The Hani languages are a group of closely related but distinct languages of the Loloish (Yi) branch of the Tibeto-Burman linguistic group. They are also referred to as the Hanoid languages by Lama (2012) and as the Akoid languages by Bradley (2007).
Approximately 1.5 million people speak these languages, mainly in China, Laos, Burma (Myanmar), and Vietnam; more than 90% of the speakers of these languages live in China. Various ethnicities that use Hani languages are grouped into a single class recognized nationality named Hani after the largest subgroup. In China, the languages of this groupâÂÂwhich include Hani proper, Akha, and Hao-Bai (Honi and Baihong)âÂÂare considered dialects (). Western scholars, however, have traditionally classified them as separate languages.
Varieties
In China, Akha and other related languages are considered to be derivatives of Hani. They are not mutually intelligible, which means that speakers of one language do not necessarily understand speakers of the other language. In 2007, according to Ethnologue, there were almost 1.5 million speakers of all Hani varieties. Slightly more than half (760,000) of these speakers can speak Hani properly (considering age etc.). Lama (2012) groups the principal varieties of the Hani languages identified by Bradley (2007) as follows: Yunnan locations and speaker populations are from Haniyu Jianzhi Ã¥ÂÂå°¼è¯Âç®Âå¿ according to information from 1986.
- Ha-Ya Ã¥ÂÂéÂÂ
had 850,000 speakers in 1982. The representative dialect is Dazhai 大寨 and is spoken in Lüchun County.
- Hani Ã¥ÂÂå°¼ (autonym: '; orthography: "Haqniqdoq") has 520,000 speakers in south-central Yunnan, China and 12,500 speakers in Vietnam. In Yunnan is spoken in Honghe, Yuanyang, Lüchun, and Jinping counties.
- Akha é¿å¡ Yani éÂÂ
å°¼ (ritual autonym: '; orthography: "Aqkaqdoq") has 550,000 speakers: 250,000 in China, 220,000 in Burma, 35,000 in northern Thailand, and 35,000 in northern Laos. In Yunnan, China it is spoken in Sipsongpanna. Representative dialect is Gelanghe Township æ ¼æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå°¼æÂÂ乡, Menghai County.
- Muda æÂ¨è¾¾ has over 2,000 speakers in Nanlianshan township Ã¥ÂÂèÂÂ山乡, Jinghong City, Yunnan, China (Xu 1991).
- Hao-Bai 豪ç½: 210,000 speakers in Mojiang, Yuanjiang, and Pu'er counties. Representative dialect: Shuigui æ°´ç¸, Mojiang County.
- Haoni 豪尼 a.k.a. Honi (autonym: ') has 120,000 speakers.
- Baihong ç½宠(autonym: ') has 60,000 speakers.
David Bradley (2007) considers the Hani-Akha (Ha-Ya) and Haoni-Baihong (Hao-Bai) languages to be part of an Akoid subgroup.
In China, all of the Bi-Ka languages () are considered to form a single Hani dialect cluster ( fangyan), and the speakers are officially classified as ethnic Hani (Haniyu Jianzhi Ã¥ÂÂå°¼è¯Âç®Âå¿ 1986). Recognized dialects include Biyue 碧约 (autonym: bi31jÃÂ31), Kaduo å¡å¤Â, and Enu 峨åª. In Yunnan, China, they are spoken in Mojiang, Jiangcheng, Jingdong, and other counties, with a total of 370,000 speakers. The representative dialect is that of Caiyuan èÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ, Mojiang County.
Other Hani varieties include Luomian ç½Âç¼Â
, Guozuo æÂÂä½Â, Gehuo 格活, and Guohe éÂÂå (Tang 2011).
Yunnan Provincial Gazetteer
The Yunnan Provincial Gazetteer (äºÂÃ¥ÂÂçÂÂå¿Âï¼Âå°ÂæÂ°æ°ÂæÂÂè¯Âè¨ÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå¿Â, p. 113) classifies the Hani languages as follows. Additional dialects and datapoints from Zhang (1998) and Tang (2011) are also included.
- Ha-Ya Ã¥ÂÂéÂÂ
æÂ¹è¨Â, 680,000 people
- Hani Ã¥ÂÂ尼次æÂ¹è¨Â
- Dazhai, Lüchun County dialect 绿æÂ¥å¤§å¯¨åÂÂå°¼åÂÂ诠(Dazhai is the standard Hani Ã¥ÂÂå°¼ dialect; also includes the datapoint of Dashuigou 大水æ²Â)
- Angluo æÂÂå® ("Hhaqloldoq"): Malizhai, Yuanyang County dialect Ã¥Â
Âé³麻æ Â寨åÂÂå°¼åÂÂ诠(also includes the datapoint of Guozong æÂÂç»Â)
- Luobi ç½Â碧 ("Lolbiqdoq"): Dazhai, Jinping County éÂÂ平大寨; Adebo, Jinping County éÂÂå¹³é¿å¾ÂÃ¥ÂÂ
- Malutang, Jinping County dialect éÂÂ平马鹿å¡ÂÃ¥ÂÂå°¼åÂÂ诠(also known as Loumei 楼æ¢Â
)
- Lami èÂ
Âåª ("Laqmildoq"): Jiayin, Honghe County dialect 红河ç²å¯Â
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼åÂÂ诠(also includes the datapoint of Leyu ä¹Âè²)
- Langza, Honghe County dialect 红河浪æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå°¼åÂÂ诠(includes Yiche)
- Luomian ç½Âç¼Â
: Xinyayong æÂ°äºÂæÂÂ¥, Shangxincheng Township ä¸ÂæÂ°åÂÂ乡, Yuanyang County
- Guozuo æÂÂä½Â: Pujiao æÂ®è§Â, Jinshuihe Town éÂÂæ°´æ²³éÂÂ, Jinping County
- Gehuo 格活: Baima Shangzhai ç½马ä¸Â寨æÂÂ, Yingpan Township èÂ¥çÂÂ乡, Jinping County éÂÂå¹³å¿
- Guohe éÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ: Dengqu Village çÂȌÂȾÂÂ, Majie Township 马è¡Â乡, Yuanjiang County Ã¥Â
Âé³å¿
- Yani éÂÂ
尼次æÂ¹è¨Â
- Gelanghe, Xishuangbanna dialect 西åÂÂçÂÂ纳格æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂéÂÂ
å°¼åÂÂè¯Â
- Naduo, Lancang County dialect æ¾Âæ²§é£å¤ÂéÂÂ
å°¼åÂÂè¯Â
- Haoni (Hao-Bai) 豪ç½æÂ¹è¨Â, 180,000 people
- Haoni 豪尼: Shuigui, Mojiang County dialect 墨æ±Âæ°´ç¸åÂÂè¯Â
- Baihong ç½å®Â: Bali, Mojiang County dialect 墨æ±ÂÃ¥ÂÂå©åÂÂè¯Â
- Asuo é¿æ¢Â
- Duota å¤Âå¡Â
- Budu å¸Âé½
- Bi-Ka 碧å¡æÂ¹è¨Â, 300,000 people
- Biyue 碧约: Caiyuan Township, Mojiang County dialect 墨æ±ÂèÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ乡åÂÂè¯Â
- Kaduo å¡å¤Â: Minxing Township, Mojiang County dialect 墨æ±Âæ°ÂÃ¥Â
´ä¹¡åÂÂè¯Â
- Enu 妿ÂÂ: Dazhai, Yayi Township, Mojiang County dialect 墨æ±ÂéÂÂ
éÂÂ大寨åÂÂè¯Â
Distribution
China
In China, Hani languages are spoken mostly in areas east of the Mekong River in the south-central Yunnan province, concentrated in the Pu'er and Honghe prefectures as well as in parts of other surrounding prefectures. Hani is also spoken in Lai Châu Province of northwestern Vietnam, northern Laos, and Shan State of northeastern Burma.
Vietnam
Edmondson (2002) reports that the Hani of Vietnam is distributed in 2 provinces of northwestern Vietnam. The earliest Hani pioneers to Vietnam probably numbered around 5 to 6 families, and arrived in Mðá»Âng Tè District from Jinping County and Lüchun County in Yunnan about 325 years ago. The Hani of Phong Thá» District and Bát Xát District arrived later, about 175 years ago from Yunnan. The Hani of Vietnam claim to be able to communicate in the Hani language with ethnic Hani from different areas of Vietnam despite significant geographical barriers. Edmondson (2002), however, reported different Hani speech varieties in various parts of northwestern Vietnam, which differ mostly lexically.
Further reading
Tang Mingsheng (2011, ed.) contains word lists and ethnographies of Hani subgroups. There are 12 books in the Regional Culture Investigation of International Hani/Aka (å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥) series edited by Tang.
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½åÂ
Âé³å¿马è¡ÂÃ¥ÂÂå°¼æÂÂéÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Guohe éÂÂå people of Dengqu Village, Majie Township, Yuanjiang County Ã¥Â
Âé³å¿马è¡Â乡çÂȌÂȾÂÂ)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½éÂÂå¹³å¿åÂÂå°¼ç°åÂÂå°¼æÂÂç½Âæ¯Â÷ç½Â们人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Nuobi ç½Â毠and Nuomei ç½Â们 people of Hanitian Ã¥ÂÂå°¼ç°, Jinhe Town éÂÂæ²³éÂÂ, Jinping County)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½éÂÂå¹³å¿æÂ®è§ÂÃ¥ÂÂå°¼æÂÂæÂÂä½Â人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Guozuo æÂÂä½ people of Pujiao æÂ®è§Â, Jinshuihe Town éÂÂæ°´æ²³éÂÂ, Jinping County)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½åÂÂæµ·å¿格æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå°¼æÂÂé¿å¡人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Akha é¿å¡ people of Suhu Dazhai, Suhu Village, Gelanghe Township, Menghai County Ã¥ÂÂæµ·å¿格æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ乡èÂÂæ¹ÂæÂÂæ°Âå§ÂÃ¥ÂÂä¼ÂèÂÂæ¹Â大寨èªç¶æÂÂ)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½æÂ°å¹³å¿平æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå°¼æÂÂå¡å¤Â人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Kaduo people of Laomiaozhai èÂÂ缪寨, Pingzhang Township å¹³æÂÂ乡, Xinping County)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½éÂÂå¹³å¿èÂ¥çÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå°¼æÂÂ格活人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Gehuo 格活 people of Baima Shangzhai, Yingpan Township, Jinping County éÂÂå¹³å¿èÂ¥çÂÂ乡ç½马ä¸Â寨æÂÂ)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½éÂÂå¹³å¿èÂÂ
ç±³åÂÂå°¼æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå¤Â人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Habei Ã¥ÂÂ夠people of Habei Ã¥ÂÂå¤Â, Zhemi Township èÂÂ
米乡, Jinping County)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½绿æÂ¥å¿åÂÂå¾·åÂÂå°¼æÂÂèÂ
Â米人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Lami èÂ
Âç±³ people of Hade Ã¥ÂÂå¾·, Sanmeng Township ä¸ÂçÂÂ乡, Lüchun County)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½åÂ
Âé³å¿ä¸ÂæÂ°åÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå°¼æÂÂç½Âç¼Â
人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Luomian ç½Âç¼Â
people of Xinyayong æÂ°äºÂæÂÂ¥, Shangxincheng Township ä¸ÂæÂ°åÂÂ乡, Yuanyang County)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½红河å¿æ´ÂæÂ©åÂÂå°¼æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ尼人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Hani Ã¥ÂÂå°¼ people of Luoen Township æ´ÂæÂ©ä¹¡, Honghe County)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½åÂ
Âé³å¿大åªåÂÂå°¼æÂÂé¿é¬人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Awu é¿é¬ people of Xiaopingzi å°ÂåªåÂÂ, Daping Township 大åª乡, Yuanyang County)
- Tang Mingsheng Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂçÂÂ. 2011. å½éÂÂ
Ã¥ÂÂå°¼/é¿å¡åºåÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂè°ÂæÂÂ¥: ä¸Âå½åÂ
Âé³å¿æÂ°è¡ÂÃ¥ÂÂå°¼æÂÂæÂÂå®人æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå®Âå½Â. Kunming: Yunnan People's Press äºÂÃ¥ÂÂ人æ°ÂåºçÂÂ社. (Angluo æÂÂå® people of Xinjie Town æÂ°è¡ÂéÂÂ, Yuanyang County)
References
- Bradley, David. 2007. East and Southeast Asia. In Moseley, Christopher (ed.), Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, 349-424. London & New York: Routledge.
- Edmondson, Jerold A. 2002. "The Central and Southern Loloish Languages of Vietnam". Proceedings of the Twenty-Eighth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: Special Session on Tibeto-Burman and Southeast Asian Linguistics (2002), pp. 1âÂÂ13.
- Lama, Ziwo Qiu-Fuyuan. 2012. Subgrouping of Nisoic (Yi) Languages. Ph.D. thesis, University of Texas at Arlington.
External links