MDungnag language


mDungnag Tibetan is a divergent Tibetic language of western Gansu, China.

Distribution

mDungnag is spoken in Qifeng Tibetan Ethnic Township, Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Gansu, China.

Classification

Shao notes that mDungnag is not mutually intelligible with either Khams Tibetan or Amdo Tibetan. It may possibly be a divergent form of Amdo Tibetan due to some shared vocabulary, although these similarities could also be due to contact. The exact classification of mDungnag within Tibetic remains uncertain.

Phonology

mDungnag is a non-tonal language.

Dialects

mDungnag can be divided into two dialects:
  • Hexi 河西 : spoken in Baozitan Village 堡子滩村
  • Hedong 河东 : spoken in Qingkedi Village 青稞地村 and Ciyaokou 瓷窑口村 Village. This is the dialect that is primarily documented in Shao.
Some lexical differences between the Hexi and Hedong dialects include the following. Translated English glosses have also been provided to supplement the original Chinese glosses from Shao.
Chinese glossEnglish glossHexiHedong
乌鸦crow kʰɐtʰɐhɐtʰɐ
黄羊Mongolian gazelleʱgʷɐʱgo
旱獭marmotʂʮʂʷa
开水boiling watertʂʰənkʰotʂʰəkʰo
大坂large mountainlʷɐ
红嘴鸦Red-billed choughʰtʂoŋχʷaʰtʂoŋhɐ
馒头mantou kɔrɐkʷɐrɐ
骆驼camelʱŋɐmaŋʱŋɐməŋ
白胸黑狗white-chested black dogtaŋkʰartaŋɣar
to step onʱdəʱdi
耕地to plow, tillʰtʂɐkʱmi ; ʱmɔ
穿to wearkonkʷan
to rideʂonʂʷan
点火to ignite, light ʱdʑonʱdʑʷan
to quarrelkʰonkʰʷan
使役/使用to usekʰɔko
疼痛painʱdzerzer
to scoopʰtʂʷi ; tʂʮ sʷi ; sʮ
数字连词numeral affixʰtsɐ
棉袄cotton jackettʂyɣɔtsəorə
杏子apricotɣorəkxaŋrə
山羊羔子kid eᶳtsərəᶳtsə
帽子hatⁿgɔʂɐkɐli
两口子married coupleʱdzɐwɐʱdzɐⁿgɔ
头面face; woman's head ornamentsʰtəkgʷɔʰtəkdʑap