Qabiao, Pu Peo or sometimes Laqua (autonym: '; Chinese: Pubiao æ®æ Â, Vietnamese: Pu Péo) is a Kra language spoken by the Qabiao people in northern Vietnam and Yunnan, China. Alternative names for Qabiao include Kabeo, Ka Beo, Ka Bao, Ka Biao, Laqua, Pubiao (Pupeo or Pu Péo) and Pen Ti Lolo (Bendi Lolo). The meaning of the name "Qabiao" is unknown.
Maza, a LoloâÂÂBurmese language spoken near the Qabiao area, is notable for having a Qabiao substratum (Hsiu 2014:68-69).
In Vietnam, Qabiao is spoken in ÃÂá»Âng VÃÂn District, HàGiang Province in Phá» Làand Sủng Chéng villages, and perhaps also in Yên Minh and Mèo Vạc Districts.
Tran (2011:15) reports that Qabiao is spoken in the following locations of Ha Giang Province.
The Pu Péo (Qabiao) of Vietnam claim that they had traditionally lived in the following villages in Vietnam and China (Tran 2011:16).
In China, Qabiao is spoken in Tiechang Township éÂÂÃ¥ÂÂé and Donggan Township æÂÂå¹²é in Malipo County, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan (Liang, et al. 2007). Many Qabiao people have shifted to Southwestern Mandarin, although it is still spoken in villages such as Pufeng æ®峰.
The Qabiao language has the following tones: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D1, D2.
Like Paha (J.-F. Li and Y.-X. Luo 2010: 16âÂÂ17), Long-haired Lachi (Kosaka 2000: 20âÂÂ24) and Buyang, Qabiao (J.-R. Zhang 1990) have sesquisyllables, which are not present in most Kra-Dai languages.