Bisu language
Bisu (Chinese: 毕苏语) is a Loloish language of Thailand, with a couple thousand speakers in China. Varieties are Bisu proper (Mbisu) and Laomian (Guba), considered by Pelkey to be distinct languages.
| Bisu | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Thailand, China |
| Ethnicity | 700 in Thailand (2007)[1] |
Native speakers | 240 in China (2005)[1] |
| Thai script, Latin script | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | bzi |
| Glottolog | bisu1244 |
| ELP | Bisu[2] |
The Laomian are classified within the Lahu ethnic group; the Lahu proper call them the "Lawmeh" (Bradley 2007).
Distribution
According to Bisuyu Yanjiu 毕苏语研究 (2002), there are over 5,000 Bisu speakers in Yunnan, China, and a total of nearly 10,000 Bisu speakers in all countries combined. Within Yunnan, it is spoken mostly in Pu'er Prefecture, as well as neighboring parts of Xishuangbanna.
- Lancang County 澜沧县
- Zhutang 竹塘乡
- Dazhai 大寨, Laomian 老面[3] (see Laomian language)
- Laba 拉巴乡
- Donglang 东朗乡
- Fubang 富邦乡
- Zhutang 竹塘乡
- Menghai County 勐海县
- Mengzhe 勐遮乡
- Laopinzhai 老品寨[4] (see Laopin language)
- Mengzhe 勐遮乡
- Ximeng County 西盟县
- Lisuo 力锁乡
- Menglian County 孟连县
- Nanya 南雅乡
In Thailand, two dialects of Bisu are spoken in the following villages of Phan District, Chiang Rai Province (Bisuyu Yanjiu 2002:152).
- Dialect 1: Huai Chomphu village (also called Ban Huaisan) and Doi Pui village
- Dialect 2: Phadaeng village
Another variety of Bisu differing from the Phayao variety is spoken in Takɔ (Ban Thako), Mae Suai District, Chiang Rai Province.
In Laos, Bisu (pi33 su44; also called Lao-Phai) is spoken in Phudokcham village, Phongxaly District.[5]
Orthography
In Thailand, the Bisu language is written with the Thai script.
Consonants
- ก - k - [k]
- ข - kh - [kʰ]
- ค - g - [g]
- ง - ŋ - [ŋ]
- จ - č - [t͡ʃ]
- ช - čh - [t͡ʃʰ]
- ซ - s - [s]
- ฌ - š - [ʃ]
- ญ - ñ - [ɲ]
- ฑ - th - [tʰ]
- ฒ - c - [ts]
- ด - d - [d]
- ต - t - [t]
- ธ - th - [tsʰ]
- น - n - [n]
- บ - b - [b]
- ป - p - [p]
- พ - ph - [pʰ]
- ม - m - [m]
- ย - y - [j]
- ล - l - [l]
- ว - w - [w]
- อ - (none) - [-]
- ฮ - h - [h]
- ฮม - hm - [hm]
- ฮน - hn - [hn]
- ฮญ - hñ - [hɲ]
- ฮง - hŋ - [hŋ]
- ฮล - hl - [hl]
- ฮย - hy - [hj][6]
Vowels
- -ั - a - [a]
- -า - aa - [aː]
- -ิ - i - [i]
- -ี - ii - [iː]
- -ึ - ʉ - [ʉ]
- -ื - ʉʉ - [ʉː]
- -ุ - u - [u]
- -ู - uu - [u
- เ-็ - e - [e]
- เ- - ee - [eː]
- แ-็ - æ - [æ]
- แ- - ææ - [æː]
- โ-ะ - o - [o]
- โ- - oo - [oː]
- -็อ - ɔ - [ɔ]
- -อ - ɔɔ - [ɔː]
- เ-อะ - ə - [ə]
- เ-ิ - əə - [əː]
- เ-า - aw - [aw]
- ไ- - ay - [aj][6]
Tones
- -่ - low
- - - mid
- -้ - high
References
- Bisu at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
- Endangered Languages Project data for Bisu.
- http://www.ynszxc.gov.cn/villagePage/vindex.aspx?departmentid=111581
- http://www.ynszxc.gov.cn/villagePage/vindex.aspx?departmentid=144437
- Kingsadā, Thō̜ngphet, and Tadahiko Shintani. 1999. Basic Vocabularies of the Languages Spoken in Phongxaly, Lao P.D.R. Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA).
- Bisu, Omniglot.
- Bradley, David (2007). "Language Endangerment in China and Mainland Southeast Asia". In Matthias Brenzinger, ed. Language diversity endangered. New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Further reading
Link to the New Testament in Bisu: https://www.bible.com/bible/1705/JHN.1.bzint