Yuebei Tuhua, also known as Shaozhou Tuhua or Northern Guangdong speech, is a variety of Chinese spoken around Shaoguan in northern Guangdong Province in southeastern China. (Shaoguan and the surrounding prefecture were formerly known as "Shaozhou" under imperial rule and Yue is a common Chinese abbreviation or synonym for Guangdong.) Mutually unintelligible with Mandarin, Cantonese, and Xiang, its origin and classification remain a matter of scholarly debate.
Classification Some scholars consider it to be an extension of Ping Chinese in Guangxi. Others consider it to have a foundation in Song dynasty-era Middle Gan, mixed with Hakka, Cantonese, and Southwestern Mandarin.
Chen (2012) notes that the Shaoguan Tuhua of Shibei (石陂, in Zhenjiang District) shares many similarities with the Hakka of Qujiang District, due to intensive contact.
Sagart (2001) considers the Nanxiong dialect (classified in the Language Atlas of China as a Yuebei Tuhua dialect) to be most closely related to Hakka.Sagart, Laurent. 2001. Nanxiong and Hakka. Fangyan [Dialect] 2001(2):142-151. In contrast, Egerod (1983) had proposed a relationship between Nanxiong and Min.Egerod, Søren. 1983. The Nanxiong Dialect. Fangyan [Dialect] 1983(2):123-42.
Dialects Yuebei Tuhua is also known as Shaozhou Tuhua and as Shīpóhuà (虱婆话, "Shipo speech"), Shīnǎhuà (虱乸话, "Shina speech"), or Shīpóshēng (虱婆声, "Shipo accent") in its own region. It is also known as Pingdi Yaohua (平地瑶话, "Lowland Yao speech"), locally Piongtuojo or Piongtoajeu; "Yao" here might be a cultural designation, as only half of the one million speakers are classified as ethnic Yao.Ming studies, 34–35:55, University of Minnesota, 1995"Pingdi Yao (Piongtuojo, Piongtoajeu) is a variety of Chinese with 1,000,000 speakers, half of whom are members of Yao nationality"
Li & Zhuang (2009) cover the following dialects of Shaoguan Tuhua. Dacun (大村), Qujiang District Xiangyang (向阳), Wujiang District Shibei (石陂), Zhenjiang District Zhoutian (周田), Renhua County Shitang (石塘), Renhua County Guitou (桂头), Ruyuan County
Zhang Shuangqing (2004) covers five dialects of Lianzhou Tuhua (). Xingzi (星子) dialect: 120,000 speakers in Xingzi (星子), Qingjiang (清江), Shantang (山塘), Tanling (潭岭), Dalubian (大路边) towns, and parts of Mabu (麻步) and Yao'an (瑶安) towns Bao'an (保安) dialect: 30,000 speakers in Bao'an Town (保安镇), and parts of Longping Town (龙坪镇) Lianzhou (连州) dialect (locally called ᴀt24 pi55 sheng 声): 40,000 speakers in Lianzhou Town (连州镇) and Fucheng Town (附城镇) Xi'an (西岸) dialect (locally called Mansheng 蛮声): 30,000 speakers in Xi'an Town (西岸镇) Fengyang (丰阳) dialect (locally called Mansheng 蛮声): 50,000 speakers in Fengyang Town (丰阳镇), and parts of Zhugang (朱岗), Dongpo (东陂), and Yao'an (瑶安) towns
Distribution Tuhua is retreating before Mandarin, Cantonese and Hakka and is found in rural dialect islands in the northern Guangdong counties of Lechang, Renhua, Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County, Qujiang, Nanxiong, Zhenjiang, Wujiang (parts of Shaoguan prefecture-level city), and Lianzhou and Liannan Yao Autonomous County in Qingyuan prefecture-level city.
See also Lingling language Maojia language
References
External links Classification of Tuhua Dialects Divergent Chinese dialects database (Academia Sinica)