Mpi language

Mpi is a Loloish language of Thailand. The number of speakers is in decline. It is spoken in the following two villages in northern Thailand.

Mpi
Kaw
Native toThailand, perhaps China
Ethnicity1,500 (2007)[1]
Native speakers
900 (2007)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3mpz
Glottologmpii1239
ELPMpi[2]

Since the Mpi of Thailand migrated from Mengla, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China over 300 years ago, there could also possibly be Mpi speakers in China (Nahhas 2007).

Phonology

Mpi has six tones and two phonations in its vowels, modal voice and stiff voice:

ToneModal voiceStiff voice
Low sì 'blood'sì̬ 'seven'
Low rising si᷅ 'putrid'si̬᷅ 'dried up'
Mid sī (a color)sī̬ (a classifier)
Mid rising sǐ 'to roll'sǐ̬ 'to smoke'
High sí 'four'sí̬ (a name)
High rising si᷄ 'to die'si̬᷄ (a name)

References
  1. Mpi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. Endangered Languages Project data for Mpi.

Further reading
  • Ladefoged, Peter; Maddieson, Ian (1996). The Sounds of the World's Languages. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-631-19815-4.
  • Nahhas, Ramzi W. (2007) Sociolinguistic Survey of Mpi in Thailand. SIL International
  • Sittichai, Sah-iam (1984). Phrases and clauses in the Mpi language at Ban Dong, Phrae Province. Bangkok: Mahidol University MA thesis.
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