Drag-yab language

Drag-yab is a Sino-Tibetan language recently documented by Suzuki & Nyima. It is spoken in the southern half of Zhag'yab County, Chamdo, eastern Tibet.
Suzuki & Nyima document the dialect of Drag-yab spoken in the village of Razi 热孜村 in Xiangdui Town 香堆镇, Zhag'yab County.

Names

Drag-yab is referred to by the Changdu Gazetteer as Zesong 则松话, and is reported by Changdu to be spoken in Zesong 则松乡 and Bari 巴日乡 townships of Zhag'yab County.
The language is also referred to as both sMa and rMa. Nyima & Suzuki report the autonym m̥a55, which is identical to the Larong autonym, also reported by them.
Jiang lists Mang 芒话 and Maji 玛吉话 as Drag-yab varieties.

Classification

Suzuki & Nyima note that Drag-yab is closely related to two other recently documented Sino-Tibetan languages of Chamdo, eastern Tibet, namely Lamo and Larong. Their relationship outside of this group, the Chamdo languages, within the Sino-Tibetan family is still uncertain.

Phonology

Suzuki & Nyima report the following phonemes from the Razi dialect of Drag-yab.
Prenasalisation and preaspiration appear as a preinitial.
Suzuki & Nyima report that each vowel has a creaky and nasalized counterpart.
Syllable structure: ^cCGV
Tones are high and rising. The first two syllables of each word act as the tone bearing unit. The second syllable is occasionally out of the tone bearing unit.

Geographical distribution

Drag-yab is spoken in 6 townships, along different river valleys within the Lancang River watershed. These include Maiqu, Kaqu, Lasongqu, Guidaqu, and Changqu.

Byams mdun Town : mostly Drag-yab speakers
Dzongsar Township : mostly Drag-yab speakers
Palri Township : all Drag-yab speakers
Khuda : mostly Drag-yab speakers
Atshur Township : mostly Drag-yab speakers
Rongdrub Township : Drag-yab speakers are mainly located in Maidui Village

Drag-yab villages by township:

Township, County	Villages
Xiangdui Town 香堆镇, Drag-yab	Rezi 热孜村, Kunda 坤达村, Daba 达巴村, Xuelong 学龙村, Laxi 拉西村, and Dangduo 当佐村
Rongzhou Township 荣周乡, Drag-yab	Maidui 麦堆村, Zuotong 佐通村, and Zere
Kuoda Township 扩达乡, Drag-yab	Zeran, Gangba, Gangka 岗卡村, Zuoduo, etc.
Zongsha Township 宗沙乡, Drag-yab	Yuergang, Lasong 拉松村, etc.
Azi Township 阿孜乡, Drag-yab	most villages in the township
Bari Township 巴日乡, Drag-yab	Baie, Luosong 罗松村, Zesong, Zhuoba, Xiongre 雄然村, etc.