Neha Patil (Editor)

Shixing language

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Native to
  
China

ISO 639-3
  
sxg

Native speakers
  
1,800 (2000)

Glottolog
  
shix1238

Language family
  
Sino-Tibetan Lolo-Burmese or Qiangic Naic ? Shixing

Shixing, or Xumi, is a poorly-attested Qiangic language of Sichuan and the Tibet Autonomous Region. Two thirds of its speakers are monolingual.

Contents

Shixing is also known as Xùmǐ 旭米; it is spoken by about 1800 people living by the Shuiluo River 水洛 in Shuiluo Township 水洛乡, Mili Tibetan Autonomous County.

Katia Chirkova reports two varieties.

  • Upper Xumi (autonym: ʂuhĩ)
  • Lower Xumi (autonym: ʃʉhẽ)

    • Consonants

    Xumi features a very unusual phonemic contrast between voiceless /ʎ̥/ and voiced /ʎ/ alveolo-palatal lateral approximants.

    Nasals

  • Both Upper and Lower Xumi have the following nasals: bilabial /m̥, m/, alveolar /n̥, n/, alveolo-palatal /ɲ/ and velar /ŋ/. In addition to that, Lower Xumi also features voiceless alveolo-palatal /ɲ̊/ and velar /ŋ̊/ nasals.

    • Plosives

  • Both Upper and Lower Xumi have the following plosives: bilabial /p, pʰ, b/, alveolar /t, tʰ, d/, velar /k, kʰ, ɡ/ and uvular /q, qʰ/. In addition to that, Lower Xumi also features a voiced uvular plosive /ɢ/.

    • Affricates

  • Both Upper and Lower Xumi have the following affricates: alveolar /ts, tsʰ, dz/, retroflex /tʂ, tʂʰ, dʐ/ and alveolo-palatal /tɕ, tɕʰ, dʑ/. In addition to that, Lower Xumi also features postalveolar /tʃ, tʃʰ, dʒ/.

    • Fricatives

  • Upper Xumi has the following fricatives: alveolar /s, z/, retroflex /ʂ, ʐ/, alveolo-palatal /ɕ/, velar /x/, uvular /χ, ʁ/ and glottal /h, ɦ/.
  • Lower Xumi has the following fricatives: alveolar /s, z/, postalveolar /ʃ, ʒ/, alveolo-palatal /ɕ, ʑ/, velar /x, ɣ/, uvular /ʁ/ and glottal /h, ɦ/.

    • Approximants

  • Both Upper and Lower Xumi have the following central approximants: alveolar /ɹ/, alveolo-palatal /j/ and labialized velar /w/.
  • Both Upper and Lower Xumi have the following lateral approximants: alveolar /l̥, l/ and alveolo-palatal /ʎ̥, ʎ/.

    • Oral

  • Upper Xumi has the following oral vowels: /i, ʉ, u, e, o, ɛ, ɜ, ɔ, ɐ/.
  • Lower Xumi has the following oral vowels: /i, ʉ, u, e, o, ɛ, ɐ, ɑ/. /o, ɐ, ɑ/ generally correspond to Upper Xumi /u, ɜ, ɔ/, respectively.
  • /ʉ/ is phonetically close-mid [ɵ].

    • Nasal

  • Upper Xumi has the following nasal vowels: /ĩ, ũ, ɛ̃, ɔ̃, ɐ̃/, as well as the marginal /ɘ̃/, which occurs only in the word [LPmɘ̃dɐ] 'on the roof / upstairs'.
  • Lower Xumi has the following nasal vowels: /ĩ, õ, ɛ̃, ɐ̃, ɑ̃/, as well as the marginal /ə̃/, which occurs only in the word [LPmə̃dɐ Rʁo] 'on the roof / upstairs'. /ẽ, õ, ɐ̃, ɑ̃/ generally correspond to Upper Xumi /ĩ, ũ, ɛ̃, ɔ̃/, respectively.

    • References

    Shixing language Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA