíyǔ jiǎnzhì |last2=Bian |first2=Shiming 边仕明 |last3=Li |first3=Xiuqing 李秀清 |date=1985 |publisher=Minzu chubanshe |location=Beijing |language=zh |script-title=zh:彝语简志 |trans-title=A Brief Description of the Yi Language}}
  • {{Cite thesis |last=Lama |first=Ziwo Qiu-Fuyuan |title=Subgrouping of Nisoic (Yi) Languages |date=2012 |degree=Ph.D. |hdl=10106/11161 |hdl-access=free |institution=University of Texas at Arlington}}
  • {{Cite book |last=Li |first=Shengfu |title=Yíyǔ nánbù fāngyán yánjiū |date=1996 |publisher=Minzu chubanshe |location=Beijing |language=zh |script-title=zh:彜语南部方言研究}}
  • {{Cite journal |last=Lu |first=Yan 陆燕 |date=2008 |title=Jiāngchéng Tiánfáng Yíyǔ jiégòu zhùcí yánjiū |script-title=zh:江城田房彝语结构助词研究 |journal=Yúnnán Mínzú Dàxué xuébào (Zhéxué shèhuì kēxué bǎn) |language=zh |volume=25 |issue=4 |script-journal=zh:云南民族大学学报(哲学社会科学版)}}
  • {{Cite book |last=Yunnan sheng Lüchun xianzhi bianzuan weiyuanhui |title=Lǜchūn xiànzhì |trans-title=Lüchun County Gazetteer |date=1992 |publisher=Yunnan renmin chubanshe |location=Kunming |language=zh |script-title=zh:绿春县志}}
  • {{Cite book |last=Pelkey |first=Jamin R. |title=Dialectology as Dialectic: Interpreting Phula Variation |date=2011 |publisher=De Gruyter Mouton |location=Berlin}}
  • {{Cite book |last=Yang |first=Cathryn |url=https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/9112 |title=Nisu Dialect Geography |date=2009 |publisher=SIL International |series=SIL Electronic Survey Report 2009-007}}
  • {{Cite book |last=Yunnan sheng minzu shiwu weiyuanhui yanjiushi |url=http://www.doc88.com/p-97281176367.html |title=Yúnnán mínzú shìbié cānkǎo zīliào |date=1955 |publisher=Yunnan sheng minzu shiwu weiyuanhui yanjiushi |location=[Kunming] |language=zh |script-title=zh:雲南民族識別參考資料 |via=doc88.com}}
  • {{Cite book |last=Yunnan sheng Tonghai xian shizhi gongzuo weiyuanhui |title=Tōnghǎi xiànzhì |trans-title=Tonghai County Gazetteer |date=1992 |publisher=Yunnan renmin chubanshe |location=Kunming |language=zh |script-title=zh:通海县志}}
  • [http://yun.baidu.com/share/link?uk=2654702231&shareid=1356769144&third=0&adapt=pc&fr=ftw 雲南彝語方言詞彙彙編3]

{{refend}}

{{Languages of China}}

{{Sino-Tibetan languages}}

{{Lolo-Burmese languages}}

Category:Loloish languages

Category:Languages of Yunnan