Shö language

Shö, or Asho, is a Kuki-Chin language of Myanmar, with a few thousand speakers in Bangladesh. This language is known as Asho Khyang in Bangladesh.

A written script was developed by Rev. Lyman Stilson in 1842.

Geographical distribution

Asho is spoken in Ayeyarwady Region, Bago Region, and Magway Region, and Rakhine State, Myanmar. VanBik (2009:38) lists the following Asho dialects.

• Settu (spoken from Sittwe to Thandwe — mostly Sittwe to Ann)
• Laitu (spoken in Minbya and Myepon townships, Rakhine state)
• Awttu (spoken in Mindon Township)
• Kowntu (spoken in Ngaphe, Minhla, Minbu)
• Kaitu (spoken in Pegu, Mandalay, Magway)
• Läoktu (spoken in Myepone, Kyauk Phyu, Ann)

Phonology

Asho (K'Chò) has 26 to 30 consonants and ten to eleven vowels depending on the dialect.

• Voiced plosives /b d ɡ z/ are only heard in the Plains dialect.
• In the Plains dialect, dental plosives /t̪ t̪ʰ/ are pronounced as alveolar [t tʰ], along with /d/ being only alveolar.
• Velar plosives /k kʰ/ may be palatalized as affricates [tʃ tʃʰ] before front vowels.
• In some dialects a voiceless [j̊] is heard in place of /ʃ/.
• /j/ may also be heard as a fricative [ʒ] in free variation among dialects.

Diphthongs: ei, ai, au

• Sounds /ʏ ʉ/ only occur in the Hill dialect. In the Plains dialect, /ʊ u/ is heard in place of /ʏ ʉ/.
• A shortened [ə̆] is heard in unstressed syllables.
• /ɤ/ can sometimes be heard as more central [ɘ].
• A prevelarized /ˠi/ occurs in the Plains dialect.

Morphology

Similar to other Kukish languages, many Asho verbs have two distinct stems. This stem alternation is a Proto-Kukish feature, which has been retained to different degrees in different Kukish languages.

References

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