Gelao languages
Gelao is a Kra language in the Kra–Dai language family. It is spoken by the Gelao people in southern China and northern Vietnam. Despite an ethnic population of 580,000, only a few thousand still speak Gelao in China. Estimates run from 3,000 in China by Li in 1999, of which 500 are monolinguals, to 7,900 by Edmondson in 2008. Edmondson estimates that the three Gelao varieties of Vietnam have only about 350 speakers altogether.
External relationships
Like Buyang, another Kra language, Gelao contains many words which are likely to be Austronesian cognates.As noted by Li and Zhou, Gelao shares much vocabulary with the Hlai and Ong Be languages, suggesting contact with Pre-Hlai speakers before their migration to Hainan.
Demographics
China
Zhang Jimin estimated a total of over 10,000 Gelao speakers in the early 1990s, while Li Jinfang places this number at 3,000 in 1999. Jerold A. Edmondson's 2008 estimate is 7,900 speakers. This number is rapidly declining, as the Gelao are intermarrying with the neighboring Han, Bouyei, and Miao. Many Gelao speakers can also speak Bouyei, Zhuang, or Miao, and nearly all can speak local varieties of Chinese. Among Gelao-speaking families, most middle-age Gelao have very limited speaking abilities for Gelao, while much of the younger generation cannot even understand the most simple words and phrases.A divergent variety of Gelao known as Shuicheng Gelao 水城仡佬语 is spoken in Dongkou 洞口村, Houchang Township 猴场乡 and Datiezhai 打铁寨, Miluo Township 米箩乡, both located in Shuicheng County, Guizhou Province, China. The Gelao of Datiezhai reported that they had migrated from Dongkou 4 generations ago. Li & Yang report that there are only 3 speakers of Shuicheng Gelao left.
The Mulao number 28,000 people, and are distributed in Majiang, Kaili, Huangping, Duyun, Weng'an, Fuquan, and other counties of southeastern Guizhou. The Mulao of Xuanwei and Jidong villages refer to themselves as the Mu, and in Longli village 龙里寨 they call themselves '. The Mulao speak a variety of Gelao, not the Mulam language of Guangxi, which is also called Mulao. Luo describes the two Mulao varieties of ' in Majiang County and in Kaili City. One dialect is represented by the datapoints of Bamaozhai 巴茅寨 and Madizhai 马碲寨 of Xuanwei District 宣威区, Majiang County, and the other by Bailazhai 白腊寨, Lushan Town 炉山镇, Kaili City ; the latter is also spoken in Dafengdong 大风洞, Pingliang 平良, and Chong'anjiang 重安江. Mulao data from Majiang and Kaili are also given in Guizhou.
The extinct Tuman language of Sinan County, Guizhou was a variety of Gelao.
Hsiu reports a Wai Gelao language variety from Dingjiapo 丁家坡, Mugang Village 木杠村, Muyang Town 木央镇, Funing County, Yunnan. One 83-year-old woman remembered a few kinship terms.
In Qingzhen City, A'ou Gelao is spoken in the following villages.
- Luohang village 落夯村
- Mahuang village 蚂蟥村, Wangzhuang Township 王庄布依族苗族乡
- Yinqiao village 银桥村, Weicheng Town 卫城镇
- Yangshan village 阳山村, Anliu Township 暗流乡
| County | Ethnic Gelao population | Number of Gelao speakers | Locations of ethnic Gelao |
| Renhuai City | 4,347 | Very few elderly speakers remaining | Townships of Maoba 茅坝, Changgang 长岗, Yun'an 云安, Zhongshu 中枢, Luban 鲁班, Wuma 五马 |
| Zunyi County | 2,922 | Few speakers in Pingzheng Township 平正乡 | Mostly in Pingzheng 平正乡, a few in Panshui 泮水乡 |
| Jinsha County | 1,584 | Few elderly speakers in Hongzi Township 红梓乡 | |
| Dafang County | 4,000+ | 50+ speakers in Pudi Township 普底乡 | |
| Qianxi County | 7,000+ | 50+ speakers in Shajing Township 沙井乡 | Also in Huashi 化石 and Yang'er 羊耳 |
| Zhijin County | 6,250 | Only a few elderly speakers | |
| Puding County | 3,770 | 300 | Townships of Maodong 猫洞, Machang 马场, Mengzhou 猛舟: 10+ villages |
| Anshun City | 2,559 | 300 | Villages of Dagelao 大仡佬, Heizhai 黑寨, Wanzi 湾子寨, Heqiao 河桥, Amian 阿棉寨, etc. |
| Pingba County | 2,311 | 500 | |
| Qingzhen City | 3,679 | Only a few elderly speakers | |
| Guanling Buyei and Miao Autonomous County | 6,405 | 500 | 20+ villages in 10+ townships: Hagei speakers in Ma'ao 麻垇, Huoshitian 火石田, Longtan 龙潭, Shaxin 沙心, etc. |
| Zhenning Buyei and Miao Autonomous County | 1,555 | 300 | Townships of Dingqi 丁旗, Liuma 六马, etc. |
| Qinglong County | 501 | 300 | |
| Zhenfeng County | 1,024 | 300 | |
| Shuicheng County | 1,862 | Only a few elderly speakers | Townships of Yingpan 营盘, Houchang 猴场, Miluo 米箩, Panlong 蟠龙, etc. |
| Liuzhi Special District | 8,218 | 1,000+ | Mostly in the township of Qingkou 箐口 |
| Longlin Various Nationalities Autonomous County, Guangxi | - | 200+ | |
| Malipo County, Yunnan | - | 100+ | Also in Funing, Guangnan, and Maguan Counties. |
The Gelao people in the following counties do not speak any form of the Gelao language whatsoever, and have shifted entirely to Southwestern Mandarin.
| County | Ethnic Gelao population |
| Wuchuan Gelao and Miao Autonomous County | 145,989 |
| Daozhen Gelao and Miao Autonomous County | 112,025 |
| Zheng'an County | 31,706 |
| Fenggang County | 5,982 |
| Yuqing County | 4,347 |
| Zunyi City | 2,158 |
| Shiqian County | 97,500 |
| Songtao County | - |
| Sinan County | - |
| Funing County, Yunnan | 60 |
Vietnam
The most endangered variety, Red Gelao of Vietnam, is spoken by only about 50 people. Many speakers have shifted to Southwestern Mandarin or Hmong. The Red Gelao people, who call themselves the , send brides back and forth among the villages of Na Khê and Bạch Đích in Yên Minh District, Hà Giang Province, Vietnam and another village in Fanpo, Malipo County, Yunnan, China in order to ensure the continual survival of their ethnic group. Edmondson reports that there are also Red Gelao people in Cán Tí, Quản Bạ District and Túng Sán, Hoàng Su Phì District who no longer speak any Gelao, and speak Hmong, Tay, or Vietnamese instead. Hoang reports that there also some Red Gelao in Vĩnh Hảo commune, Bắc Quang District who had moved from Túng Sán commune. However, the White Gelao of Phố La Village and Sính Lủng Village of Dồng Văn District still speak the White Gelao language.Varieties
Gelao is not well documented, having only been studied by a few scholars such as Li Jinfang, Jerold A. Edmondson, Weera Ostapirat, and Zhang Jimin. The three varieties in Vietnam are not mutually intelligible, and three varieties in China may be distinct languages as well. Ethnologue classifies Gelao as four languages, perhaps as closely related to the two Lachi languages as they are to each other.Ostapirat (2000), Edmondson (2008)
Ostapirat proposed three major subdivisions for Gelao, with a total of 17 varieties. The Central and Southwestern branches shares various phonological innovations, suggesting an initial split with the Northern branch. Some varieties cited are also from Jerold A. Edmondson. Edmondson also proposes that Red Gelao of the China-Vietnam border may in fact constitute a separate primary branch of Gelao.Central
- Wanzi 弯子寨, Anshun 安顺, Guizhou
- Dagouchang 大狗场, Huolong 活龙乡, Pingba 平坝, Guizhou
- Xinzhai 新寨, Baiyan 白岩乡, Puding 普定, Guizhou
- Sanchong, Longlin, Guangxi
- Green Gelao of Hoàng Su Phì, Vietnam
- Qiaoshang 桥上, Xiongjiazhai 熊家寨乡, Longchang 龙场区, Zhijin 织金, Guizhou
- Bigong 比贡, Dingqi 丁旗乡, Zhenning 镇宁, Guizhou
- Longli 龙里, Majiang 麻江, Guizhou ; there are two dialects :
- *Xiasi 下司 and Longshan 龙山 of Majiang County
- *Lushan 炉山, Chongbaizhai 重摆寨 of Dafengdong 大风洞, and Pingliang 平良 of Kaili City; Chang'anjiang 长安江 of Huangping County
- Longjia 龙家寨, Zhijin 织金, Guizhou
- Laozhai 老寨, Malipo 麻栗坡, Yunnan
- Ban Ma Che, Đồng Văn, Hà Giang, Vietnam
- White Gelao of Hà Giang Province: Đồng Vǎn, Hoàng Su Phì, Quản Bạ, and Mèo Vạc districts
- Red Gelao of Fanpo, Malipo, Yunnan
- Moji 摩/磨/么基, Longlin 隆林, Guangxi in 上冲 Shangchong and 下冲 Xiachong
- Niupo 牛坡, Liuzhi 六枝, Guizhou
- Datiezhai 打铁寨, Shuicheng 水城, Guizhou
- Dingyinshao 定银哨, Zhenning 镇宁, Guizhou
- Pudi 普底, Dafang 大方, Guizhou
- Jianshan 尖山, Zunyi 遵义, Guizhou
- Qinglong 青龙, Zunyi 遵义, Guizhou
- Sanchong 三冲村, Longlin 隆林, Guangxi
Zhang (1993)
- Central 黔中方言
- *Dagouchang subdialect 平坝县大狗场土语: spoken in Wanzi 弯子 and Heizhai 黑寨 of Anshun City 安顺县; and Dagouchang 大狗场 and Wangzhai 王寨 of Pingba County 平坝县.
- *Xinzhai subdialect 普定县新寨土语: spoken in Xinzhai 新寨, Wozi 窝子, Changchong 长冲, and Weiqi 未七 villages in Baiyan District 白岩区, Puding District 普定县.
- *Xiongzhai subdialect 织金熊寨土语: spoken in Qiaoshang Village 桥上村, Xiongjiazhai Township 熊家寨乡, Longchang District 龙场区, Zhijin County 织金县.
- North-Central 黔中北方言
- *Subdialect 1: spoken in Yatang 亚塘, Maoba District 茅坝区, Renhuai City 仁怀县; and Shanbeihou Village 山背后村, Liangshui Township 凉水, Qinglong County; and Sanchong 三冲, Longlin County 隆林县, Guangxi. Also spoken by the Green Gelao 青仡佬 of Yangliu Village 杨柳村, Renhuai City 仁怀县.
- *Subdialect 2: spoken by the Red Gelao 红仡佬 of Banliwan 板栗湾, Maoba District 茅坝区, Renhuai City 仁怀县; and some villages of Pingzheng Township 平正乡, Zunyi County 遵义县, including in Tianba 田坝, Heijiaoyan 黑脚岩, Pingzheng Township.
- Southwestern 黔西南方言
- *Niupo subdialect 六枝牛破土语: spoken in Duoque 堕脚, Houzitian 猴子田, and Langjiaba 郎家坝 of Liuzhi Special District 六枝特区; Shangguan 上关 and Xiaguan 下关 in Yingpan Town 营盘镇, Machang District 马场区, Puding County 普定县 ; some villages in Agong District 阿弓区, Zhijin County 织金县.
- *Moji subdialect 隆林么基土语: spoken in Dashuijing 大水井, Longlin County 隆林县, Guangxi and other nearby villages. 400 speakers.
- *Laozhai subdialect 麻栗坡县老寨土语: spoken in Laozhai 老寨 and Yueliangwan 月亮湾 in Tiechang District 铁厂区, Malipo County 麻栗坡县
- *Datiezhai subdialect 水城大铁寨土语: spoken in Gaoshi Township 高石乡, Yangmei District 杨梅区 and Ega Township 俄嘎乡, Miluo District 米箩区, Shuicheng County 水城特区.
- *Jianshan subdialect 遵义尖山土语: spoken in Jianshan 尖山, Pingzheng Township 平正乡, Zunyi County 遵义县. Under 500 speakers.
- Western 黔西方言
- *Pudi subdialect 大方县普底土语: spoken in Hongfeng Village 红丰村, Pudi Township 普底乡, Dafang County ; Lannigou 滥泥沟, Shajing Township 沙井乡, Qianxi County; a few villages in Daguan District 大观区, Qianxi County; Dazhai 大寨 and Gaokanzhai 高坎寨 in Fenghuang Village 凤凰村, Xinfa Township 新发乡, Qingzhen City; Maixiang 麦巷 and Houzhai 后寨 townships, Qingzhen City
- *Bigong subdialect 镇宁比贡土语: spoken in Bigong Village 比贡村 and Maocao 茅草 in Mafang Township 新房乡, Anxi District 安西区, Zhenning County 镇宁县