Ponyo language


Ponyo, or Ponyo-Gongwang after its two dialects, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Burma. Ponyo is spoken in 19 villages of Lahe Township, Naga Self-Administered Zone, Sagaing Division, Myanmar. Dialects are Ponyo and Gongwang, with high mutual intelligibility between the two, both of which share 89% to 91% lexical similarity.
Ponyo is closely related to Leinong and Khiamniungan, sharing 69%–75% lexical similarity with the former, and 67%–73% with the latter.
Alternate names include Gongvan, Gongwang, Gongwang Naga, Manauk, Mannok, Ponyo, Ponyo Naga, Pounyu, Saplow, Solo, Tsawlaw.

Dialects

Ethnologue lists two main dialects.
  • Ponyo
  • Gongwang