Nusu language
The Nusu language is a Loloish language spoken by the Nu people of China and Myanmar. There are three dialects: Northern, Southern, and Central. The Central dialect of Miangu is the prestige dialect and is understood fairly well by speakers of other dialects.
Lama observes a sound change, *r- > Ø- from Proto-Loloish, as a Nusoish innovation.
Distribution
The three Nusu dialects are spoken in the following locations.- Southern, also known as the Guoke-Puluo dialect: northern Lushui County 泸水县, in Guoke 果科, Puluo 普洛, Tongping 同坪, Jiajia 加甲
- Central, also known as the Zhizhiluo-Laomudeng dialect: southern Fugong County 福贡县, in Pihe 匹河怒族乡, Zhizhiluo 知之罗, Laomudeng 老姆登, Miangu 棉古, Shawa 沙瓦, Zileng 子楞
- Northern, also known as the Wawa-Kongtong dialect: Fugong County 福贡县, in Wawa 瓦娃, Kongtong 空通, Youduoluo 有夺洛
- Zilijia Township 子里甲乡: Jianu 甲怒, Mazudi 马祖底, Jiada 甲打, Lamujia 腊母甲, Jiache 加车
- Jiakedi Township 架科底乡: Jiake 架科, La'anjia 腊安甲
Phonology
Consonants
Tones
Nusu has seven tones:| Tone | IPA |
| High | |
| High falling | |
| Creaky low | |
| Low | |
| Creaky high | |
| Rising-falling | |
| Mid |
Writing system
Nusu uses the Latin script. It has 65 lettersThe following list shows the letters of the Nusu alphabet in both uppercase and lowercase forms and their pronunciation in the IPA:
- K k
- Kh kh
- G g
- Gh gh
- Ng ng
- S s
- Sh sh
- Dz dz
- Z z
- Ts ts
- Tz tz
- T t
- Th th
- D d
- C c
- Ch ch
- J j
- Ph
- P p
- B b
- N n
- Ny ny
- F f
- V v
- Y y
- W w
- L l
- Zh zh
- H h
- Qh qh
- R r
- Shr shr
- Cr cr
- Jr jr
- Mh mh
- Nh nh
- Lh lh
- Hn hn
- Mm mm
- Nn nn
- Yy yy
- Ll ll
- Ww ww
- Rr rr
- A a
- Ae ae
- E e
- Er er
- Oe
- I i
- U u
- Iu iu
- Ur ur
- Eu eu
- O o
- Iv
- Ai ai
- Ao ao
- On on
- Om om
- Ou ou
- An an
- En en
Tones
- High tone: c
- High falling tone: z
- Creaky low tone: q
- Low tone: x
- Creaky high tone: k
- Rising-falling tone: ^
- Mid tone: Unmarked.