Queyu (Choyo, Choyu) is a Qiangic language of Yajiang County and Xinlong County, Sichuan. It is similar to and shares a name with Zhaba, but the two languages are distinct from each other.
Dialects The four dialects of Choyo are those of:Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. 2016. “Lhagang Choyu: A first look at its sociolinguistic status”. Studies in Asian Geolinguistics II: Rice. pp.60–69. Youlaxi Township 尤拉西乡, Xinlong County (Wang 1991; Huang ed. 1992)Wang, Tianxi. 1990. “Queyuyu [Choyu]”. In Qingxia Dai, Bufan Huang, Ailan Fu, Rig-’dzin dBang-mo, and Juhuang Liu. Zangmianyu Shiwuzhong. pp.46–63. Beijing: Beijing Yanshan Chubanshe. (which also has Western Horpa speakersSun, Jackson T.-S. 2018. The Ancestry of Horpa: Further Morphological Evidence. Taipei: Academia Sinica.) Rongba Township 绒坝乡, Litang County (Nishida 2008)Nishida, Fuminobu. 2008. “Tyuyugo no on-in taikei [Phonological system of Choyu]”. Tyuugoku Kenkyuu 16. pp.77–85. Tuanjie Township 团结乡, Yajiang County (Lu 1985; Sun ed. 1991)Lu, Shaozun. 1985. “Zhabayu gaikuang [Overview of Zhaba]”. Minzu Yuwen 2. pp.67–76.Sun Hongkai et al. 1991. Zangmianyu yuyin he cihui 藏缅语音和词汇 [Tibeto-Burman phonology and lexicon]. Chinese Social Sciences Press. Xiala Township 呷拉乡, Yajiang County (Prins & Nagano 2013)Prins, Marielle and Yasuhiko Nagano (eds.). 2013. rGyalrongic Languages Database. (which also has Dao speakersYeshes Vodgsal Atshogs / Yixiweisa Acuo [意西微萨・阿错]. 2004. A study of Dao [倒话研究]. Beijing: Ethnic Publishing House [民族出版社]. )
Suzuki & Wangmo (2016) consider the Lhagang Choyu language to be similar to but not part of Choyu proper, which consists of the four dialects listed above.
Huang & Dai (1992)Huang Bufan and Dai Qingxia, eds. 1992. Zangmianyuzu yuyan cihui 《藏緬語族語言詞匯》[A Tibeto-Burman Lexicon]. Beijing: Central Institute of Minorities. document the Queyu dialect spoken in Youlaxi Township 尤拉西乡, Xinlong County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan.
Lhagang Choyu Lhagang Choyu () is a Qiangic language similar to Choyu recently described by Suzuki & Wangmo (2018).Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. 2018. “Lhagang Choyu wordlist with the Thamkhas dialect of Minyag Rabgang Khams (Lhagang, Khams Minyag)”. Asian and African Languages and Linguistics 12. pp.133–160. It is spoken in Tage [Thabs-mkhas] Hamlet, southwestern Tagong [lHa-sgang] Town, Kangding [Dar-mdo] Municipality, Sichuan Province, China. It used to be spoken in Xiya 西雅 Hamlet of the same township (Suzuki & Wangmo 2016:63). Lhagang Choyu is an endangered language with about 100 speakers.
Phonology +ConsonantsLabialAlveolarRetroflexPalatalVelarPlosiveoral aspiratedAffricateoral aspiratedFricativeoral() aspiratedNasal () Approximant /f/ and /ŋ̊/ are only observed in one word each.
+VowelsFrontCentralBackHighMid-high Mid-low Low
Choyo also has three tones; high, low, and rising.
References
Nishida, Fuminobu. 2008. Chuyu-go no on'in taikei. Chūgoku kenkyū / Reitaku University 16. 77-85.