Bunu is a Hmongic language of southern China. Bunu speakers are classified as Yao by the People's Republic of China.

Bunu
Pu Nu
Buod Nuox
Native toChina
RegionGuangxi and bordering regions
EthnicityYao
Native speakers
359,474 (2001)[1]
Dialects
  • Dongnu
  • Nunu
  • Bunuo
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottologbuna1273

Varieties edit

Meng (2001) lists the following language varieties for Bunu.[1]

The Shaoyang Prefecture Gazetteer (1997:533) reports that the Miao of Xinning County, Hunan, speak a Bunu-branch language.

The Yunnan Province Gazetteer (1989) reports that a Bunu dialect known as pu55 ʐa11 (布咋) is spoken by about 7,000 people in Guichao 归朝乡 and Dongbo 洞波瑶族乡 (including in Dadongzhai 大洞寨, Saxiangdong Village 三湘洞村[3]) townships of Funing County, Yunnan.

Others edit

The following may be alternative names for speakers of Bunu languages.[4]

  • Beidalao 北大老: 15,000 (1990) in Rong'an County and Rongshui County, Guangxi; probably Bunu, though divergent[5]
  • Changpao 长袍: 5,000 (1999) in southern Guizhou; undetermined linguistic affiliation, but could possibly be Bunu.[6] Identified as Dongmeng by Bradley (2007).[7]
  • Youmai 优迈: 2,000 (1999) in southwestern Guizhou; possibly a Bunu variety;[8] classified as Pingtang Miao by Li Yunbing (2000)[9]

Phonology edit

Consonants edit

Labial Dental/Alveolar Retroflex (Alveolo-)
palatal
Velar Glottal
plain pal. plain sib. lat. plain lab. pal.
Nasal voiceless m̥ʲ ɲ̟̊ ŋ̊ ŋ̊ʷ
voiced m n ɲ̟ ŋ ŋʷ
Stop voiceless p t ʈ k
aspirated pʲʰ ʈʰ kʷʰ kʲʰ
prenasal ᵐp ᵐpʲ ⁿt ᶯʈ ᵑk ᵑkʷ ᵑkʲ
prenasal asp. ᵐpʰ ᵐpʲʰ ⁿtʰ ᶯʈʰ ᵑkʰ ᵑkʷʰ
Affricate voiceless
aspirated tɬʰ tɕʰ
prenasal ⁿtθ ⁿts ⁿtɬ ᶮtɕ
prenasal asp. ⁿtθʰ ⁿtsʰ ⁿtɬʰ ᶮtɕʰ
Fricative voiceless f θ s ɬ ʂ ɕ h
aspirated θʰ
voiced v ʐ ʑ ɣ ɦ
Approximant l

Sounds /tɬ, tɬʰ, ⁿtɬ, ⁿtɬʰ/ may be pronounced as [pl, plʰ, ᵐpl, ᵐplʰ] in some areas.[10]

Vowels edit

Front Central Back
Close i ɯ u
Close-mid e ə o
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a

References edit

  1. ^ a b Meng, Chaoji 蒙朝吉 (2001). Yáozú Bùnǔyǔ fāngyán yánjiū 瑤族布努语方言研究 [A Study of the Bunu Dialects of the Yao People] (in Chinese). Beijing: Minzu chubanshe.
  2. ^ Meng, Youyi 蒙有义 (2011). "Lóngmá Bùnǔyǔ yǔyīn xìtǒng" 龙麻布努语语音系统 [On Phonetic System of Bunu Language in Longma]. Sānxiá lùntán (Sānxiá wénxué. Lǐlùn bǎn) 三峡论坛(三峡文学.理论版) (in Chinese). 2011 (5): 61–65, 148. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  3. ^ "Fùníng Xiàn Dòngbō Yáozú Xiāng Sānxiāngdòng Cūnwěihuì Shàngdàdòng" 富宁县洞波瑶族乡三湘洞村委会上大洞 [Shangdadong, Sanxiangdong Village Committee, Dongbo Yao Ethnic Township, Funing County]. ynszxc.gov.cn (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  4. ^ "China". Asia Harvest. Archived from the original on 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  5. ^ "Beidalao" (PDF) – via Asia Harvest.
  6. ^ "Changpao" (PDF) – via Asia Harvest.
  7. ^ Bradley, David (2007). "East and Southeast Asia". In Moseley, Christopher (ed.). Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages. New York: Routledge.
  8. ^ "Youmai" (PDF) – via Asia Harvest.
  9. ^ Li, Yunbing 李云兵 (2000). Miáoyǔ fāngyán huàfēn yíliú wèntí yánjiū 苗语方言划分遗留问题研究 (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhongyang minzu daxue chubanshe.
  10. ^ Meng, Chaoji (2008). 瑤汉词典 : (布努语) [Yao Han ci dian : (Bunu yu)]. 民族出版社 [Minzu chubanshe], Beijing Shi.