Waxiang Chinese

{{see|Macro-Bai languages}}

As noted by Laurent Sagart (2011)Sagart, Laurent. 2011. Classifying Chinese dialects/Sinitic languages on shared innovations. Talk given at Centre de recherches linguistiques sur l’Asie orientale, Norgent sur Marne. and others,de Sousa, Hilário. 2015. [http://hilario.bambooradical.com/downloadables/de-Sousa-2015-Far-Southern-Sinitic-as-MSEA-draft-20140919.pdf The Far Southern Sinitic Languages as part of Mainland Southeast Asia]. In Enfield, N.J. & Comrie, Bernard (eds.), Languages of Mainland Southeast Asia: The state of the art (Pacific Linguistics 649), 356–439. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. {{doi|10.1515/9781501501685-009}}.[http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_8967627a0101rnbv.html 湘西瓦乡话“吃饭”【柔摸】读音来历考][http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_8967627a0101du6j.html 沅陵乡话（船溪）与白语蔡家话个别读音对比] Waxiang appears to share some words with the Caijia language of western Guizhou. Sagart (2011) considers Caijia to be a sister of Waxiang. Currently, Waxiang is classified as a divergent Chinese variety rather than a non-Sinitic language. Similarities among Old Chinese, Waxiang, Caijia, and Bai have also been pointed out by Wu & Shen (2010).Wu Yunji, Shen Ruiqing [伍云姬、沈瑞清]. 2010. An Investigative Report of Waxianghua of Guzhang County, Xiangxi Prefecture [湘西古丈瓦乡话调查报告]. Shanghai Educational Press [上海教育出版社].

Qu & Tang (2017) show that Waxiang and Miao (Qo Xiong) have had little mutual influence on each other.Qu Jianhui 瞿建慧; Tang Jiaxin 唐家新. 2017. Xiangxi Xianghua yu Xiangxi Miaoyu 湘西乡话与湘西苗语. Minzu Yuwen, vol. 2.

Waxianghua is found in Luxi, Guzhang and Yongshun counties in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Zhangjiajie prefecture-level city (in Dayong {{Lang|zh|大庸}} ), and Chenxi, Xupu and Yuanling counties in Huaihua prefecture-level city. Neighboring languages include Southwestern Mandarin, Xiang Chinese, Tujia, Qo Xiong, and Hm Nai.

• {{Lang|cmn-latn|hua}} means 'speech' in Mandarin Chinese,
• {{Lang|cmn-latn|xiang}} means 'rural' in Mandarin Chinese
• {{Lang|zh-latn|wa}} means 'speech' in Southern Chinese dialects.

The word {{Transliteration|wxa|Wa}} {{Lang|zh|瓦}} is only a phonetic transcription.

Wu & Shen (2010) report Waxianghua to be spoken in the following villages.

• Yuanling County: Qingshuiping {{Lang|zh|清水坪}} , Maxipu {{Lang|zh|麻溪铺}} , Taichang {{Lang|zh|太常}} , Wusu {{Lang|zh|乌宿}} , Liangshuijing {{Lang|zh|凉水井}}
• Luxi County: Basheping {{Lang|zh|八什坪}} , Shangbao {{Lang|zh|上堡}} , Liangjiatan {{Lang|zh|梁家谭}} , Baisha {{Lang|zh|白沙镇}}
• Guzhang County: Linchang {{Lang|zh|林场}} of Gaowangjie {{Lang|zh|高望界}} , Gaofeng {{Lang|zh|高峰}} (in Taojin {{Lang|zh|淘金村}} , Beishuiping {{Lang|zh|北水坪}} , etc.), Yantouzhai {{Lang|zh|岩头寨}} , Shanzao {{Lang|zh|山枣}} , Yezhu {{Lang|zh|野竹}} , Hepeng {{Lang|zh|河蓬}} , Caotan {{Lang|zh|草潭}}
• Chenxi County: Tianwan {{Lang|zh|田湾}} , Banqiao {{Lang|zh|板桥}} , Chuanxiyi {{Lang|zh|船溪驿}} , Tanjiafang {{Lang|zh|谭家坊}}
• Xupu County: Rangjiaxi {{Lang|zh|让家溪}} , Daweixi {{Lang|zh|大渭溪}} , Muxi {{Lang|zh|木溪}}
• Yongshun County: Limin {{Lang|zh|里明村}} , Zhenxi {{Lang|zh|镇溪}} , Xiaoxi {{Lang|zh|小溪}} of Wangcun Township {{Lang|zh|王村镇}}

Liubaohua {{Lang|zh|六保话}} , a dialect closely related to Waxianghua, is spoken in several villages in southeastern Guzhang County (including in Shaojitian Village {{Lang|zh|筲箕田村}}, Shanzao Township {{Lang|zh|山枣乡}} ) and parts of Luxi County.Zou, Xiaoling 邹晓玲. 2012. [https://skxb.jsu.edu.cn/EN/article/downloadArticleFile.do?attachType=PDF&id=40 Classification of "Siklehua" in Guzhang County in Western Hunan 湘西古丈县“六保话”的系属]. Journal of Jishou University (Social Science Edition) 吉首大学学报(社会科学版) 33(1). Liubaohua is spoken in the following locations (Zou 2013).

• Guzhang County
• Shanzao Township {{Lang|zh|山枣乡}} : Huoma {{Lang|zh|火麻村}} , Gaozhai {{Lang|zh|高寨村}} , Shaojitian {{Lang|zh|筲箕田村}}, Modao {{Lang|zh|磨刀村}}
• Yantouzhai Township {{Lang|zh|岩头寨乡}}: Yinping {{Lang|zh|银坪村}} , Zimuping {{Lang|zh|梓木坪村}}, Wangouxi {{Lang|zh|碗沟溪村}}, etc.
• Luxi County: Basheping Township {{Lang|zh|八什坪乡}}
• Yuanling County: Maxipu Town {{Lang|zh|麻溪铺镇}} and Shaojiwan Town {{Lang|zh|筲箕湾镇}}

The Nanshan dialect of Waxianghua ({{zh|s=南山乡话}}) is spoken in parts of Chengbu County, Hunan and Longsheng County, Guangxi by about 1,100 Waxiang people who had originally migrated from Yuanling County. Their villages include:Zheng, Yanxia [郑焱霞]; Peng, Jianguo [彭建国]. 2016. Hunan Chengbu Xuntou Xianghua yanjiu [湖南城步巡头乡话研究]. Hunan Normal University Press [湖南师范大学出版社].

• Chengbu County, Hunan
• Xuntou Village 巡头村 and Mugua Village 木瓜村, both of which are in Wutuan Town 五团镇
• Juezhiping Village 蕨枝坪村, Nanshan Town 南山镇Zheng, Yanxia 郑焱霞. 2010. Xiang-Gui bianjie Nanshan Xianghua yanjiu 湘桂边界南山乡话研究. Doctoral dissertation. Changsha: Hunan Normal University 湖南师范大学.
• Longsheng County, Guangxi
• Ganjia Village 甘甲村, Weishan Township 伟江乡

Waxiang preserves a number of features of Old Chinese not found in most modern varieties of Chinese, such as the initial *l- (which became a voiced dental stop in Middle Chinese):Baxter & Sagart (2014), p. 109.

• Guzhang li⁶, {{linktext|地}} OC (Baxter–Sagart) {{Lang|och-latn|*lˤejs}} > MC {{Lang|ltc-latn|dijH}} > Mandarin {{Lang|cmn-latn|dì}} 'earth, ground'
• Guzhang lu⁶, {{linktext|大}} OC {{Lang|och-latn|*lˤats}} > MC {{Lang|ltc-latn|dajH}} > Mandarin {{Lang|cmn-latn|dà}} 'big'
• Guzhang li², {{linktext|遲}} OC {{Lang|och-latn|*lrəj}} > MC {{Lang|ltc-latn|drij}} > Mandarin {{Lang|cmn-latn|chí}} 'slow'
• Guzhang luʔ⁸, {{linktext|讀}} OC {{Lang|och-latn|*C.lˤok}} > MC {{Lang|ltc-latn|duwk}} > Mandarin {{Lang|cmn-latn|dú}} 'read'

Waxiang also has some cases of {{IPA|/z/}} for Old Chinese *r- (which became l- in Middle Chinese):Baxter & Sagart (2014), p. 110.

• Guzhang za², {{linktext|棃}} OC {{Lang|och-latn|*C.rəj}} > MC {{Lang|ltc-latn|lij}} > Mandarin {{Lang|cmn-latn|lí}} 'pear tree, pear'
• Guzhang zɛ², {{linktext|來}} OC {{Lang|och-latn|*mə.rˤək}} > {{Lang|och-latn|*rˤə}} > MC {{Lang|ltc-latn|loj}} > Mandarin {{Lang|cmn-latn|lái}} 'come'

In a number of words, Waxiang and Proto-Min have affricate initials where Middle Chinese has sy-:Baxter & Sagart (2014), p. 93.

• Guzhang tsu³, pMin {{Lang|mis|*tšyi}}^B, {{linktext|水}} OC {{Lang|och-latn|*s.turʔ}} > MC {{Lang|ltc-latn|sywijX}} > Mandarin {{Lang|cmn-latn|shuǐ}} 'water'
• Guzhang tɕiəu¹, pMin {{Lang|mis|*tšy}}^A, {{linktext|書}} OC {{Lang|och|*s-ta}} > MC {{Lang|ltc-latn|syo}} > Mandarin {{Lang|cmn-latn|shū}} 'writing'

In some words, Waxiang and Proto-Min have voiced affricates where Middle Chinese has y-:Baxter & Sagart (2014), p. 189.

• Guzhang dzoŋ³, pMin {{Lang|mis|*-džioŋ}}^B, {{linktext|癢}} OC {{Lang|och-latn|*Cə.ɢaŋʔ}} > MC {{Lang|ltc-latn|yangX}} > Mandarin {{Lang|cmn-latn|yǎng}} 'itch'

Sagart (2011) argues that Waxiang and Caijia together constitute the earliest branching of Chinese. However, Sagart later retracted this proposal, saying that he is no longer sure whether Waxiang and Caijia actually form a subgroup together.

Like Waxiang, Caijia preserves Old Chinese *l-, has a voiced fricative reflex of *r-, and retains the Old Chinese word {{linktext|字}} 'love', which has been replaced by {{linktext|愛}} in all other Chinese varieties. Waxiang and Caijia also share two words not found in other Chinese varieties:

• 'two': Caijia {{IPA|ta⁵⁵}}, Waxiang {{IPA|tso⁵³}}, from Old Chinese {{linktext|再}} {{Lang|och-latn|*tsˤəs}} 'twice'
• 'milk': Caijia {{IPA|mi⁵⁵}}, Waxiang {{IPA|mi⁵⁵}}, which Sagart suggests is a non-Sinitic word

{{Reflist}}

{{sister project |project=wiktionary |text=Wiktionary has a Macro-Bai comparative vocabulary list}}

{{incubator|wxa}}

• Hilary Chappell (2012), [http://portal.cohass.ntu.edu.sg/ICSTLL45/Documents/ICSTLL45%20H.%20Chappell%20final.pdf "Typology of an isolated Sinitic language: Waxiang, a language of northwestern Hunan, China"] (presentation slides), keynote at 45th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics.
• {{cite journal |given1=Hilary |surname1=Chappell |given2=Alain |surname2=Peyraube |given3=Yunji |surname3=Wu |title=A comitative source for object markers in Sinitic languages: 跟 kai⁵⁵ in Waxiang and 共 kang⁷ in Southern Min |journal=Journal of East Asian Linguistics |year=2011 |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=291–338 |doi=10.1007/s10831-011-9078-z |pmid=24273384 |pmc=3837201 |ref=none }}
• Yang, Wei [杨蔚]. 1999. Yuanling Xianghua yanjiu [沅陵乡话研究]. Changsha: Hunan Educational Press [湖南敎育出版社].
• Yang, Wei [杨蔚]. 2010. Xiangxi Xianghua yuyin yanjiu [湘西乡话语音研究]. Guangzhou: Guangdong Press [广东省出版集团].
• Zheng, Yanxia [郑焱霞]; Peng, Jianguo [彭建国]. 2016. Hunan Chengbu Xuntou Xianghua yanjiu [湖南城步巡头乡话研究]. Hunan Normal University Press [湖南师范大学出版社].
• Chen, Hui [陈晖]. 2016. Hunan Luxi Liangjiatan Xianghua yanjiu [湖南泸溪梁家潭乡话研究]. Hunan Normal University Press [湖南师范大学出版社].
• Chen, Hui [陈晖]. 2019. Hunan Luxi Xianghua [湖南泸溪乡话]. Beijing: The Commercial Press [商务印书馆]. {{ISBN|9787100179850}}.
• Deng, Jie [邓婕]. 2020. Xiangxi Xianghua jiechu yu yanbian yanjiu [湘西乡话的接触与演变研究]. Beijing: The Commercial Press.
• Li, Jiaolei [李姣雷]. 2021. Xiangxi Xianghua yuyin cengci ji yanbian yanjiu [湘西乡话语音层次及演变研究] / Phonological Strata and Evolution of Xianghua Dialects of Western Xiang. Beijing: The Commercial Press.

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Category:Yuanling County

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