Azha language

Azha is one of the Loloish languages spoken by the Yi people of China.

Demographics

Azha is spoken in Ganhe Township of Yanshan County, Yunnan and Dongshan and Binglie Townships of Wenshan County. Pelkey identifies the Azha 阿扎 of Kaiyuan, Yunnan as Phowa speakers.
Azha is spoken by the Phula people, but it is not a Phula language and is a Sani–Azha language, closely related to Sani, Axi and Azhe. Samei of Kunming may be related. Speakers are classified as Yi people by the Chinese Government.

Innovations

In Azha, the words for ‘goat’, ‘eat’, and ‘drink’ are innovative. Luojiayi Azha ‘goat’, ‘eat’, ‘drink’ are not derived from Proto-Ngwi *-cit^L ‘goat’, *dza² ‘eat’, and *m-daŋ¹ ‘drink’.