The Southeastern Loloish languages, also known as Southeastern Ngwi, are a branch of the Loloish languages. In Lama's (2012) classification, it is called Axi-Puoid, which forms the Nisoish branch together with the Nisoid (Nisu–Lope) (Northern Loloish) languages.
Languages Southeastern Yi is one of the six Yi languages (fangyan 方言) officially recognized by the Chinese government. Sani 撒尼 is the officially recognized literary standard for Southeastern Yi. Pelkey (2011) considers Southern Yi (Nisu 尼苏) to be another officially recognized Yi fangyan 方言 that belongs to Southeastern Loloish.
Pelkey (2011) Jamin Pelkey (2011) lists the following languages in Southeastern Ngwi (Southeastern Loloish). Four branches of Southeastern Loloish are recognized, namely Nisu, Sani–Azha, Highland Phula, and Riverine Phula. Nisu: Nyisu?; Northern Nisu, Southern Nisu [+ Lope] Sani–Azha: Sani, Axi; Azhe; Azha [+ Samei?] Highland Phula: Muji: Core Muji: Northern Muji, Qila Muji, Southern Muji, Bokha–Phuma; Muzi; Laghuu Thopho Moji Phowa: Ani Phowa, Labo Phowa Hlepho Phowa, Phukha Khlula, Zokhuo Riverine Phula: Upriver: Phola, Alo Phola, Phala Downriver: Phupa, Phuza Phupha, Alugu
Pelkey (2011b)Pelkey, Jamin. 2011b. A Phula Comparative Lexicon: Phola, Phuza, Muji, Phowa, Azha . SIL International. SIL Language and Culture Documentation and Description, no. 18. contains a comparative word list of Phola (Upriver Phula), Phuza (Downriver Phula), Muji (Highland Phula), Phowa (Highland Phula), and Azha.
Bradley (2007) had classified Sani, Axi, Azhe, and Azha as forming a Southeastern Central subgroup of Central Loloish, but Pelkey (2011) reclassified them as Southeastern Loloish rather than Central Loloish languages.
Also, Pelkey (2011) notes that Southeastern Ngwi may be most closely related to Northern Ngwi (including Nosu and Nasu), which is in line with Lama's (2012) proposal of a Nisoish clade.
Other languages Pelkey (2011:353)Pelkey, Jamin. 2011. Dialectology As Dialectic: Interpreting Phula Variation. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. specifically excludes Pholo, noting that although it has been closely associated with speakers of Southeastern Ngwi languages historically, it does not share the defining features of the branch.
Pelkey (2011) classifies Nyisu of Shilin County as belonging to the Nisu language cluster, but notes that this classification is in need of further formal evidence. Bradley (2007), however, classifies Nyisu of Kunming as being most closely related to Suondi Yi. It is not known whether Nyisu of Kunming and Nyisu of Shilin County are related or not.
Ethnologue classifies Ache as a Southeastern Loloish language. However, Ache has not been analyzed in classifications of Southeastern Loloish by Pelkey (2011) and Lama (2012), and hence remains unclassified within the Southeastern Loloish branch.
Pelkey (2011:431) suggests that the Xiqi, Ati, and Long languages of Huaning County may be Southeastern Loloish languages.
It is uncertain if Zhayipo 扎依颇 () of Mile County is a Southeastern Loloish language or not.Long Luogui 龙倮贵. 2007. Honghe yizu zuyuan zucheng ji qi renkou fenbu 红河彝族族源族称及其人口分布 .
Glottolog and ISO 639 (2007) also add the "Nisi (China)" language (code: yso), previously named "Southeastern Lolo Yi", and still unclassified within branches of Southeastern Loloish.ISO 639-3 Registration Agency. 2007. Change Request Documentation: 2007-083.
Innovations Pelkey (2011:356-365) lists the following four mergers from Proto-Ngwi as Southeastern Ngwi innovations. Proto-Ngwi * and * > Proto-Southeastern Ngwi * (modern reflexes: tɬ, kɬ, k, t, ɬ, etc. in words such as to load) Proto-Ngwi * and * > Proto-Southeastern Ngwi * (modern reflexes: tɬʰ, kɬʰ, kʰ, tʰ, ɬ, etc. in words such as bee, taro, destroy, change, excrement) Proto-Ngwi * and * > Proto-Southeastern Ngwi * (modern reflexes: dɮ, ɡɮ, ɡ, d, etc. in words such as silver, face, pus, full, to fly, lightning, four) Proto-Ngwi * and * > Proto-Southeastern Ngwi * (modern reflexes: ndɮ, ŋɡɮ, nd, etc.)
Another Southeastern Ngwi lexical innovation is that of ‘bat’, which is compounded from *b-yam¹ (‘to fly’) and *wa² (‘person’), literally meaning ‘flyer’ (Pelkey 2011:375).
Chen (1985) Chen, et al. (1985)Chen Shilin [陈士林], et al. 1985. Yiyu jianzhi [彝语简志]. Beijing: Ethnic Publishing House [民族出版社]. also recognizes a similar group called Southeastern Yi (彝语东南部方言), which includes the following dialects. Yiliang 宜良土语: spoken in Yiliang (including the Shilin border area), Qiubei, Luxi, Mile, and Luliang counties Mile 弥勒土语: spoken in Mile, Huaning, Kunming, Luxi, and Yiliang counties Huami 华弥土语 (Huaning-Mile): spoken in Mile, Huaning, and Jianshui counties Wenxi 文西土语 (Wenshan-Xichou): spoken in Wenshan, Xichou, Yanshan, Malipo, Maguan, Funing, Guangnan, and Qiubei counties. Internal variation is greatest within the Wenxi lect.
Chen (2010) In Chen (2010), Southeastern Loloish called Nesu (聂苏方言). Also listed are the counties where each respective dialect is spoken.
Nesu 聂苏方言 Nesu, Nièsū 聂苏次方言 Nesu, Nièsū 聂苏 (): 500,000 speakers in Honghe, Mojiang, Yuanjiang, Yuanyang, Luchun, Jiangcheng, Jinping, Hekou, Pu'er, Jinghong, Mengla, etc. Narsu, Nuósū 娜苏 (): 500,000 speakers in Shiping, Eshan, Tonghai, Jianshui, Kaiyuan, Gejiu, Mengzi, Pingbian, etc. Zoko, Zuòkuò 作括 (): 100,000 speakers in Wenshan, Yanshan, Xichou, Maguan, Malipo, etc. Sani, Sǎní 撒尼次方言 Sani, Sǎní 撒尼 (): 200,000 speakers in Lunan, Yiliang, Luliang, Mile, Luxi, Shizong, Malong, Luquan, Qiubei, etc. Asi, Āxì 阿细 (): 200,000 speakers in Mile, Lunan, Chengjiang, Kunming, Huaning, etc. Nise, Nísài 尼赛 (): 100,000 speakers in Lunan Azi, Āzhé 阿哲次方言 Azi, Āzhé 阿哲 (): 100,000 speakers in Mile, Huaning, Kaiyuan, Jianshui, etc. Neshu, Nièshū 聂舒: (): 500,000 speakers in Xinping, Yuxi, Jiangchuan, Yimen, Puning, etc. Lopo, Luópō 罗泼 (): 100,000 speakers in Mile Kopo, Gépō 格泼 (): 100,000 speakers in Fuyuan, Luoping, Zhanyi, Qujing, Shizong, Huize, Lunan, Luliang, Mile, etc. Sanni, Sāngní 桑尼 (): 100,000 speakers in Kunming
Demographics The following demographics of Southeastern Loloish languages are from Pelkey (2011).
+Demographics of Phula languages Language Autonym(s) Speakers Ethnic population Villages Dialects ISO-639 Phala 12,000 13,000 33 5+ ypa Phola 13,000 13,000 42 7+ ypg Alo Phola 500 500 1 1 ypo Qila Muji 1,500 1,500 3 3 ymq Southern Muji 26,000 28,000 104 6+ ymc Northern Muji 9,000 15,000 61 3+ ymx Muzi 10,000 16,000 42 5+ ymz Bokha 10,000 12,000 31 3+ ybk Phuma 8,000 8,000 23 2 ypm Alugu 3,500 3,500 11 2 aub Phupa 3,000 4,000 13 3 ypp Phupha 1,300 1,500 5 3 yph Phuza 6,000 8,000 28 2+ ypz Ani Phowa pʰo21 va33 10,000 10,000 30 3+ ypn Labo Phowa 17,000 21,000 70 Dialect chain ypb Hlepho Phowa 36,000 50,000 187 Dialect chain yhl Azha , 53,000 54,000 98 5+ aza Zokhuo 13,000 17,000 56 2 yzk Khlula 21,000 34,000 114 3+ ykl Moji – 2,000 7,000 45 2+ ymi Phukha – 10,000 14,000 41? Unknown phh Laghuu 500 1,500 7 Unknown lgh Pholo 30,000 34,000 112 3+ yip Thopho 200 500 2 1 ytp
The following datapoints (i.e., sample locations) for Phula languages are from Pelkey (2011:26-27).
+Datapoints for Phula languages (Pelkey 2011) Language County Township Village Datapoint Code Alugu Gejiu Manhao 蔓耗镇 Chongtianling 冲天岭 CTL Azha Yanshan County Ganhe 干河彝族乡 Faduke Dazhai 法都可大寨 ("Dafa 大法") DFC Azha Wenshan County Dongshan 东山彝族乡 Huangzhai 荒寨 HZC Azha Wenshan County Binglie 秉烈彝族乡 Luojiayi 倮家邑 LJY Azha Wenshan County Binglie 秉烈彝族乡 Xiaopingba 小平坝 XPB Bokha Pingbian County Dishuiceng 滴水层乡 Yibaizu 邑佰租 YBZ Bokho Jinping County Ma'andi 马鞍底乡 Dixibei 地西北 DXB Khlula Wenshan County Liujing 柳井彝族乡 Laozhai 老寨 LZC Khlula Maguan County Muchang 木厂镇 Maxi 马西 MXC Muji Pingbian County Xinxian 新现乡 Luoshuidong 落水洞 LSD Muji Jinping County Adibo 阿德博乡 Pujiazhai 普家寨 PJZ Muji Jinping County Jinshuihe 金水河镇 Qila 期腊 QLC Muji Mengzi County Shuitian 水田乡 Xiepo 斜坡 XPC Muzi Gejiu Laochang 老厂镇 Malutang 马鹿塘 MLT Muzi Gejiu Kafang 卡房镇 Nuoguzhai 糯谷寨 NGZ Muzi Jinping County Tongchang 铜厂乡 Shizitou 狮子头 SZT Phala Honghe County Baohua 宝华乡 Beishe 碑赊 BSC Phala Honghe County Yisa 迤萨镇 Feinishao 斐尼哨 FNS Phola Honghe County Menglong 勐龙傣族乡 Adipo 阿底坡 ADP Phola Yuanjiang County Wadie 洼垤乡 Luodie 罗垤 LDC Phola Yuanjiang County Lijiang 澧江镇 Natang 那塘 NTC Phole Wenshan County Dehou 德厚镇 Chekabai 扯卡白 CKB Pholo Guangnan County Wuzhu 五珠乡 Fayi Xiazhai 法衣下寨 FYX Pholo Yanshan County Ganhe 干河彝族乡 Shangxinzhai 上新寨 SXZ Pholo Guangnan County Zhulin 珠琳镇 Xiji 西吉 XJC Phowa Pingbian County Xinhua 新华乡 Feizuke 菲租克 FZK Phowa Kaiyuan County Beige 碑格乡 Jiaji 架吉 JJC Phowa Mengzi County Mingjiu 鸣鹫镇 Meizichong 梅子冲 MZC Phowa Mengzi County Beige 碑格乡 Weibazhu Xiaozhai 尾巴猪小寨 WBZ Phowa Kaiyuan County Mazheshao 马者哨乡 Wudupi 乌都皮 WDP Phowa Mengzi County Xibeile 西北勒乡 Daheineng 大黑能 DHN Phowa Kaiyuan County Beige 碑格乡 Lugumu 鲁姑母 LGM Phowa Wenshan County Baxin 坝心彝族乡 Suozhiwan 所支弯 SZW Phowa Mengzi County Xibeile 西北勒乡 Xibeile 西北勒 XBL Phuma Pingbian County Baihe 白河乡 Yanzitou 岩子头 YZT Phupa Mengzi County Shuitian 水田乡 Gamadi 嘎马底 GMD Phupha Gejiu Jiasha 贾沙乡 Fengkou 风口 FKC Phuza Mengzi County Lengquan 冷泉镇 Bujibai 补鸡白 BJB Thopho Guangnan County Zhetu 者兔乡 Xinzhaicun 新寨村 XZC Zokhuo Wenshan County Zhuiligai 追栗街镇 Daxingzhai 大兴寨 DXZ Moji Xichou County Lianhuatang 莲花塘乡 Luchaichong 芦差冲 LCC
References
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