Xong language

The Xong language (Dut Xonb [tu53 ɕõ35])[2] is the northernmost Hmongic language, spoken in south-central China by around 0.9 million people. It is called Xiangxi Miaoyu (湘西苗语, "Western Hunan Miao") in Chinese, as well as Eastern Miao (东部苗语). In Western sources, it has been called Meo, Red Miao, and North Hmongic.[3] An official alphabet was adopted in 1956.

For the Western Pearic language of Cambodia and Thailand, see Chong language. For the Limbu of Nepal, who are also called Xong, see Limbu people.
Xong
Xiangxi Miao
Xonb
Pronunciation[ɕõ˧˥]
Native toChina
RegionHunan, Guizhou, Hubei, Guangxi and Chongqing
EthnicityQo Xiong
Native speakers
~900,000 (2005)[1]
Hmong–Mien
Dialects
  • Western (Xong proper)
  • Eastern (Suang)
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
mmr – Western Xiangxi Miao
muq – Eastern Xiangxi Miao
Glottolognort2748

Distribution

Xong is spoken mainly in Hunan province, but also in a few areas of Guizhou and Hubei provinces, Guangxi, and Chongqing municipality in China. Xong-speaking communities, by county, are:[4]

Classification

Xong was classified in its own branch of the Hmongic family in Strecker (1987). Xiang (1999)[4] divided Xong into western and eastern dialects. Matisoff (2001) considered these to be two distinct languages, but Matisoff (2006) consolidated them into one. Yang (2004)[6] divides each of these dialects into three subdialects, as listed below. Speaker populations and locations are from Li and Li (2012).[7]

  • Western (includes standardized Xong)
    • Lect 1 (autonym: qo35 ɕoŋ35): Jiwei 吉卫, Huayuan County; 769,000 speakers in the counties of Fenghuang (except Baren 叭仁乡), most of Huayuan, southern Jishou, Xinhuang, Mayang, Songtao, parts of Rongjiang, parts of Ziyun, Xiushan, parts of Nandan, parts of Hechi, and parts of Du'an.
    • Lect 2 (autonym: qo54 ɕoŋ54): Yangmeng 阳孟, Jishou; 120,000 speakers in the counties of eastern Huayuan, western and northern Jishou, eastern Baojing, southwestern Guzhang, Fenghuang (in Baren 叭仁乡), and Xuan'en.
    • Lect 3 (autonym: o55 ɕaŋ55): Zhongxin 中心, Baojing County; 30,000 speakers in southeastern Baojing County.
  • Eastern
    • Lect 4 (autonym: te53 suɑŋ53): Xiaozhang 小章, Luxi County; 6,000 speakers in and around Xiaozhang, Luxi County
    • Lect 5 (autonym: ɡɔ35 sɤ53): Danqing 丹青, Jishou; 48,000 speakers in the counties of northwestern Luxi, eastern Jishou, and southeastern Guzhang.
    • Lect 6 (autonym: bja22 sã44 nɤ44): Dengshang 蹬上, Longshan County; 300 speakers in southern Longshan County and Yongshun County (in Shouche 首车乡).

He Fuling (2009) describes a western Qo Xiong dialect of Gouliang Ethnic Miao Village, Ala Township, Fenghuang County (凤凰县阿拉镇勾良苗寨).

Chen (2009)[8] describes a western Qo Xiong dialect of Daxing Town 大兴镇, Songtao County, Guizhou.

Phonology and script

A written standard based on the Western dialect in Làyǐpíng (腊乙坪) village and Jíwèi (吉卫) town, Huāyuán county, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture was established in 1956.

Xong Consonant Phonemes
Labial Alveolar Retroflex (Alveolo-)
palatal		 Velar Uvular Glottal
plain pal. app. plain pal. aff. plain aff. plain lab. plain lab. plain lab.
Nasal voiced m mʲ mʴ n ɳ ɲ ŋ ŋʷ
aspirated m̥ʰ n̥ʰ
Stop/
Affricate		 voiceless p pʲ pʴ t ts ʈ c tɕ k kʷ q qʷ
aspirated pʰ pʲʰ pʴʰ tʰ tsʰ ʈʰ cʰ tɕʰ kʰ kʷʰ qʰ qʷʰ
prenasal ᵐp ⁿt ⁿts ᶯʈ ᶮc ᶮtɕ ᵑk ᵑkʷ ᶰq ᶰqʷ
prenasal asp. ᵐpʰ ᵐpʴʰ ⁿtʰ ⁿtsʰ ᶯʈʰ ᶮcʰ ᶮtɕʰ ᵑkʰ ᵑkʷʰ ᶰqʰ ᶰqʷʰ
Fricative voiceless f s ʂ ɕ h hʷ
voiced ʐ ʑ
Approximant voiced w l lʲ
aspirated l̥ʰ l̥ʲʰ
Xong Vowel Phonemes
Front Central Back
Close i ɯ u
Mid e ɤ o
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a ɑ
Xong Consonant Orthography
p⟨b⟩pʰ⟨p⟩ᵐp⟨nb⟩mpʰ⟨np⟩m⟨m⟩m̥ʰ⟨hm⟩
pʴ⟨bl⟩pɹʰ⟨pl⟩mpɹʰ⟨npl⟩mʴ⟨ml⟩
t⟨d⟩tʰ⟨t⟩ⁿt⟨nd⟩ntʰ⟨nt⟩l̥ʰ⟨hl⟩n⟨n⟩n̥ʰ⟨hn⟩
ts⟨z⟩tsʰ⟨c⟩ⁿts⟨nz⟩ntsʰ⟨nc⟩s⟨s⟩ f ⟨f⟩
tɕ ⟨j⟩tɕʰ⟨q⟩ᶮtɕ⟨nj⟩ntɕʰ⟨nq⟩ɕ⟨x⟩ʑ⟨y⟩
ʈ⟨zh⟩ʈʰ⟨ch⟩ᶯʈ⟨nzh⟩ɳʈʰ⟨nch⟩ʂ⟨sh⟩ʐ⟨r⟩ɳ⟨nh⟩
k⟨g⟩kʰ⟨k⟩ᵑk⟨ngg⟩ŋkʰ⟨nk⟩
q⟨gh⟩qʰ⟨kh⟩ᶰq⟨ngh⟩ɴqʰ⟨nkh⟩
w⟨w⟩h⟨h⟩

Xong Vowel Orthography
i⟨i⟩u ⟨u⟩
iu⟨iu⟩
ɑ⟨a⟩iɑ⟨ia⟩uɑ⟨ua⟩
o⟨o⟩io⟨io⟩
e⟨e⟩ie⟨ie⟩ue⟨ue⟩
ei⟨ei⟩uei⟨ui⟩
a⟨ea⟩ia⟨iea⟩ua⟨uea⟩
ɔ⟨ao⟩iɔ⟨iao⟩
ɤ⟨eu⟩iɤ⟨ieu⟩uɤ⟨ueu⟩
ɯ⟨ou⟩iɯ⟨iou⟩uɯ⟨uou⟩
ɛ⟨an⟩iɛ⟨ian⟩uɛ⟨uan⟩
en⟨en⟩ien⟨in⟩uen⟨un⟩
ɑŋ⟨ang⟩iɑŋ⟨iang⟩uɑŋ⟨uang⟩
oŋ⟨ong⟩ioŋ⟨iong⟩
Tones
ToneIPALetter
high rising, 45˦˥⟨b⟩
low falling, 21˨˩⟨x⟩
high, 4˦⟨d⟩
low, 2˨⟨l⟩
high falling, 53˥˧⟨t⟩
falling, 42˦˨⟨s⟩

References
  1. Western Xiangxi Miao at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Eastern Xiangxi Miao at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Sposato, Adam (2015). A Grammar of Xong (PhD thesis). University at Buffalo.
  3. Ratliff, Martha (2010). Hmong–Mien language history. Canberra, Australia: Pacific Linguistics. hdl:1885/146760. ISBN 978-0-85883-615-0.
  4. Xiang, Rizheng 向日征 (1999). Jíwèi Miáoyǔ yánjiū 吉卫苗语硏究 [A Study of Jiwei Miao] (in Chinese). Chengdu: Sichuan renmin chubanshe.
  5. Guangxi Zhuangzu zizhiqu shaoshu minzu yuyan wenzi gongzuo weiyuanhui [Guangxi Minority Languages Orthography Committee] (2008). Guǎngxī mínzú yǔyán fāngyīn cíhuì 广西民族语言方音词汇 [Vocabularies of Guangxi Ethnic Languages] (in Chinese). Beijing: Minzu chubanshe.
  6. Yang, Zaibiao 杨再彪 (2004). Miáoyǔ dōngbù fāngyán tǔyǔ bǐjiào 苗语东部方言土语比较 (in Chinese). Beijing: Minzu chubanshe.
  7. Li, Jinping 李锦平; Li, Tianyi 李天翼 (2012). Miáoyǔ fāngyán bǐjiào yánjiū 苗语方言比较研究 [A Comparative Study of Miao Dialects] (in Chinese). Chengdu: Xinan jiaotong daxue chubanshe.
  8. Chen, Hong 陈宏 (2009). Guìzhōu Sōngtáo Dàxīngzhèn Miáoyǔ yánjiū 贵州松桃大兴镇苗语研究 (Ph.D. thesis) (in Chinese). Nankai daxue.

Further reading
  • Sposato, Adam (2021). A Grammar of Xong. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-076493-2.
  • Yang, Zaibiao 杨再彪. 2017. Xiangxi Miaoyu, Tujiayu yu Hanyu jiechu yanjiu 湘西苗语、土家语与汉语接触研究. Changchun: Jilin University Press 吉林大学出版社. ISBN 978-7-5692-1507-6.
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