Nusu language

The Nusu language is a Loloish language spoken by the Nu people of China and Myanmar. There are three dialects: Northern, Southern, and Central. The Central dialect of Miangu is the prestige dialect and is understood fairly well by speakers of other dialects.[1]

Nusu
Native toChina, Myanmar
EthnicityNu
Native speakers
13,000 (2007)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3nuf
Glottolognusu1239

Lama (2012) observes a sound change, *r- > Ø- from Proto-Loloish, as a Nusoish innovation.

Distribution

The three Nusu dialects are spoken in the following locations (Nusuzu Nusuyu Jianzhi 怒族怒苏语简志 1986).

  • Southern, also known as the Guoke-Puluo (果科-普洛) dialect: northern Lushui County 泸水县, in Guoke 果科,[2] Puluo 普洛,[3] Tongping 同坪,[4] Jiajia 加甲[5] (3,000 speakers)
  • Central, also known as the Zhizhiluo-Laomudeng (知之罗-老姆登) dialect: southern Fugong County 福贡县, in Pihe 匹河怒族乡,[6] Zhizhiluo 知之罗,[7][8] Laomudeng 老姆登,[9] Miangu 棉古,[10] Shawa 沙瓦,[11] Zileng 子楞[12] (4,000 speakers)
  • Northern, also known as the Wawa-Kongtong (瓦娃-空通) dialect: Fugong County 福贡县, in Wawa 瓦娃,[13][14] Kongtong 空通,[15][16] Youduoluo 有夺洛[17] (2,000 speakers)

The divergent Liangsu dialect (良苏话) is spoken in by about 3,000 people in the following locations of Fugong County, Yunnan.[18][19]

  • Zilijia Township 子里甲乡: Jianu 甲怒, Mazudi 马祖底, Jiada 甲打, Lamujia 腊母甲, Jiache 加车
  • Jiakedi Township 架科底乡: Jiake 架科, La'anjia 腊安甲

Phonology

Consonants
Consonants in Nusu
Labial Alveolar Retroflex (Alveolo-)
Palatal		 Velar Glottal
plain sibilant
Nasal voiced m n ɲ ŋ
unvoiced m̥ n̥
Stop/
Affricate		 voiced b d dz ɖʐ dʑ ɡ
unvoiced p t ts ʈʂ tɕ k
aspirated pʰ tʰ tsʰ ʈʂʰ tɕʰ kʰ
Fricative unvoiced f s ʂ ɕ x h
voiced v z ʐ ʑ ɣ
Approximant voiced l j w
unvoiced l̥

Tones

Nusu has seven tones:

ToneIPA
High ˥
High falling ˥˧
Creaky low ˩ˀ
Low ˩
Creaky high ˥ˀ
Rising-falling ˨˦˨
Mid ˧

References
  1. Nusu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. "福贡县匹河怒族乡果科村委会".
  3. "福贡县匹河怒族乡普洛村委会".
  4. "福贡县匹河怒族乡托坪村委会".
  5. "福贡县匹河怒族乡架究村委会".
  6. http://www.ynszxc.net/model/index4.aspx?departmentid=1524
  7. "福贡县匹河怒族乡知子罗村委会".
  8. "福贡县匹河怒族乡知子罗村委会知子罗 达罗".
  9. "福贡县匹河怒族乡老姆登村委会".
  10. "福贡县匹河怒族乡棉谷村委会".
  11. "福贡县匹河怒族乡沙瓦村委会沙瓦".
  12. "福贡县匹河怒族乡沙瓦村委会子楞".
  13. "福贡县匹河怒族乡瓦娃村委会瓦娃一".
  14. "福贡县匹河怒族乡瓦娃村委会瓦娃二".
  15. "福贡县匹河怒族乡瓦娃村委会空通一".
  16. "福贡县匹河怒族乡瓦娃村委会空通二".
  17. "福贡县匹河怒族乡瓦娃村委会优夺罗".
  18. Chen, Haihong [陈海宏]; Tan, Liya [谭丽亚]. 2022. Yunnan binwei Nuyu Liangsuhua ynajiu [云南濒危怒语良苏话研究]. Beijing: Minzu chubanshe [民族出版社].
  19. Ye, Shifu [叶世富]. 2007. Jianu Liangsu Nuyu [甲怒良苏怒语]. Unpublished manuscript.
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