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Nusu language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nusu
Native toChina, Myanmar
EthnicityNu
Native speakers
13,000 (2007)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3nuf
Glottolognusu1239

The Nusu language is a Loloish language spoken by the Nu people of China and Myanmar. There are three dialects: Northern, Southern, and Central. The Central dialect of Miangu is the prestige dialect and is understood fairly well by speakers of other dialects.[1]

Lama (2012) observes a sound change, *r- > Ø- from Proto-Loloish, as a Nusoish innovation.

Distribution

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The three Nusu dialects are spoken in the following locations (Nusuzu Nusuyu Jianzhi 怒族怒苏语简志 1986).

  • Southern, also known as the Guoke-Puluo (果科-普洛) dialect: northern Lushui County 泸水县, in Guoke 果科,[2] Puluo 普洛,[3] Tongping 同坪,[4] Jiajia 加甲[5] (3,000 speakers)
  • Central, also known as the Zhizhiluo-Laomudeng (知之罗-老姆登) dialect: southern Fugong County 福贡县, in Pihe 匹河怒族乡,[6] Zhizhiluo 知之罗,[7][8] Laomudeng 老姆登,[9] Miangu 棉古,[10] Shawa 沙瓦,[11] Zileng 子楞[12] (4,000 speakers)
  • Northern, also known as the Wawa-Kongtong (瓦娃-空通) dialect: Fugong County 福贡县, in Wawa 瓦娃,[13][14] Kongtong 空通,[15][16] Youduoluo 有夺洛[17] (2,000 speakers)

The divergent Liangsu dialect (良苏话) is spoken in by about 3,000 people in the following locations of Fugong County, Yunnan.[18][19]

  • Zilijia Township 子里甲乡: Jianu 甲怒, Mazudi 马祖底, Jiada 甲打, Lamujia 腊母甲, Jiache 加车
  • Jiakedi Township 架科底乡: Jiake 架科, La'anjia 腊安甲

Phonology

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Consonants

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Consonants in Nusu
Labial Alveolar Retroflex (Alveolo-)
Palatal 		Velar Glottal
plain sibilant
Nasal voiced m n ɲ ŋ
unvoiced m̥ n̥
Stop/
Affricate 		voiced b d dz ɖʐ dʑ ɡ
unvoiced p t ts ʈʂ tɕ k
aspirated pʰ tʰ tsʰ ʈʂʰ tɕʰ kʰ
Fricative unvoiced f s ʂ ɕ x h
voiced v z ʐ ʑ ɣ
Approximant voiced l j w
unvoiced l̥

Tones

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Nusu has seven tones:

Tone IPA
High ˥
High falling ˥˧
Creaky low ˩ˀ
Low ˩
Creaky high ˥ˀ
Rising-falling ˨˦˨
Mid ˧

Writing system

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Nusu uses the Latin script. It has 65 letters[citation needed] 

 The following list shows the letters of the Nusu alphabet in both uppercase and lowercase forms and their pronunciation in the IPA:
  • K k (/k/)
  • Kh kh (/kʰ)
  • G g (/g/)
  • Gh gh (/h/)
  • Ng ng (/ŋ/)
  • S s (/s/)
  • Sh sh (/ɕ/)
  • Dz dz (/d͡z/)
  • Z z (/z/)
  • Ts ts (/t͡s/)
  • Tz tz (/t͡sʰ/)
  • T t (/t/)
  • Th th (/tʰ/)
  • D d (/d/)
  • C c (/c/)
  • Ch ch (/cʰ)
  • J j (/ɟ/)
  • Ph (/pʰ/)
  • P p (/p/)
  • B b (/b/)
  • N n (/n/)
  • Ny ny (/ɲ/)
  • F f (/f/)
  • V v (/v/
  • M m (/m/)
  • Y y (/j/)
  • W w (/w/)
  • L l (/l/)
  • Zh zh (/ʑ/)
  • H h (/x/)
  • Qh qh (/ɣ/)
  • R r (/ʐ~ɻ/)
  • Shr shr (/ʂ/)
  • Cr cr (/ʈ͡ʂ/
  • Chr chr (/ʈ͡ʂʰ/)
  • Jr jr (/ɖ͡ʐ/)
  • Mh mh (/m̥/)
  • Nh nh (/n̥/)
  • Lh lh (/ɬ/)
  • Hn hn (/hn/)
  • Mm mm (/mː/)
  • Nn nn (/nː/)
  • Yy yy (/jː/)
  • Ll ll (/lː/)
  • Ww ww (/wː/)
  • Rr rr (/ɻː/)
  • A a (/ɑ/)
  • Ae ae (/ɛ/)
  • E e (/e/)
  • Er er (/ɚ/)
  • Oe (/ɵ/)
  • I i (/i/)
  • U u (/u/)
  • Iu iu (/ɯ/)
  • Ur ur (/ɹ̩/)
  • Eu eu (/ɨ/)
  • O o (/o/)
  • Iv (/y/)
  • Ai ai (/aɪ̯/)
  • Ao ao (/ɔ/)
  • On on (/ɔ̃/)
  • Om om (/om/)
  • Ou ou (/oʊ̯/)
  • An an (/ɛ̃/)
  • En en (/ɑ̃/)[20]

Tones

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Nusu has 7 tones. Tones are marked with final consonant letters:

  • High tone: c
  • High falling tone: z
  • Creaky low tone: q
  • Low tone: x
  • Creaky high tone: k
  • Rising-falling tone: ^ (Caret)
  • Mid tone: Unmarked.

References

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  1. ^ a b Nusu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡果科村委会". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  3. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡普洛村委会". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  4. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡托坪村委会". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  5. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡架究村委会". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-12-30. Retrieved 2018-12-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡知子罗村委会". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  8. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡知子罗村委会知子罗 达罗". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  9. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡老姆登村委会". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  10. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡棉谷村委会". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  11. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡沙瓦村委会沙瓦". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  12. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡沙瓦村委会子楞". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  13. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡瓦娃村委会瓦娃一". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  14. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡瓦娃村委会瓦娃二". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  15. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡瓦娃村委会空通一". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  16. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡瓦娃村委会空通二". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  17. ^ "福贡县匹河怒族乡瓦娃村委会优夺罗". Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  18. ^ Chen, Haihong [陈海宏]; Tan, Liya [谭丽亚]. 2022. Yunnan binwei Nuyu Liangsuhua ynajiu [云南濒危怒语良苏话研究]. Beijing: Minzu chubanshe [民族出版社].
  19. ^ Ye, Shifu [叶世富]. 2007. Jianu Liangsu Nuyu [甲怒良苏怒语]. Unpublished manuscript.
  20. ^ Omniglot
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