Bit language

Bit (Khabit, Bid, Psing, Buxing) is an Austroasiatic language spoken by around 2,000 people in Phongsaly Province, northern Laos and in Mengla County, Yunnan, China.[1]

Bit
Native toLaos, China
Native speakers
2,600 (2007–2015)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3bgk
Glottologbitt1240
ELPBit
Bit is classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Names

In China, the Buxing people (布兴, 布幸, or 布醒; IPA: [puʃiŋ]) are also called Kami (佧米人) or Kabi (佧比人, IPA: [khabit]).[2]

Yan & Zhou (2012:157) list the following names for Khabit.

  • pu siŋ, kʰa bet (autonyms)
  • xa13 vit55 (Dai exonym)
  • kʰaʔ mĭt (Khmu exonym)
  • Kami (卡咪, Chinese exonym)

The Khabit name for Khmu is ta mɔi.

Classification

Paul Sidwell (2014)[3] and Svantesson (1990) classify Bit as Palaungic. It is most closely related to Kháng and Quang Lam.

Distribution

Laos

In Laos, Bit is spoken by 2,000 people in the following villages.[2] The speakers call themselves "Laubit".

  • Nam Lie
  • Nam Lan
  • Nam Liaŋ
  • Nam Pauk
  • Bɔn Tsɛm Mɑi
  • Nam Tha
  • Bɔn Hui Huo
  • Bɔn Bɔm Phiŋ
  • Nam Nɔi

Kingsada (1999) covers the Khabit (khaa bet) language of Nale village, Bun Neua District, Phongsaly Province, Laos.[4]

China

In Mengla County, Yunnan, China, Bit (Buxing) is spoken by 539 people as of 2000, in the following villages.[2]

  • Nanqian (南欠村), Manzhuang Village (曼庄村), Mohan Township (磨憨镇)[5]
  • Kami (卡咪村), Huiluo Village (回洛村), Kami Township (卡米镇) / Mengban (勐伴镇)[6]

In Menghai County, Yunnan, China, there is a group of people known as the Bajia (八甲人) of Menghun (勐混), not to be confused with the Tai-speaking Bajia of Meng'a Township (勐阿镇), Menghai County), which is close to the border with Shan State, Myanmar.[7] They live in Manbi Village (曼必村),[8] Menghun Town (勐混镇), Menghai County, Yunnan (comprising 48 households and 217 persons), and have recently been classified by the Chinese government as ethnic Bulang people.[9] Their autonym is Manbi (曼必) or Bi (必). The Bajia of Menghun believe that their ancestors had migrated from Laos. They are variously referred to by other ethnic groups as Kabi (卡必), Laos Bulang (老挝布朗), and Manbi people (曼必人). They do not consider themselves to be Bajia (八甲人), which is a name given to them by government officials, since they do not believe they are related to the Tai-speaking Bajia of Meng'a. Yunnan (1979)[10] considers Bajia (八甲) to be a dialect of Tai Lue based on the group's autonym and language, with 225 Bajia people counted as of 1960. The Bajia had originally migrated from Bajia 八甲, Laojian Mountain 老肩山, Jinggu County.[10] Yunnan (1979) documents the location of Bajia as Jingbo Township (景播乡),[11] Meng'a District (勐阿区), Menghai County.

Yunnan (1979)[10] reports that in Mengla County, the Khabit (Kabie, 卡别) have close relations with a group called the Bubeng (布崩), who numbered 15 households with about 100 people as of 1960, and speak a Hani language. Yunnan (1979) classifies both the Kabie (卡别) and Bubeng (布崩) as ethnic Hani people.

References
  1. Bit at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) closed access
  2. Gao (2004)
  3. Sidwell, Paul (2014). "Khmuic Classification and Homeland". Mon-Khmer Studies. 43 (1): 47–56. Archived from the original on 2016-02-03 – via Academia.edu.
  4. Kingsadā, Thō̜ngphet; Shintani, Tadahiko (1999). Basic Vocabularies of the Languages Spoken in Phongxaly, Lao P.D.R. Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA).
  5. "Měnglà Xiàn Shàngyǒng Zhèn Mànzhuāng Cūnwěihuì Nánqiàn Cūn" 勐腊县尚勇镇曼庄村委会南欠村 [Nanqian Village, Manzhuang Village Committee, Shangyong Town, Mengla County]. ynszxc.gov.cn (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  6. "Měnglà Xiàn Měngbàn Zhèn Huíluò Cūnwěihuì Kǎmī Cūn" 勐腊县勐伴镇回落村委会卡咪村 [Kami Village, Huiluo Village Committee, Mengban Town, Mengla County]. ynszxc.gov.cn (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  7. Yan & Zhou (2012)
  8. "Měnghǎi Xiàn Měnghùn Zhèn Mànsài Cūnwěihuì Mànbì Zìráncūn" 勐海县勐混镇曼赛村委会曼毕自然村 [Manbi Natural Village, Mansai Village Committee, Menghun Town, Menghai County]. ynszxc.gov.cn (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2017-09-14. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  9. Zhang, Yanju 张艳菊 (2013). "Shì lùn mínzú shìbié yǔ guīshǔ zhōng de rèntóng wèntí: Yǐ Yúnnán Kèmùrén, Mǎngrén, Lǎopǐnrén, Bājiǎrén mínzú guīshǔ gōngzuò wéi lì" 试论民族识别与归属中的认同问题-以云南克木人、莽人、老品人、八甲人民族归属工作为例. Guǎngxī mínzú yánjiū 广西民族研究 (in Chinese). 2013 (4): 45–49. Archived from the original on 2017-09-14.
  10. Yunnan minzu shibie zonghe diaocha zubian 云南民族识别综合调查组编 (1979). Yúnnán mínzú shìbié zònghé diàochá bàogào (1960 nián) 云南民族识别综合调查报告(1960年) (in Chinese). Kunming: Yunnan minzuxue yanjiu suoyin. Archived from the original on 2021-04-23.
  11. "Měnghǎi Xiàn Měngā Zhèn Hèjiàn Cūnmín Wěiyuánhuì Jǐngbō Lǎozhài Cūn" 勐海县勐阿镇贺建村民委员会景播老寨村 [Jingbo Laozhai Village, Hejian Village Committee, Meng'a Town, Menghai County]. ynszxc.gov.cn (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2017-12-14. Retrieved 2021-09-07.

Further reading
  • Badenoch, Nathan (2015). Phonological Sketch of the Bit Language of Luang Namtha, Laos. Presentation at SEALS 25. Chiang Mai.
  • Gao, Yongqi 高永奇 (2004). Bùxìngyǔ yánjiū 布兴语研究 [A Study of Buxing] (in Chinese). Beijing: Minzu chubanshe.
  • Yan, Qixiang 颜其香; Zhou, Zhizhi 周植志 (2012). Zhōngguó Mèng-Gāomián yǔzú yǔyán yǔ Nányǎ yǔxì 中国孟高棉语族语言与南亚语系 [Mon-Khmer Languages of China and the Austroasiatic Family] (in Chinese). Beijing: Shehui kexue wenxian chubanshe.
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