Native to China ISO 639-3 buh | Native speakers 9,700 (1995) Glottolog youn1235 | |
Region Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, Guangxi, China Language family Hmong–Mien
Hmongic
Bahengic
Younuo | ||
Younuo (also spelled Yuno, Chinese: 优诺语 yōunuò; autonym: ʑou˩˧nɔ˩˧) is a divergent Hmongic language spoken in Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, Guangxi, China. Mao (2007:129) reports a total of approximately 4000 speakers. Its classification is uncertain, although it may be related to Pa-Hng.
According to Mao (2007), Younuo is most closely related to Pa-Hng, and forms a branch with it. Like Pa-Hng, the Younuo are also called "Red Yao" 红瑶, which can refer to various groups speaking different languages. Younuo speakers are also called Shanhua Red Yao 山话红瑶, and number about 4600 people. Their neighbors, the Pinghua Red Yao 平话红瑶, speak a dialect related to the Chinese varieties of Guibei Pinghua 桂北平话 and Shaozhou Tuhua, and number just over 10,000 people (Mao 2007).
Distribution
Younuo is spoken in Heping township (和平乡), Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, Guangxi, China, in the villages of Liutian 柳田 (including Xiaozhai 小寨), Jinjiang 金江, Xinlu 新禄, Jinkeng 金坑 (including Huangluo 黄落), and a few others (Mao 2007:129). The Red Yao of Longsheng County are also distributed in Sishui 泗水, Madi 马堤, and Jiangdi 江底 townships.