Qiang language

Qiang
Geographic
distribution		Sichuan Province
EthnicityQiang people
Linguistic classificationSino-Tibetan
Subdivisions
Language codes
Glottologqian1264

Qiang (also Qiangish languages or Rma languages), called Rma (尔玛) or Rme by its speakers, and formerly spelled Kʻiang, is a Sino-Tibetan language cluster of the Qiangic branch spoken by approximately 140,000 people in north-central Sichuan Province, China.

Qiang consists of:

Writing systems

Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme

There have been two phonetic writing systems for Qiang commissioned by PRC authorities, both based on the Latin-script alphabet. The first design was commissioned centrally in 1958 following early PRC work on distinguishing minority ethnic groups in China, but was never officially promoted. The second system, known as the Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme (羌族拼音文字方案; Qiāngzú Pīnyīn Wénzì Fāng'àn) was commissioned by the local government of Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture and the provincial Ethnic Affairs Commission (EAC) of Sichuan in 1989. The Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme uses the 26 standard English alphabet letters, and is a standardised form based on the Qugu Qiang dialect, which belongs to the Northern dialect area but roughly situated at the linguistic middle point between the two dialects.

The Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme was completed in late 1990 and was approved for trial operation by the Sichuan provincial government in 1991, in tandem with recommending the Scheme for official approval by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission (NEAC) in 1991. In 1993, the NEAC requested the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences to organise an academic review, which concluded favourably, but the NEAC only informed their approval of the scheme to the provincial EAC by telephone. The Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme never ended up being officially published by the NEAC or other national authorities thereafter, although the Scheme was acknowledged as legitimate in one written report from the NEAC to the central government in 1999.

In 2015, the Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County government commissioned a Qiang language graded reader for schools, which uses the Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme.

In 2019, a local TV station at Mao County started a weekly news programme using the Qiang language and the Latin-based alphabet.

Rma script

Rma Script from Qiang Language

In 2017, Wei Jiuqiao (魏久乔) finalised their design of the Rma script. There is no published information as to whether the script is compatible with both the Northern Qiang language and the Southern Qiang language or if it is only compatible with one of the languages. In 2022, preliminary proposal was made to encode this system in the Universal Character Set of Unicode.

Consonants

b
/p/
p
/pʰ/
bb
/b/
m
/m/
f
/f/
w
/w/
wf
/v/

d
/t/
t
/tʰ/
dd
/d/
n
/n/
lh
/ɬ/
l
/l/
lr
/lʴ/

g
/k/
k
/kʰ/
gg
/ɡ/
ng
/ŋ/
h
/h/
hh
/ɣ/		 N/a

j
/tɕ/
q
/tɕʰ/
jj
/dʑ/
x
/ɕ/
xx
/ʑ/
y
/j/		 N/a

gv
/q/
kv
/qʰ/
v
/χ/
vh
/ɦ/
vv
/ʁ/		 N/a N/a

z
/ts/
c
/tsʰ/
zz
/dz/
s
/s/
ss
/z/		 N/a N/a

zh
/tʂ/
ch
/tʂʰ/
dh
/dʐ/
sh
/ʂ/
rr
/ʐ/		 N/a N/a
Vowels

a
/a/
ae
/æ/
ea
/e/
u
/u/
e
/ə/
nn
/◌̃/

i
/i/
ü
/y/
o
/o/

/ʔ/
r
/ʴ/		 N/a

Classification

Sims (2016)

Sims (2016) gives the following classification for the "Qiangish" (or "Rma") languages, which include Northern Qiang and Southern Qiang. Individual dialects are highlighted in italics.

Qiangish

Sun, Liu & Huang (2024)

Sun, Liu & Huang (2024) list the following dialects of Southern Qiang and Northern Qiang.

Region Dialect Distribution Population
Southern Daqishan (大岐山) Li County (理县): Xuecheng (薛城), Shangmeng (上孟), Xiameng (下孟), Xinglong (兴龙), Ganbao (甘堡), Liedai (列歹), Jiuzi (九子), Muka (木卡), Putou (朴头), Puxi (蒲溪), etc. 7,400
Southern Taoping (桃坪) Li County (理县): Taoping (桃坪), Jiashan (佳山), Ganxi (甘溪), Sancha (三叉), Zengtou (曾头), Niushan (牛山), Xishang (西商), Tonghua (通化), Gucheng (古城), etc. 4,900
Southern Longxi (龙溪) Wenchuan County (汶川县): Longxi (龙溪), Bulan (布兰), Baduo (巴夺), Xiazhuang (下庄), Mushang (木上), etc. 3,300
Southern Miansi (绵虒) Wenchuan County (汶川县): areas within Wenchuan County (汶川县) other than where the Longxi dialect (龙溪土语) is spoken 15,700
Southern Goukou (沟口)–Weimen (渭门) Mao County (茂县): Heihu (黑虎), Sujiaping (苏加坪), Feihong (飞虹), Goukou (沟口), Weimen (渭门), Jiaoyuanping (椒园坪), etc. 16,000
Southern Sanlong (三龙) Mao County (茂县): Fengyi (凤仪), Sanlong (三龙), Shaba (沙坝), Huilong (回龙), Baixi (白溪), Wadi (洼底), Yazhuzhai (雅珠寨), etc. 15,000
Southern Zhenjiangguan (镇江关) Mao County (茂县): Jiaochang (较场), Shidaguan (石大关), Taiping (太平), Songpinggou (松坪沟), etc.; the area west of Zhenjiangguan (镇江关) in Songpan County (松潘县) and some areas in Beichuan County (北川县) 19,000
Northern Yadu (雅都) Mao County (茂县): Chibusu (赤不苏), Yadu (雅都), Qugu (曲谷), Weicheng (维城) 以及 Heishui County (黑水县): Waboliangzi (瓦钵梁子), Se'ergu (色尔古), etc. 23,000
Northern Weigu (维古) Heishui County (黑水县): Weigu (维古), Musu (木苏), Longba (龙坝), Luoduo (洛多), Shidiaolou (石碉楼), etc. 11,000
Northern Mawo (麻窝) Heishui County (黑水县): Mawo (麻窝), Zhawo (扎窝), Shuangliusuo (双溜索), Xi'er (西尔), Hongyan (红岩), E'en (俄恩), etc. 12,000
Northern Cimulin (茨木林) Heishui County (黑水县): Cimulin (茨木林), Gewo (格窝), Wumushu (乌木树), Rewo (热窝), Qinglanggou (晴朗沟), etc. 9,800
Northern Luhua (芦花) Heishui County (黑水县): Luhua (芦花), Shashiduo (沙石多), Yangrong (羊茸), Zegai (泽盖), Ergulu (二古鲁), Zhuogedu (卓格都), etc. 14,000

The following Qiang dialects are documented in the comparative vocabulary table section of Sun, Liu & Huang (2024).

Vocabulary

Autonyms (自称) by Qiang dialect, as well as the word for 'person, human being' (人):

Dialectautonym (Qiang)person
Dàqíshān (大岐山)ʁma⁵³mə³¹tsɿ⁵³
Táopíng (桃坪)χma³³mə³³
Zēngtóu (曾头)χmɑ⁵⁵mə³³
Lóngxī (龙溪)mɑ⁵⁵mu³¹
Miánchí (绵篪)mɑ³¹ma⁵³
Suǒqiáo (索桥)ʐmi³¹ɦmə³¹
Gōukǒu (沟口)mɤ⁵⁵tʂe³³tʂy⁵⁵
Hēihǔ (黑虎)məʴ⁵⁵ba³³fə⁵⁵
Lóngchí (龙池)ʐme⁵⁵mi⁵⁵
Sānlóng (三龙)ʐme⁵⁵mi⁵⁵
Qūgǔ (曲谷)ɹmemi
Yǎdū (雅都)ʐmemi
Wéigǔ (维古)rmami
Lóngbà (龙坝)rmami
Mùsū (木苏)rmami
Címùlín (茨木林)rmenə
Zhāwō (扎窝)rmanə
Máwō (麻窝)rmanə
Lúhuā (芦花)rmena
Yángróng (羊茸)rmeȵə
Sōngpān (松潘)ɣmepȵi

A few basic body part words:

Dialecteyenoseearhand
Dàqíshān (大岐山)mi⁴²χmə³ ~χəm̩³³ pa⁵⁵qa³¹n̥³³ke⁵⁵i⁵⁵
Táopíng (桃坪)mi⁵⁵xni³¹qo⁵⁵pə³³ni³¹ke³³i³³
Zēngtóu (曾头)mi⁵⁵xni³¹qo⁵⁵pə³³ni³¹kie⁵⁵i⁵⁵
Lóngxī (龙溪)ni⁵⁵mɑ⁵⁵to³¹ti³³pɑ⁵⁵pi³³ni³³qɑ⁵⁵li³³pɑ⁵⁵
Miánchí (绵篪)ma³³tie⁵⁵n̩³³qo⁵⁵pə³³nə³¹ka⁵⁵i³³pɑ⁵⁵
Suǒqiáo (索桥)mi⁵⁵ɕi³¹qə⁵⁵niu³¹ku⁵⁵li³¹
Gōukǒu (沟口)mi⁵⁵tɑ³³kɑp⁵⁵nɤʂ³³ke⁵⁵ʐi⁵⁵pɑ⁵⁵
Hēihǔ (黑虎)mi⁵⁵mi⁵⁵stə³³pɑʴq⁵⁵nə⁵⁵ku̥ə̥⁵⁵dʐɑ³³pɑ⁵⁵
Lóngchí (龙池)mi⁵⁵mi⁵⁵ɕtiq⁵⁵niuk⁵⁵lɑ³³pɑ⁵⁵
Sānlóng (三龙)mi⁵⁵mi⁵⁵stə⁵⁵pɑq⁵⁵nə⁵⁵ku̥ə̥³¹iɑ³³pɑ⁵⁵
Qūgǔ (曲谷)–stuətsqɑpnəku̥ə̥iɑpɑ
Yǎdū (雅都)meiɕtɕyəsnə⁵⁵ku̥ə̥ipɑ
Wéigǔ (维古)meːʂtʂəqȵiku̥ə̥iːpɑ
Lóngbà (龙坝)meiʂəqȵi⁵⁵ku̥ə̥ipɑ
Mùsū (木苏)meʂtʂəqnəku̥ə̥ɿəpɑ
Címùlín (茨木林)qənstəqənəku̥ə̥dʐipɑ
Zhāwō (扎窝)qənstəqnəku‘dʐapɑ
Máwō (麻窝)qənstɤqnəku̥ə̥dʒəpɑ
Lúhuā (芦花)qənstəqnəku̥dʒəpɑ
Yángróng (羊茸)qəȵəstəndʐʉȵək uədʒəpɑ
Sōngpān (松潘)miȵixtəqȵuku̥lapa

Reconstruction

Sims (2017) reconstructs tones for Proto-Rma (alternatively called Proto-Qiangish), proposing that the lack of tones in Northern Qiang is due to Tibetan influence. High tones and low tones are reconstructed for Proto-Rma, as well as for Proto-Prinmi.

References

  1. ↑ Wen, Maotao (2014). The Creation of the Qiang Ethnicity, its Relation to the Rme People and the Preservation of Rme Language (Master's thesis). Duke University.
  2. ↑ 韦学纯 (2017). 地域社会深描：藏羌彝走廊研究新视角 (in Simplified Chinese). 北京: Social Sciences Literature Press. pp. 224–255. ISBN 978-7-5201-0918-5.
  3. ↑ 宝乐日 (2007). 土族、羌族语言及新创文字在学校教育领域使用发展研究 (Ph.D. thesis) (in Simplified Chinese). Minzu University of China. pp. 45–47. doi:10.7666/d.y1050017.
  4. ↑ 汤小均 (2009-05-11). "迄今最系统的《羌族语言文字》读本将进北川校园" (in Simplified Chinese). 成都商报 – via 中新网.
  5. ↑ 茂县融媒体中心 (2019-10-15). "首档羌族母语电视新闻节目《羌语周报》正式开播" (in Simplified Chinese). 阿坝新闻网 – via 搜狐.
  6. ↑ 传承羌语，支持尔玛文 Support the Rma Script of the Qiang (Rma) Language. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2019-10-28 – via Youtube.
  7. ↑ Chan, Eiso; Jiuqiao, Wei; Sims, Nathaniel (June 6, 2022). "Preliminary proposal to encode Rma script to UCS" (PDF). Unicode.org. International Organization for Standardization. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  8. ↑ Sims, Nathaniel (2016). "Towards a More Comprehensive Understanding of Qiang Dialectology" (PDF). Language and Linguistics. 17 (3): 351–381. doi:10.1177/1606822X15586685. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2018-06-03.
  9. 1 2 3 Sūn, Hóngkāi; Liú, Guāngkūn; Huáng, Chénglóng [孙宏开，刘光坤，黄成龙] (2024). Qiāngyǔ fāngyán yánjiū [羌语方言研究]. China Social Sciences Academy Press [中国社会科学出版社]. ISBN 9787522741789.
  10. ↑ Sims, Nathaniel (2017). The Suprasegmental Phonology of Proto-Rma (Qiang) in Comparative Perspective. Presented at the 50th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Beijing, November 26, 2017.

Bibliography

Further reading