Kim Mun language explained

Kim Mun
States:China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand
Speakers:ca. 400,000
Date:1995–1999
Ref:e25
Familycolor:Hmong-Mien
Fam2:Mienic
Fam3:Mian–Jin
Nation: China (Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County)
Iso3:mji
Glotto:kimm1245
Glottorefname:Kim Mun

Kim Mun (; also Lanten or Landian 蓝靛) is a Mienic language spoken by 200,000 of the Yao people in the Chinese provinces of Guangxi, Hunan and Yunnan, with about 61,000 of the speakers in Hainan Province. There are also speakers in Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.

Iu Mien and Kim Mun are similar to each other, having a lexical similarity percentage of 78%.

Distribution

In China, Kim Mun is spoken in the following counties (Mao 2004:304-305).[1]

Hekou, Malipo, Maguan, Xichou, Qiubei, Guangnan, Funing, Yanshan, Shizong, Jiangcheng, Mojiang, Yuanyang, Jinping, Lüchun, Mengla, Jinghong

Xilin, Lingyun, Napo, Tianlin, Fengshan, Bama, Lipu, Pingle, Mengshan, Jinxiu, Yongfu, Luzhai, Fangcheng, Shangsi

Qiongzhong, Baoting, Qionghai, Tunchang, Ledong, Wanning, Sanya. In Hainan, Kim Mun speakers are officially classified by the Chinese government as ethnic Miao, rather than Yao.

Ethnologue lists several counties in Vietnam where Kim Mun is spoken. Van Ban district of Lao Cai province is one of the primary areas where Kim Mun is spoken in Vietnam. In Vietnam, Dao people belonging to the Quần Trắng, Thanh Y, and Áo Dài subgroups speak Kim Mun.[2] Kim Mun speakers are also scattered across northern Laos.

Daniel Arisawa has performed fieldwork with an isolated speaker of Kim Mun (originally from Laos) in Lampang province, northern Thailand (along the border of Mae Mo district and Ngao district).[3]

Phonology

Consonants

LabialDentalAlveolar(Alveolo-)
palatal
VelarGlottal
plainpal.plainlab.pal.
Nasalpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Stopvoicelesspronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
voicedpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Affricatevoicelesspronounced as /ink/
voicedpronounced as /ink/
Fricativevoicelesspronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
voicedpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Lateralpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Approximantpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/

Vowels

FrontCentralBack
Closepronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Close-midpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Mid(pronounced as /ink/)
Open-midpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /ink/
Openpronounced as /ink/ pronounced as /link/

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. 毛宗武, 李云兵 / Mao Zongwu, Li Yunbing. 1997. 巴哼语研究 / Baheng yu yan jiu (A Study of Baheng [Pa-Hng]). Shanghai: 上海远东出版社 / Shanghai yuan dong chu ban she.
  2. Phan Hữu Dật & Hoàng Hoa Toàn. 1998. "Về vấn đề xác minh tên gọi và phân loại các ngành Dao Tuyên Quang." In Phan Hữu Dật (ed). Một số vấn đề về dân tộc học Việt Nam, p.483-567. Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Đại Học Quốc Gia Hà Nội. [Comparative word list of 9 Dao dialects in [[Tuyen Quang Province]] from p. 524-545]
  3. Arisawa, Daniel. 2023. A preliminary phonological analysis of the dislocated Kim Mun in Lampang, Thailand. Chiang Mai: SEALS 32 conference presentation.
  4. Clark (2008)
  5. Tadahiko (2008)