Xong language


The Xong language is the northernmost Hmongic language, spoken in south-central China by around 0.9 million people. It is called in Chinese, as well as Eastern Miao. In Western sources, it has been called Meo, Red Miao, and North Hmongic. An official alphabet was adopted in 1956.

Distribution

Xong is spoken mainly in Hunan province, but also in a few areas of Guizhou and Hubei provinces, Guangxi, and Chongqing municipality in China. Xong-speaking communities, by county, are:

Classification

Xong was classified in its own branch of the Hmongic family in Strecker. Xiang divided Xong into western and eastern dialects. Matisoff considered these to be two distinct languages, but Matisoff consolidated them into one. Yang divides each of these dialects into three subdialects, as listed below. Speaker populations and locations are from Li and Li.
  • Western
  • *Lect 1 : Jiwei 吉卫, Huayuan County; 769,000 speakers in the counties of Fenghuang, most of Huayuan, southern Jishou, Xinhuang, Mayang, Songtao, parts of Rongjiang, parts of Ziyun, Xiushan, parts of Nandan, parts of Hechi, and parts of Du'an.
  • *Lect 2 : Yangmeng 阳孟, Jishou; 120,000 speakers in the counties of eastern Huayuan, western and northern Jishou, eastern Baojing, southwestern Guzhang, Fenghuang, and Xuan'en.
  • *Lect 3 : Zhongxin 中心, Baojing County; 30,000 speakers in southeastern Baojing County.
  • Eastern
  • *Lect 4 : Xiaozhang 小章, Luxi County; 6,000 speakers in and around Xiaozhang, Luxi County
  • *Lect 5 : Danqing 丹青, Jishou; 48,000 speakers in the counties of northwestern Luxi, eastern Jishou, and southeastern Guzhang.
  • *Lect 6 : Dengshang 蹬上, Longshan County; 300 speakers in southern Longshan County and Yongshun County.
He Fuling describes a western Qo Xiong dialect of Gouliang Ethnic Miao Village, Ala Township, Fenghuang County.
Chen describes a western Qo Xiong dialect of Daxing Town 大兴镇, Songtao County, Guizhou.

Phonology and script

A written standard based on the Western dialect in Làyǐpíng village and Jíwèi town, Huāyuán county, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture was established in 1956.
iɛ

ToneIPALetter
high rising, 45
low falling, 21
high, 4
low, 2
high falling, 53
falling, 42