Lalo language explained
Lalo |
Nativename: | Western Yi |
States: | China |
Ethnicity: | Yi |
Date: | 2002–2010 |
Ref: | e18 |
Familycolor: | Sino-Tibetan |
Fam2: | Tibeto-Burman |
Fam3: | Lolo–Burmese |
Fam4: | Loloish |
Fam5: | Lisoish |
Fam6: | Lalo–Lavu |
Dia1: | Eka |
Dia2: | Mangdi |
Dia3: | Yangliu |
Dia4: | Xuzhang |
Dia5: | Core Lalo |
Lc1: | ywt |
Ld1: | Xishanba (Central) |
Lc2: | yik |
Ld2: | Dongshanba (Eastern, Western, East Mountain Central) |
Lc3: | yit |
Ld3: | Eastern |
Lc4: | ywl |
Ld4: | Western |
Glotto: | lalo1240 |
Glottorefname: | Lalo |
Elp: | 5129 |
Elpname: | Central Lalo |
Map2: | Lang Status 80-VU.svg |
Lalo (; Western Yi) is a Loloish language cluster spoken in western Yunnan, China by 300,000 speakers. Speakers are officially part of the Yi nationality, and Chinese linguists refer to it as "Western Yi" due to its distribution in western Yunnan. Lalo speakers are mostly located in southern Dali Prefecture, especially Weishan County, considered the traditional homeland of the Lalo.[1] Historically, this area is the home of the Meng clan, who ruled the Nanzhao Kingdom (737–902 CE). Many speakers of Core Lalo dialects claim to be descendants of the Meng clan.
Names
Many Lalo are referred to by the exonym Menghua (蒙化), a name used during the Yuan Dynasty to refer to an area comprising modern-day Weishan County and Nanjian County (Yang 2010:12). They are also referred to as Tujia (土家) people (Yunnan 1956:14-15).[2]
David Bradley (2007)[3] refers to the Lalo language cluster, which includes the Samatu language of Zhenkang County and Yongde County, as Laloid.
Demographics
Cathryn Yang (2010) gives the following demographic information for various Lalo languages. Combined, speakers of Lalo languages number fewer than 300,000 people.
- Central Lalo: 213,000 speakers across west-central Yunnan in Weishan County, Nanjian County, Jingdong County, and several others
- West Lalo: 44,000 speakers Yongping County, Yangbi County, and Longyang County
- East Lalo: 15,000 speakers in Dali County
- Yangliu
7,000 speakers in Yangliu, Longyang District, Baoshan Prefecture
3,000 speakers in Yijiacun, Heliu, Shuangjiang County, Lincang Prefecture[4]
3,000 speakers in Mangdi, Hepai, Gengma County, Lincang Prefecture;[5] [6] also in Cangyuan County
2,000 speakers in Xuzhang, Wafang, Longyang District, Baoshan Prefecture[7] [8]
Wang & Zhao (2013), citing Chen, et al. (1985),[9] divide Western Yi (彝语西部方言) into two dialects, namely Dongshan and Xishan.[10] In Lincang Prefecture, Western Yi speakers number approximately 30,000 people and have the autonyms pronounced as /la21 lo33 pɑ21/ and pronounced as /mi13 sa21 pa21/.
- Dongshan 东山: spoken in Weishan (eastern part), Dali, Midu (in Dajiaban 大甲板 and Xiaojiaban 小甲板), Yongping, Baoshan counties
- Xishan 西山: spoken in Weishan (western part), Dali, Yun, Changning, Lincang, Shuangjiang, Midu, Jingdong, Jinggu counties
In Jianxing Township 建兴乡, Xinping County, Yunnan, Lalu 腊鲁 is spoken in the two administrative villages of Malutang 马鹿塘 and Mowei 磨味 by about 3,000 people (Wang 2011:11,20).[11]
- Malutang 马鹿塘[12] (1,552 Lalu people): in the 11 villages of Goutoupo 狗头坡, Gaoyingzhai 高阴寨, Cizhujing 刺竹警, Upper Mazongshan 上马宗山, Lower Mazongshan 下马宗山, Daliqi 大力气, Yuwuxiang 玉武乡, Upper Mowei 上磨味, Lower Mowei 下磨味, Upper Yunpan 上云盘, Lower Yunpan 下云盘
- Mowei 磨味[13] (1,460 Lalu people): in the 6 villages of Malu Dazu 马鹿大组, Lalu Xiaozhai 腊鲁小寨, Laojing 老警, Xinzhai 新寨, Tianfang 田房, and Meizijing 梅子警.
Lalu 腊鲁 (exonyms: Xiangtang 香堂 and Luoluo 罗罗) is also spoken in Sipsongpanna, including in Xiangmeng 象明乡, Yiwu 易武乡, Mengpeng 勐捧镇, and Jinghong 景洪市 townships.[14]
Yunnan (1979)[15] mentions the Datou 达头 of Pu'er and Simao (population: 254 as of 1960) as having traditions and festivals similar to those of the Yi people of Weishan County, who are mostly Lalo speakers.
The Aciga 阿次嘎 of Lancang County reside in Yakou Township 雅口乡[16] and Nanxian Township 南现乡[17] (now Nuozhadu Town 糯扎渡镇). They numbered 50 as of 1960.[15] 100 years ago, they had migrated from Niujian Mountain 牛肩山, Zhenyue County 镇越县 (now renamed as Mengla County), and had spoken a different language that is now extinct. They now speak Chinese and "Yi" (presumably Lalo, as the Yi dialects of Lancang are mostly Lalo). Aciga is an exonym, as the Aciga do not have an autonym.
Subdivisions
Lama (2012) splits Laluba into three dialects.
- Laluba
- Misaba
- (branch)
- Laloba
- Laluba (pronounced as /la21 lu̠33 pa21/)
A recent dialectological survey by Cathryn Yang (2010)[18] shows that the Lalo cluster comprises at least 7 closely related languages. Three of these (Eastern, Western, and Central) constitute the Core Lalo group and are located in the traditional Lalo homeland of southern Dali Prefecture. There are also four peripheral languages, Mangdi, Eka, Yangliu, and Xuzhang, whose ancestors migrated out of the Lalo homeland at different times.
All Lalo languages show a reflex of the Proto-Lalo autonym *la2lo̠Hpa̠L; i.e. the name that the Proto-Lalo called themselves are still preserved in the various modern Lalo languages. Eka speakers’ autonym is now pronounced as /o21 kʰa24/, but elderly speakers report that their more archaic autonym is pronounced as /la21 lu̠33 po̠21/ (Yang 2010).
Yang's (2010:209) phylogenetic tree of Lalo is as follows.
- Proto-Lalo
- Eka
- Mangdi 芒底
- Yangliu 杨柳
- Greater Lalo
- Xuzhang 徐掌
- Core Lalo
- Eastern
- Central-Western
- Central
- East Mountain
- Core Central
- Western
Alu may also be a peripheral Lalo language, but this is uncertain due to limited data.[19]
Other languages that may be Lalo include:
Phonology
Consonants
| Labial | Alveolar | (Alveolo-) Palatal | Retroflex | Velar | Glottal |
---|
| |
---|
Nasal | | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | | pronounced as /ink/ | | pronounced as /ink/ | |
---|
| pronounced as /ˀm/ | pronounced as /ˀn/ | | (pronounced as /ˀɲ/) | | | |
---|
Plosive/ Affricate | | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | (pronounced as /ink/) | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | (pronounced as /ink/) |
---|
| pronounced as /pʰ/ | pronounced as /tʰ/ | pronounced as /t͡sʰ/ | (pronounced as /t͡ɕʰ/) | pronounced as /t͡ʂʰ/ | pronounced as /kʰ/ |
---|
| pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | (pronounced as /ink/) | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ |
---|
Fricative | | (pronounced as /ink/) | | pronounced as /ink/ | (pronounced as /ink/) | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ pronounced as /link/ |
---|
| pronounced as /ink/ | | pronounced as /ink/ | (pronounced as /ink/) | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | (pronounced as /ink/) |
---|
| pronounced as /ˀv/ | | | | | | |
---|
Semivowel | | pronounced as /ink/ | pronounced as /ink/ | | (pronounced as /ink/) | | | |
---|
| | pronounced as /ˀl/ | | | | | | |
---|
- pronounced as //t͡ʂ, t͡ʂʰ, d͡ʐ, ʂ, ʐ// are heard as alveolo-palatal pronounced as /[t͡ɕ, t͡ɕʰ, d͡ʑ, ɕ, ʑ]/ before front vowels pronounced as //i, y, ɛ//.
- The glottal fricative pronounced as //h// is mainly always nasalized as pronounced as /[h̃]/, and vowels following pronounced as //h// are also nasalized.
- Approximant sounds pronounced as //w, j// are in complementary distribution. pronounced as /[w]/ is before back vowels pronounced as /[u, ɑ]/, and pronounced as /[j]/ is before front vowels pronounced as //i, y, ɛ//.
- pronounced as //x// is always heard as labio-dental pronounced as /[f]/ before front vowels pronounced as //i, ɛ//. In the Western dialects, pronounced as //f// is phonemically distinct.
- pronounced as //ɣ// is always heard as a voiced glottal sound pronounced as /[ɦ]/ before vowels pronounced as //i, y, ɛ, ɑ//. In the Western dialects, pronounced as //ɣ// is heard as pronounced as /[ɣʷ]/ before pronounced as //o//, pronounced as /[w]/ before pronounced as //u//, and pronounced as /[j]/ before vowels pronounced as //i, y, ɛ//.
- Nasals pronounced as //n, ʔn// are heard as palatal pronounced as /[ɲ, ʔɲ]/ before a close vowel pronounced as //i//.
- Nasals pronounced as //m n ŋ// can have syllabic allophones of pronounced as /[m̩, n̩, ŋ̍]/ when preceding other consonants.
- The glottalized pronounced as //ʔl// is heard as a glottalized retroflex sound pronounced as /[ʔʐ]/ before a central close pronounced as //ɨ// vowel.
- Syllables with no initial consonant, always phonetically begin with a glottal stop pronounced as /[ʔ]/.
Vowels
There is phonetic distinction between tight-throat vowels and lax-throat (plain) vowels.
! colspan="2" Front | Central | Back |
---|
unrd. | rnd. | unrd. | rnd. |
---|
Close | pronounced as /i/ | pronounced as /y/ | pronounced as /ɨ/ pronounced as /[<u>ɨ</u>]/ | | pronounced as /u/ |
---|
Mid | pronounced as /ɛ/ [{{IPA|<u>ɛ</u>}}] | pronounced as /ø/ pronounced as /[<u>ø</u>]/ | pronounced as /ə/ pronounced as /[<u>ə</u>]/ | | pronounced as /o/ [{{IPA|<u>o</u>}}] |
---|
Open | | | | pronounced as /ɑ/ pronounced as /[<u>a</u>]/ | | |
---|
- Close vowels pronounced as //i, y, u// are realized as mid tight-throat sounds pronounced as /[<u>ɛ</u>, <u>ø</u>, <u>o</u>]/ and the back vowel pronounced as //ɑ// is realized as tight pronounced as /[<u>a</u>]/, within syllables of harsh phonation. Vowels pronounced as //ɛ, o// do not occur in syllables with harsh phonation.
- The close rounded vowel pronounced as //ø// mainly occurs after velar initials.
- The close central vowel pronounced as //ɨ// is heard as rounded pronounced as /[ʉ]/ when after bilabial consonants pronounced as //p, pʰ, b, m//, as syllabic pronounced as /[z̩]/ after alveolar sounds pronounced as //t͡s, t͡sʰ, d͡z, s, z// and as a syllabic retroflex pronounced as /[ʐ̩]/ after retroflex sounds pronounced as //t͡ʂ, t͡ʂʰ, d͡ʐ, ʂ, ʐ//. pronounced as //ɨ// also only occurs after bilabial, retroflex and velar initial consonants and never after alveolar stops, labio-dental or labio-velar initials.
- Mid-central vowel pronounced as //ə// is realized as a syllabic labiodental fricative pronounced as /[v̩]/, when after labio-dental fricatives. pronounced as //ə// never occurs after labial consonants or alveolar affricates or fricatives.[20]
! colspan="2" Front | Central | Back |
---|
unrd. | rnd. | unrd. | rnd. |
---|
Close | pronounced as /i/ pronounced as /[iɛ]/ | pronounced as /y/ pronounced as /[yɛ]/ | pronounced as /ɨ/ | | pronounced as /u/ |
---|
Mid | pronounced as /ɛ/ | pronounced as /ø/ pronounced as /[øɛ]/ | (pronounced as /ə/) | | pronounced as /o/ |
---|
Open | pronounced as /a/ | | (pronounced as /ɐ/) | pronounced as /ɑ/ | | |
---|
! colspan="3" Nasal | Syllabic |
---|
Front | Central |
---|
unrd. | rnd. |
---|
Close | pronounced as /ĩ/ | pronounced as /ỹ/ | pronounced as /ɨ̃/ | pronounced as /v̩/ |
---|
Mid | pronounced as /ɛ̃/ | | | pronounced as /m̩/ pronounced as /n̩/ | pronounced as /ŋ̍/ |
---|
Open | pronounced as /ã/ | | | | |
---|
- In citation form, front vowels pronounced as //i, y, ø// are heard as diphthongs with an offglide as pronounced as /[iɛ, yɛ, øɛ]/.
- Close central vowel pronounced as //ɨ// is heard as an apical syllabic sound pronounced as /[z̩]/ after alveolar affricates and fricatives and as pronounced as /[ʐ̩]/ after retroflex affricates and fricatives.
- Open back vowel pronounced as //ɑ// is typically realized as a central pronounced as /[ɐ]/ and is then raised after retroflex sounds as a mid sound pronounced as /[ə]/.
- A syllabic fricative pronounced as /[v̩]/ is contrastive with back vowels pronounced as //u, o//. It only occurs after labio-dental consonants pronounced as //f, v//.
Tones
The following are the tones in Central and Western Lalo:
Central Lalo tones!Name!Pitch!SymbolHigh | 55 | pronounced as /˦/ |
High-rising | 45 | pronounced as /˦˩/ |
Mid | 33 | pronounced as /˧/ |
Mid, harsh | 33 | pronounced as /˧/ |
Low, harsh | 31 | pronounced as /˨/ |
Low, breathy | 22 | pronounced as /˨̤/ | |
Western Lalo tones!Name!Pitch!SymbolMid-high | 44 | pronounced as /˧˦/ |
Low-rising | 24 | pronounced as /˨˩/ |
Low | 21 | pronounced as /˨/ |
Mid | 33 | pronounced as /˧/ |
High | 55 | pronounced as /˦/ | |
See also
- List of Proto-Lalo reconstructions (Wiktionary)
- Lalo word list (Wiktionary)
Further reading
- Yang, Cathryn. (2019). CLDF dataset derived from Yang's "Lalo Regional Varieties" from 2011 [Data set]. Zenodo.
Notes and References
- Yang, Cathryn. 2009. Regional variation in Lalo: Beyond east and west. La Trobe Papers in Linguistics, 12. http://arrow.latrobe.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.9/146522.
- Yunnan provincial ethnic classification research unit [云南省民族识别研究组]. 1956. Preliminary summary of ethnic classifications in Yunnan province: no. 1, 2 [云南省民族识别研究第一、二阶段初步总结]. Beijing: Central University for Nationalities Research Institute 中央民族学院.
- Bradley, David. 2007. East and Southeast Asia. In Moseley, Christopher (ed.), Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, 349-424. London & New York: Routledge.
- Web site: 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县勐勐镇那布社区彝家新村自然村. ynszxc.net. 2017-12-30.
- Web site: 耿马傣族佤族自治县贺派乡芒底村民委员会. ynszxc.net. 2017-12-30.
- Web site: 耿马傣族佤族自治县贺派乡芒底村民委员会芒底自然村. ynszxc.net. 2017-12-30.
- Web site: 隆阳区瓦房彝族苗族乡徐掌村委会. ynszxc.net. 2017-12-30.
- Web site: 隆阳区瓦房彝族苗族乡徐掌村委会徐掌. ynszxc.net. 2017-12-30.
- Chen Shilin [陈士林], et al. 1985. Yiyu jianzhi [彝语简志]. Beijing: Ethnic Publishing House [民族出版社].
- Wang Xingzhong [王兴中] & Zhao Weihua [赵卫华]. 2013. Geography and multilingualism in Lincang [临沧地理与双语使用]. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press [云南人民出版社].
- Wang Guoxu [王国旭]. 2011. A study of Lalu Yi of Xinping County [新平彝语腊鲁话研究]. Ph.D. dissertation. Beijing: Minzu University.
- Web site: 新平县建兴乡马鹿村民委员会. ynszxc.net. 2017-12-30.
- Web site: 新平县建兴乡磨味村民委员会. ynszxc.net. 2017-12-30.
- Web site: _彝学研究网 | 走进云南西双版纳州勐腊县象明彝族乡 . yixueyanjiu.com. 2017-12-30.
- Yunnan minzu shibie zonghe diaocha zubian 云南民族识别综合调查组编 (1979). Yunnan minzu shibie zonghe diaocha baogao (1960 nian) 云南民族识别综合调查报告(1960年). Kunming: Yunnan minzuxue yanjiu suoyin 云南民族学研究所印.
- http://www.ynszxc.net/villagePage/vIndex.aspx?departmentid=171598 澜沧拉祜族自治县糯扎渡镇雅口村
- http://www.ynszxc.net/villagePage/vIndex.aspx?departmentid=171637 澜沧拉祜族自治县糯扎渡镇南现村
- Yang, Cathryn. 2010. Lalo regional varieties: Phylogeny, dialectometry, and sociolinguistics. Melbourne: La Trobe University PhD dissertation. http://arrow.latrobe.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.9/153015.
- Hsiu, Andrew. 2017. The Lawu languages: footprints along the Red River valley corridor.
- Book: Yang, Cathryn. Lalo dialects across time and space: subgrouping, dialectometry, and intelligibility. Canberra: Australian National University. 2015. Asia-Pacific Linguistics, 22.