Pronunciation [pu˨jai˩˧] Ethnicity Sha | Native to China Native speakers 1 million (2007) | |
Region Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan; western Guangxi Language family Tai–Kadai
Tai
Northern Tai
Yei Zhuang | ||
Yei Zhuang is a Northern Tai language complex spoken in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan, China. Its speakers are also known as the Sha (沙族).
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Distribution
In Yunnan, Yei Zhuang dialects are spoken in Funing and Guangnan counties (also in Guangxi to the east and north), as well as Qiubei (probably also in Qujing Municipality to the north). The largest concentrations of Yei Zhuang speakers are found in Qiubei (80% of total Zhuang population) and Funing (50% of total Zhuang population) counties (Johnson 2011a:43).
Po-ai, a Tai language of Funing County described by Fang-kuei Li in the mid-1900s, was determined by Johnson (2011b) to be a Yei Zhuang dialect.
Names
Below are various names (both autonyms and exonyms) for speakers of Yei Zhuang (Johnson 2011a:43).
Many of these are names of Bouyei as well.
Characteristics
There are no palatalized consonants in Qiubei Zhuang. /pj/ in standard Zhuang is /p/, as in /pja1/ "fish", pjak7(vegetable) is pa1、pak7. mJ is m or n，for example mja:k3(slippery), mja:i2(saliva) as ma6、 na:i2. kJ is merged into k or t，for example kja：ŋ1(middle)、kja4(orphan) is ka:ŋ3, tsa4. The consonant k before i、e is changed to ts, for instance ki3(several), ki:ŋ2(Triangular cooker), ke5(old) as tʃi1、tʃi:ŋ2、tʃes. 声母阱入v，h变成ɣ，而ɣ又变读作6。如fuuq2(手)、 fa:i5(棉)读əŋ2、va:i5、hau4(米)、haɯ3(给)变读ɣau4、ɣaɯ3；ɣam4(水)、ɣum2(风)、ɣo:k8(外)变渎为6am4、6em2、6ue5。