Nisu language

Nisu is a language cluster spoken by half a million Yi people of China. It is one of six Yi languages recognized by the government of China. The Yi script was traditionally used, though few can still read it. According to Lama, Nisu autonyms include ', ', and .
The position of Nisu within Nisoish is debated. Nisu is classified as Southeastern Loloish by Pelkey, but is traditionally classified as a Northern Loloish language, including by Lama.

Internal classification

Chen et al. (1985)

Chen et al. recognizes three major varieties of Southern Yi spoken in Yunnan province: Shijian, Yuanjin, and Exin. Autonyms include na̠33 su55 and na̠33 su55 pho21. Chen reported a speaker population of nearly 1.6 million.

Shijian 石建土语: spoken in Shiping, Jianshui, Tonghai, Gejiu, Kaiyuan, Mengzi, and Hekou counties
Yuanjin 元金土语: spoken in Yuanyang, Jinping, Mojiang, Yuanjiang, Pu'er, Jiangcheng, and Honghe counties
Exin 峨新土语: spoken in Eshan, Xinping, Jiangchuan, Yuxi, Yimen, and Kunming counties
Yang (2009)

Yang classifies the Nisu dialects as follows.

Northern Nisu
*North-central : spoken in Shiping, Xinping, Jiangcheng, Mojiang, and Lüchun counties
*Northwestern : spoken in Eshan and Jinning counties
Southern Nisu : spoken in Honghe, Yuanyang, Jinping, Yuanjiang, Shiping, and perhaps also Jianshui counties
Far Northwestern Nisu: spoken in Beidou Township, Yongping County

The Jiangcheng, Mojiang, and Lüchun varieties were grouped by Chen to be southern varieties, but Yang found that they actually belonged to the Northern Nisu group.

Other varieties

Other Nisu or Southern Yi groups with similar autonyms or language varieties are:

Ache 阿车: Autonym in Xinping County is '.
Luowu 罗武 : '
Achang 阿常 of Niukong 牛孔, Lüchun County
Pulian 普连 of Qimaba 骑马坝, Daxing 大兴, and Gekui 戈奎, Lüchun County
Alu 阿鲁 of Dashuigou 大水沟, Lüchun County

A variety of Southern Nisu spoken in Aka Luoduo village, Tianfang Village, Jiangcheng County is covered in Lu Yan.
In Tonghai County, Southern Yi is spoken by all generations only in Xiangping, Bajiao, Sizhai, Shikan, Pingba, Shangzhuangke, and Xiazhuangke villages.

Lexicography

Pu wrote a Nisu-Chinese dictionary in 2021, with Nisu words transcribed in both IPA and Yi script. It is based on the Nisu dialect of Renhou Village 仁厚村 and Yongning Village 永宁村, both of which are located several kilometers north of Mengzi City, Yunnan.

Phonology

Consonants

Vowels

There is distinction between tight-throat vowels and lax-throat vowels.

Diphthongs occur with alveolo-palatal consonants in complementary distribution, in the Laochang dialect.
Open-mid sounds only occur in the Shaochong dialect.
Rhotic vowels occur mainly in the Northwestern dialects.
Sounds are heard as syllabic consonants when following alveolar sibilants or affricates, and as syllabic retroflex when following retroflex ones.
Tones

3 tones occur as follows:

Name	Pitch	Symbol
Low	21
Mid	33
High	55