Kyirong language
Kyirong | |
---|---|
| |
स्युबा | |
Region | Tibet |
Native speakers | 100 (2002, Ethnologue) |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | kgy |
Glottolog | kyer1238 Kyerung |
Kyirong is a language from the subgroup of Tibetic languages[1] spoken in the Gyirong County of the Shigatse prefecture, of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Kyirong has lexical tone, with a three-tone system.[2]
Relationship to other languages[edit]
There is a varying degree of mutual intelligibility between Kyirong and other Kyirong-Yolmo varieties. It is most closely related to the Nubri and Gyalsomdo languages,[3] and more distantly related to other languages in the family.[4]
Phonology[edit]
Consonants[edit]
There are 36 consonants in Kyirong, which are summarized in the table below.[2]
Bilabial | Apico-Dental | Retroflex | Lamino- post-alveolar |
Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |||||
Plosive/ Affricate |
voiceless | p | t | ts | ʈ | tɕ | c | k | |
aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | tsʰ | ʈʰ | tɕʰ | cʰ | kʰ | ||
voiced | b | d | dz | ɖ | dʑ | ɟ | ɡ | ||
Fricative | voiceless | s | ɕ | h | |||||
voiced | z | ʑ | ɦ | ||||||
Liquid | rhotic | r | |||||||
voiced lateral | l | ||||||||
unvoiced lateral | ɬ | ||||||||
Semivowel | w | j |
Vowels[edit]
There are eight places of articulation for vowels. There is a length distinction at each place of articulation, as well as a long nasalised vowel.[2]
Front | Central | Back | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Close | i iː iː | y yː yː | u uː uː | |
Half-close | e eː eː | ø øː øː | ɔ ɔː ɔː | |
Half-open | ɛ ɛː ɛː | |||
Open | a aː aː |
Tone[edit]
Kyriong has a three tone system; high, medium and low. Low tone is often accompanied by breathy voice.[2]
Sources[edit]
- Hedlin, M. (2011). An Investigation of the relationship between the Kyirong, Yòlmo, and Standard Spoken Tibetan speech varieties. Masters thesis, Payap University, Chiang Mai.
- Huber, B. (2005). The Tibetan dialect of Lende (Kyirong). Beiträge zur tibetischen Erzählforschung, 15.
References[edit]
- ^ N. Tournadre (2005) "L'aire linguistique tibétaine et ses divers dialectes." Lalies, 2005, n°25, p. 7–56 [1]
- ^ a b c d Huber, Brigitte (2005). The Tibetan dialect of Lende (Kyirong). Bonn: VGH Wissenschaftsverlag.
- ^ Hedlin, Matthew (2011). An investigation of the relationship between the Kyirong, Yòlmo, and Standard Spoken Tibetan speech varieties (unpublished MA thesis). Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- ^ Gawne, Lauren (2013). "Report on the relationship between Yolmo and Kagate". Himalayan Linguistics. 12: 1–27.