Nusu language

Nusu (autonym: nu33 su33) is a Loloish language spoken by the Nu people of China. 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]

Nusu
Native toChina
EthnicityNu
Native speakers
13,000 (2007)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3nuf
Glottolognusu1239

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

Distribution

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)

Phonology

Consonants

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

Tones

Nusu has seven tones:

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

References

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