Shixing language

Last updated
Shixing
Shuhi
Native to China
Native speakers
1,800 (2000) [1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3 sxg
Glottolog shix1238
ELP Shixing

Shixing, also rendered Shuhi, is a Qiangic language of Sichuan, China. Two-thirds of its speakers are monolingual.

Contents

Shixing is also known by its Tibetan name Xumi (旭米 Xùmǐ); it is spoken by about 1800 people living by the Shuiluo River 水洛 in Shuiluo Township 水洛乡, Mili Tibetan Autonomous County. [2]

Katia Chirkova reports two varieties. [3]

Phonology

Consonants

Xumi features a very unusual phonemic contrast between voiceless /ʎ̥/ and voiced /ʎ/ alveolo-palatal lateral approximants and voiceless and voiced glottal fricatives. [4] [5]

Consonant phonemes [6] [7]
Labial Alveolar Postalveolar Velar Uvular Glottal
plain sibilant Palato-
alveolar 		Retroflex Alveolo-
palatal
Nasal voiceless m̥ n̥ ɲ̊ 2 ŋ̊ 2
voiced m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive/

Affricate

aspirated pʰ tʰ tsʰ tʃʰ 2 ʈʂʰ tɕʰ kʰ qʰ
plain p t ts tʃ 2 ʈʂ tɕ k q
voiced b d dz dʒ 2 ɖʐ dʑ ɡ ɢ 2
Fricative voiceless s ʃ 2 ʂ 1 ɕ x χ 1 h
voiced z ʒ 2 ʐ 1 ʑ 2 ɣ 2 ʁ ɦ
Lateral voiceless l̥ ʎ̥
voiced l ʎ
Approximant ɹ j w
  1. Only in Upper Xumi
  2. Only in Lower Xumi

Vowels

Oral monophthongs of Lower Xumi, from Chirkova & Chen (2013:369) Lower Xumi monophthongs chart.svg
Oral monophthongs of Lower Xumi, from Chirkova & Chen (2013 :369)

Oral

  • The close and close-mid series are the same in both varieties: /i, ʉ, u, e, o/. The difference lies in the open-mid and open series; in Upper Xumi, these are /ɛ, ɐ, ɔ, a/, whereas in Lower Xumi, they are /ɛ, ɐ, ɑ/. [8] [9]
    • At least in Lower Xumi /ʉ/, is phonetically close-mid [ ɵ ]. [10]
    • /ɐ/ is closer in Upper Xumi [ ɜ ]; in addition, the open central vowel /a/ is phonetically near-open [ ɐ ]. For this reason, they may be transcribed with ⟨ɜ⟩ and ⟨ɐ⟩, respectively. [11]
    • The Lower Xumi /o/ and /ɑ/ generally correspond to Upper Xumi /u/ and /ɔ/, respectively. /ɑ/ is near-open near-back [ ɑ̽ ] and thus similar to the Upper Xumi /a/, but more back. [10] [11]

Nasal

  • Upper Xumi has the following nasal vowels: /ĩ, ũ, ɛ̃, ɔ̃, ɐ̃/, as well as the marginal /ɘ̃/, which occurs only in the word [LPmɘ̃da][ clarification needed ] 'on the roof / upstairs'. [8]
  • Lower Xumi has the following nasal vowels: /ĩ, õ, ɛ̃, ɐ̃, ɑ̃/, as well as the marginal /ə̃/, which occurs only in the word [LPmə̃dɐᴿʁo][ clarification needed ] 'on the roof / upstairs'. [9] /ẽ,õ,ɐ̃,ɑ̃/ generally correspond to Upper Xumi /ĩ,ũ,ɛ̃,ɔ̃/, respectively. [11]

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The Naic or Naxish languages are a group of Sino-Tibetan languages that include Naxi, Na (Mosuo), Shixing (Xumi), and Namuyi (Namuzi). They have been variously classified as part of the Loloish or the Qiangic branch of Sino-Tibetan.

References

  1. ↑ Shixing at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Chirkova & Chen (2013), p. 363.
  3. ↑ Chirkova & Chen (2013), p. 364.
  4. ↑ Chirkova & Chen (2013), pp. 365, 367–368.
  5. ↑ Chirkova, Chen & Kocjančič Antolík (2013), pp. 382–383.
  6. ↑ Chirkova, Chen & Kocjančič Antolík (2013), p. 382.
  7. ↑ Chirkova & Chen (2013), p. 365.
  8. 1 2 Chirkova, Chen & Kocjančič Antolík (2013), pp. 388–389.
  9. 1 2 Chirkova & Chen (2013), pp. 369–370.
  10. 1 2 Chirkova & Chen (2013), p. 369.
  11. 1 2 3 Chirkova, Chen & Kocjančič Antolík (2013), p. 389.

Bibliography

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