The Xong language ( ) is the northernmost Hmongic language, spoken in south-central China by around 0.9 million people. It is called (, "Western Hunan Miao") in Chinese, as well as Eastern Miao (). In Western sources, it has been called Meo, Red Miao, and North Hmongic. An official alphabet was adopted in 1956.
Distribution
Xong is spoken mainly in Hunan province, but also in a few areas of Guizhou and Hubei provinces, Guangxi, and Chongqing municipality in China. Xong-speaking communities, by county, are:
- Western (Xong): 800,000 speakers (autonym ')
- Hunan
- Huayuan County, Xiangxi
- Jishou, Xiangxi
- Fenghuang County, Xiangxi
- Baojing County, Xiangxi
- Longshan County, Xiangxi
- Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County, Huaihua
- Mayang Miao Autonomous County, Huaihua
- Guizhou
- Songtao Miao Autonomous County
- Tongren County
- Hubei
- Xuan'en County
- Chongqing
- Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Qianjiang
- Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Qianjiang
- Guangxi
- Hechi (including Beiya Ã¥ÂÂçÂÂæ of Xia'ao ä¸Âå³乡, Yong'an æ°¸å®Â乡, and Banling æ¿å²Â乡 of Du'an County)
- Nandan County
- Eastern (Suang): 80,000 speakers
- Hunan
- Jishou, Xiangxi (e.g., in Xiaozhangzhai å°Â章寨, with autonym ')
- Longshan County, Xiangxi (e.g., in Wujiazhai å´家寨)
- Guzhang County, Xiangxi
- Luxi County, Xiangxi (e.g., in Dongtouzhai æ´Â头寨, with autonym ')
Classification
Xong was classified in its own branch of the Hmongic family in Strecker (1987). Xiang (1999) divided Xong into western and eastern dialects. Matisoff (2001) considered these to be two distinct languages, but Matisoff (2006) consolidated them into one. Yang (2004) divides each of these dialects into three subdialects, as listed below. Speaker populations and locations are from Li and Li (2012).
- Western (includes standardized Xong)
- Lect 1 (autonym: '): Jiwei Ã¥ÂÂå«, Huayuan County; 769,000 speakers in the counties of Fenghuang (except Baren Ã¥ÂÂä»Â乡), most of Huayuan, southern Jishou, Xinhuang, Mayang, Songtao, parts of Rongjiang, parts of Ziyun, Xiushan, parts of Nandan, parts of Hechi, and parts of Du'an.
- Lect 2 (autonym: '): Yangmeng é³åÂÂ, Jishou; 120,000 speakers in the counties of eastern Huayuan, western and northern Jishou, eastern Baojing, southwestern Guzhang, Fenghuang (in Baren Ã¥ÂÂä»Â乡), and Xuan'en.
- Lect 3 (autonym: '): Zhongxin ä¸Âå¿Â, Baojing County; 30,000 speakers in southeastern Baojing County.
- Eastern
- Lect 4 (autonym: '): Xiaozhang å°Âç« , Luxi County; 6,000 speakers in and around Xiaozhang, Luxi County
- Lect 5 (autonym: '): Danqing 丹éÂÂ, Jishou; 48,000 speakers in the counties of northwestern Luxi, eastern Jishou, and southeastern Guzhang.
- Lect 6 (autonym: '): Dengshang 蹬ä¸Â, Longshan County; 300 speakers in southern Longshan County and Yongshun County (in Shouche é¦Â车乡).
He Fuling (2009) describes a western Qo Xiong dialect of Gouliang Ethnic Miao Village, Ala Township, Fenghuang County (å¤å°å¿é¿æÂÂéÂÂå¾è¯èÂÂ寨).
Chen (2009) describes a western Qo Xiong dialect of Daxing Town 大åÂ
´éÂÂ, Songtao County, Guizhou.
Phonology and script
A written standard based on the Western dialect in LàyÃÂpÃÂng (èÂ
Âä¹Âåª) village and JÃÂwèi (Ã¥ÂÂå«) town, HuÃÂyuán county, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture was established in 1956.
References
Further reading
- Yang, Zaibiao æ¨åÂÂ彪. 2017. Xiangxi Miaoyu, Tujiayu yu Hanyu jiechu yanjiu æ¹Â西èÂÂè¯ÂãÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ家è¯Âä¸Âæ±Âè¯Âæ¥触ç Â究. Changchun: Jilin University Press Ã¥ÂÂæÂÂ大å¦åºçÂÂ社. ISBN 978-7-5692-1507-6.
External links