Luobohe Miao language

Luobohe Miao (罗泊河 Luóbóhé Miao, Luobo River Miao, Luopohe Hmong; Xijia Miao 西家苗), also known as Hmjo or A-Hmyo, is a Miao language of China.

Luobo River Miao
A-Hmyo, Ā-hmiò
Native to	China
Region	central Guizhou
Native speakers	(61,000 cited 1995)[1]
Language family	Hmong–Mien Hmongic West Hmongic Luobo River Miao
Language codes
ISO 639-3	hml
Glottolog	luop1235

Distribution

According to Chen Qiguang (2013), there are more than 50,000 ʔə55 m̥ø31 (Flowery Miao 花苗) speakers in Kaiyang, Fuquan, Longli, Guiding, Weng'an, and other counties of southeastern Guizhou.

According to Sun Hongkai (2017), Luobohe Miao is spoken by about 40,000 people in Fuquan, Guiding, Longli, Kaiyang, Kaili, and other counties. In Kaili City, it is spoken in Majiatun 马家屯, Dapaomu 大泡木, and other villages.^[2]

Phonology

Luobo River Miao has an unusually small number of tones for a Hmongic language, with just three: high ˥ 55, rising ˨˦ 24, and falling ˧˩ 31.^[3]

Xijia

Xijia (西家), a variety of Luobohe Miao, had 1,300 speakers as of 2000 in 21 villages surrounding Kaili City, Guizhou, and in Pingzhai Village (平寨村) of Longchang Township (龙厂乡), and Xiangma (响马村), Loumiao (娄苗菜), and Fuzhuang Villages of Lushan Township (卢山乡).^[4] It is also spoken in Majiatun Township (马家屯乡) and Dabaomu Township (大保姆乡) of Kaili City.^[5] The Xijia of Shiban Village (石板寨村), Dafengdong Township (大风洞乡), Kaili cannot communicate with the neighboring Ge (Gejia) people.

According to Chen Qiguang (2007),^[6] the Xijia (autonym: qo0 mjo31) numbered 1,941 people as of 1983, and were distributed in Laojunzhai (老君寨), Majiatun (马家屯), Shibanzhai 石板寨), and Daxiao Baoben (大小泡) of Kaili City.

Within Luobohe, Xijia is classified as "Dialect 1" (第一土语). while Yejipo Miao (野鸡坡话) is classified as "Dialect 2" (第二土语). Chen's (2007) data was collected by Luo Daoqin (罗道钦 from Shibanzhai (石板寨) in 1983. Additionally, a Miao variety spoken in Gusa (谷撒寨), Sizhai Village (四寨村), Xinpu Township (新铺乡), Guiding County, Guizhou belongs to the "Dialect 2" cluster.^[7]

References

1. Luobo River Miao at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. Sun, Hongkai 孙宏开; Ting, Pang-hsin 丁邦新, eds. (2017). Hanzangyu yuyin he cihui 汉藏语语音和词汇. Beijing: Minzu chubanshe 民族出版社. p. 40. ISBN 9787105142385.
3. Wu, Zhengbiao 吴正彪; Yang, Guangying 杨光应 (2010). "Máshān cì fāngyán qū Miáowén fāng'àn de shèjì yǔ shǐyòng - jiān tán Miáozú yīngxióng shǐshī "Yàlǔ wáng" de jì yì zhěnglǐ wèntí" 麻山次方言区苗文方案的设计与使用—兼谈苗族英雄史诗《亚鲁王》的记译整理问题 (PDF). Mínzú fānyì 民族翻译 (in Chinese). 2010 (3): 58–65. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-20. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
4. "Xi" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-22 – via Asia Harvest.
5. "Xījiā" 西家 [Xi] (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2014-02-22 – via Asia Harvest.
6. Chen, Qiguang 陈其光 (2007). "Xījiā Miáoyǔ" 西家苗语 [Xijia Miao]. Mínzú yǔwén 民族语文 (in Chinese). 2007 (4): 68–81.
7. Li, Huayi 栗华益 (2011). "Gǔsā Miáoyǔ de shēngdiào tèdiǎn" 谷撒苗语的声调特点 [Tonal Features of the Miao Language in Gusa Village]. Zhōngguó yǔwén 中国语文 (in Chinese). 2011 (3): 271–277, 288.

Works cited

• Chen, Qiguang 陈其光 (2013). Miáo-Yáo yǔwén 苗瑶语文 [Miao and Yao Language] (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhongyang minzu daxue chubanshe.

External links

• Luopohe Miao numerals

Further reading

• Taguchi, Yoshihisa (2008). A Vocabulary of Luobohe Miao. Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. ISBN 978-4-87297-993-0. OCLC 302311643.