Waxiang Chinese

Waxiang (; ) is a divergent variety of Chinese, spoken by the Waxiang people, an unrecognized ethnic minority group in the northwestern part of Hunan province, China. Waxiang is a distinct language, and is very different from the surrounding Southwestern Mandarin, Xiang Chinese, and the Eastern Miao (Xong) languages.

Classification Waxiang is widely considered a Chinese variety.

Nevertheless, as noted by Laurent Sagart (2011)Sagart, Laurent. 2011. Classifying Chinese dialects/Sinitic languages on shared innovations. Talk given at Centre de recherches linguistiques sur l’Asie orientale, Norgent sur Marne. and others,de Sousa, Hilário. 2015. The Far Southern Sinitic Languages as part of Mainland Southeast Asia. In Enfield, N.J. & Comrie, Bernard (eds.), Languages of Mainland Southeast Asia: The state of the art (Pacific Linguistics 649), 356–439. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. .湘西瓦乡话“吃饭”【柔摸】读音来历考沅陵乡话（船溪）与白语蔡家话个别读音对比 Waxiang appears to share some words with the Caijia language of western Guizhou. Sagart (2011) considers Caijia to be a sister of Waxiang. Currently, Waxiang is classified as a divergent Chinese variety rather than a non-Sinitic language. Similarities among Old Chinese, Waxiang, Caijia, and Bai have also been pointed out by Wu & Shen (2010).Wu Yunji, Shen Ruiqing [伍云姬、沈瑞清]. 2010. An Investigative Report of Waxianghua of Guzhang County, Xiangxi Prefecture [湘西古丈瓦乡话调查报告]. Shanghai Educational Press [上海教育出版社].

Although most Waxiang speakers are classified as ethnic Miao by People's Republic of China, Qu & Tang (2017) show that Waxiang and Miao (Qo Xiong) have had little mutual influence on each other.Qu Jianhui 瞿建慧; Tang Jiaxin 唐家新. 2017. Xiangxi Xianghua yu Xiangxi Miaoyu 湘西乡话与湘西苗语. Minzu Yuwen, vol. 2.

Distribution Waxianghua is found in Luxi, Guzhang and Yongshun counties in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Zhangjiajie prefecture-level city (in Dayong ), and Chenxi, Xupu and Yuanling counties in Huaihua prefecture-level city. Neighboring languages include Southwestern Mandarin, Xiang Chinese, Tujia, Qo Xiong, and Hm Nai.

means 'speech' in Mandarin Chinese, means 'rural' in Mandarin Chinese means 'speech' in Southern Chinese dialects.

The word is only a phonetic transcription.

Wu & Shen (2010) report Waxianghua to be spoken in the following villages. Yuanling County: Qingshuiping , Maxipu , Taichang , Wusu , Liangshuijing Luxi County: Basheping , Shangbao , Liangjiatan , Baisha Guzhang County: Linchang of Gaowangjie , Gaofeng (in Taojin , Beishuiping , etc.), Yantouzhai , Shanzao , Yezhu , Hepeng , Caotan Chenxi County: Tianwan , Banqiao , Chuanxiyi , Tanjiafang Xupu County: Rangjiaxi , Daweixi , Muxi Yongshun County: Limin , Zhenxi , Xiaoxi of Wangcun Township

Liubaohua , a dialect closely related to Waxianghua, is spoken in several villages in southeastern Guzhang County (including in Shaojitian Village , Shanzao Township ) and parts of Luxi County.Zou, Xiaoling 邹晓玲. 2012. Classification of "Siklehua" in Guzhang County in Western Hunan 湘西古丈县“六保话”的系属. Journal of Jishou University (Social Science Edition) 吉首大学学报(社会科学版) 33(1). Liubaohua is spoken in the following locations (Zou 2013). Guzhang County Shanzao Township : Huoma , Gaozhai , Shaojitian , Modao Yantouzhai Township : Yinping , Zimuping , Wangouxi , etc. Luxi County: Basheping Township Yuanling County: Maxipu Town and Shaojiwan Town

The Nanshan dialect of Waxianghua () is spoken in parts of Chengbu County, Hunan and Longsheng County, Guangxi by about 1,100 Waxiang people who had originally migrated from Yuanling County. Their villages include:Zheng, Yanxia [郑焱霞]; Peng, Jianguo [彭建国]. 2016. Hunan Chengbu Xuntou Xianghua yanjiu [湖南城步巡头乡话研究]. Hunan Normal University Press [湖南师范大学出版社].

Chengbu County, Hunan Xuntou Village 巡头村 and Mugua Village 木瓜村, both of which are in Wutuan Town 五团镇 Juezhiping Village 蕨枝坪村, Nanshan Town 南山镇Zheng, Yanxia 郑焱霞. 2010. Xiang-Gui bianjie Nanshan Xianghua yanjiu 湘桂边界南山乡话研究. Doctoral dissertation. Changsha: Hunan Normal University 湖南师范大学. Longsheng County, Guangxi Ganjia Village 甘甲村, Weishan Township 伟江乡

Phonology +Initials of Guzhang county Waxiang伍云姬、沈瑞清合著《湘西古丈瓦乡话调查报告》 LabialDentalAlveolarPalatalVelarNasal 尾大银硬Plosivesvoiced 婆代融墙渠voiceless 布台纸精姑aspirated 破兔初轿口Fricativesvoiced 油食红voiceless 生四灰Approximants 有李矮

Conservative features Waxiang preserves a number of features of Old Chinese not found in most modern varieties of Chinese, such as the initial *l- (which became a voiced dental stop in Middle Chinese):Baxter & Sagart (2014), p. 109. Guzhang li6, OC (Baxter–Sagart) > MC > Mandarin 'earth, ground' Guzhang lu6, OC > MC > Mandarin 'big' Guzhang li2, OC > MC > Mandarin 'slow' Guzhang luʔ8, OC > MC > Mandarin 'read' Waxiang also has some cases of for Old Chinese *r- (which became l- in Middle Chinese):Baxter & Sagart (2014), p. 110. Guzhang za2, OC > MC > Mandarin 'pear tree, pear' Guzhang zɛ2, OC > > MC > Mandarin 'come' In a number of words, Waxiang and Proto-Min have affricate initials where Middle Chinese has sy-:Baxter & Sagart (2014), p. 93. Guzhang tsu3, pMin B, OC > MC > Mandarin 'water' Guzhang tɕiəu1, pMin A, OC > MC > Mandarin 'writing' In some words, Waxiang and Proto-Min have voiced affricates where Middle Chinese has y-:Baxter & Sagart (2014), p. 189. Guzhang dzoŋ3, pMin B, OC > MC > Mandarin 'itch'

Waxiang and Caijia Sagart (2011) argues that Waxiang and Caijia together constitute the earliest branching of Chinese. However, Sagart later retracted this proposal, saying that he is no longer sure whether Waxiang and Caijia actually form a subgroup together.

Like Waxiang, Caijia preserves Old Chinese *l-, has a voiced fricative reflex of *r-, and retains the Old Chinese word 'love', which has been replaced by in all other Chinese varieties. Waxiang and Caijia also share two words not found in other Chinese varieties: 'two': Caijia , Waxiang , from Old Chinese 'twice' 'milk': Caijia , Waxiang , which Sagart suggests is a non-Sinitic word

References

Waxiang Chinese

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