Achang language

The Achang language (autonym: ŋa˨˩tʂhaŋ˨˩; Chinese: 阿昌) is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Achang (also known as Maingtha and Ngochang) in Yunnan, China, and northern Myanmar.[3]

Distribution

Achang is spoken in the following locations (阿昌语简志):

The Xiandao 仙岛 dialect (100 speakers; autonym kʰan˧˩tau˧˩) is spoken in the following two locations in Yingjiang County, Dehong Prefecture (Xiandaoyu Yanjiu).

  • Xiandaozhai 仙岛寨, Mangmian Village 芒面村, Jiemao Township 姐冒乡[4]
  • Meng'ezhai 勐俄寨, Mangxian Village 芒线村, Jiemao Township 姐冒乡[5]

Phonology

Consonants

Consonant phonemes[6]
Labial Alveolar Post-alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Stop pʰ b tʰ d cʰ ɟ kʰ g ʔ
Affricate tsʰ dz tʃʰ dʒ
Fricative s ʃ ç h
Nasal m n ŋ
Approximant w l j

Vowels

Monophthongs[6]
Front Central Back
Close i ɯ u
Mid ɛ ɔ
Open aˑ a

Syntax

Achang word order is subject-object-verb (SOV). There is no dominant order for nouns and their adjective modifiers.[7]

Further reading

  • Inglis, Douglas. 2003. A preliminary phonology of Ngochang. Payap University, Graduate School, Linguistics Department.
  • Nasaw Sampu, Wilai Jaseng, Thocha Jana, and Douglas Inglis (2005). A preliminary Ngochang - Kachin- English Lexicon. Payap University, Graduate School, Linguistics Department.
  • Yabu Shirō 藪 司郎 (1990). "The Achang Language of Burma." アジアの諸言語と一般言語学 Ajia no shogengo to ippan gengogaku / Asian languages and general linguistics. 崎山理 Osamu Sakiyama, et al. Tokyo: 三省堂 Sanseidō. 124-141.

References

  1. ^ Achang at Ethnologue (19th ed., 2016)
  2. ^ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Achangic". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
  3. ^ "Achang". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  4. ^ http://www.ynszxc.gov.cn/villagePage/vindex.aspx?departmentid=150440
  5. ^ http://www.ynszxc.gov.cn/villagePage/vindex.aspx?departmentid=150426
  6. ^ a b Inglis, Douglas. "A preliminary phonology of Ngochang".
  7. ^ "WALS Online - Language Achang". wals.info. Retrieved 2019-02-06.

External links