Tujia language

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Tujia
Native toNorthwestern Hunan Province, China; Laifeng County, Hubei
Ethnicity8.0 million Tujia (2000 census)[1]
Native speakers
70,000 (2005)[1]
Sino-Tibetan
  • (unclassified)
    • Tujia
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
tji – Northern
tjs – Southern
Glottologtuji1244
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The Tujia language (Northern Tujia: Bifzivsar, /pi35 ʦi55 sa21/; Southern Tujia: Mongrzzirhof, /mõ21 ʣi21 ho35/; simplified Chinese: 土家つちや语; traditional Chinese: 土家つちや語ご; pinyin: Tǔjiāyǔ) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken natively by the Tujia people in Hunan Province, China. It is unclassified within the Sino-Tibetan language family, due to pervasive influence from neighboring languages. There are two mutually unintelligible variants, Northern and Southern. Both variants are tonal languages with the tone contours of /˥ ˥˧ ˧˥ ˨˩/ (55, 53, 35, 21). Northern Tujia has 21 initials, whereas Southern Tujia has 26 (with 5 additional voiced initials). As for the finals, Northern Tujia has 25 and Southern Tujia has 30, 12 of which are used exclusively in loanwords from Chinese. Its verbs make a distinction of active and passive voices. Its pronouns distinguish the singular and plural numbers along with the basic and possessive cases. As of 2005, the number of speakers was estimated at 70,000 for Northern Tujia (of which about 100 are monolingual)[2] and 1,500 for Southern Tujia,[3] out of an ethnic population of 8 million.[2][3]

Names[edit]

Tujia autonyms include /pi35 tsi55 kʰa21/ (毕孜卡; /pi21 tsi21 kʰa21/ in Ye 1995) and /mi35 tɕi55 kʰa33/55/.[4] The Tujia people call their language /pi35 tsi55 sa21/.[5]

Tujia (土家つちや) literally means 'native people', which is the appellation that the Han Chinese had given to them due to their aboriginal status in the area. The Tujia, on the other hand, call the Han Chinese Kejia (客きゃく家か), a designation also given to the Hakka people, which means 'guest people'.[4] Tujia is also called "Bizic" by Yulou Zhou.[6]

Classification[edit]

Tujia is clearly a Sino-Tibetan language, but its position within that family is unclear, due to massive borrowing from other Sino-Tibetan languages, in particular loanwords from Chinese.[7] Although it has been placed with other groups in the past, linguists now generally leave it unclassified.

Subdivisions[edit]

Tujia can be divided into two different languages: Northern Tujia and Southern Tujia, which have 40% lexical similarity with each other.[8] Almost all Tujia speakers are located in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. The Northern dialect has the vast majority of speakers, while the Southern dialect is spoken in only 3 villages of Tanxi Township (潭溪镇) in Luxi County.

The Tujia-speaking areas of Longshan County are mostly located around the Xiche River 洗あらい车河. The variety studied by Tian (1986) is that of Dianfang Township 靛房乡, Longshan County. Ye focuses on the Northern variety of Xinghuo Village 星ぼし火ひ村むら, Miao'ertan Township 苗なえ儿滩镇 (formerly Miaoshi 苗なえ市し), Longshan County 龙山县.[5] Peng covers the Northern variety of Yongshun County.[9] Brassett based their Tujia data primarily on the variety of Tasha Township 他た砂すな乡, Longshan County and also partly from Pojiao Township 坡脚乡 and Dianfang Township 靛房乡.[10] Dai focuses on the variety of Xianren Township 仙せん仁じん乡, Baojing County. Zhang (2006) covers the Northern Tujia dialect of Duogu village 多た谷村たにむら, Longshan County and the Southern Tujia dialect of Poluozhai 婆ばば落寨, Luxi County.[4]

Chen (2006)[edit]

Chen Kang divides Tujia as follows.[11]

  • Northern
    • Longshan dialect 龙山土ど语 (autonym: pi35tsi55 kʰa21 or Bifzivkar) - spoken in:
      • Longshan County: Jiashi 贾市, Zan'guo 咱果, Miaoshi 苗なえ市し, Pojiao 坡脚, Mengxi 猛もう西にし, Tasha 他た砂すな, Shuiba 水すい坝, Guanping 官平かんぺい, Neixi 内ない溪けい, Ganxi 干ひ溪けい, Dianfang 靛房
      • Laifeng County, Hubei: Maodong 卯う洞ほら
      • Yongshun County: Shaoha 勺しゃく哈, Liexi 列れつ夕ゆう, Duishan 对山, Gaoping 高坪たかつぼ, Taiping 太平たいへい
      • Guzhang County: Qietong 茄なす通どおり, Tianjiadong 田家たや洞ほら
    • Baojing dialect 保ほ靖やすし土ど语 (autonym: mi35tɕi55 kʰa21 or Mifqivkar) - spoken in:
  • Southern - spoken in the following villages of Tanxi Township 潭溪乡, Luxi County:[12]
    • Xiadu 下か都と (Tujia: tsʰie21 bu21 or Cirbur)
    • Puzhu 铺竹 (Tujia: pʰu33 dzɯ33 or Puzzu)
    • Boluozhai 波は洛らく寨 (Tujia: bo33 lo33 tsai13 or Bolozaif)
    • Qieji 且己 (Tujia: tsʰa33 dʑi35 or Ciejif)
    • Xiaqieji 下か且己 (Tujia: tsʰa33 dʑi35 a21 di35 or Ciajifafdif)
    • Daboliu 大波おおなみ流りゅう (Tujia: tsʰie21 dɯ55 pʰo21 or Cierduovpor)
    • Xiaolingzhai 小しょう零れい寨 (Tujia: tsʰie55 ȵĩ35 sa33 or Ciernifsa)
    • Limuzhai 梨木なしき寨 (Tujia: li21 mu21 tsai13 or Livmuvzaif)
    • Tumazhai 土ど麻あさ寨 (Tujia: tʰɯ13 ma21 tsai13 or Tufmavzaiv)
    • Tanxi Town 潭溪镇 (Tujia: hu33 dɯ33 or Huduo)

Yang (2011)[edit]

Yang Zaibiao reports that Tujia is spoken in over 500 natural villages comprising about 200 administrative villages and 34 townships.[13] The Northern Tujia autonym is pi35 tsɿ55 kʰa21, and the Southern Tujia autonym is mõ21 dzɿ21.[14] Yang covers the two Northern Tujia dialects of Dianfang 靛房 and Xiaolongre 小しょう龙热, and the Southern Tujia dialect of Qieji 且己.

  • Longshan County (southeastern; 15 townships): Xichehe 洗あらい车河镇, Longtou 隆たかし头镇, Miao'ertan 苗なえ儿滩镇, Dianfang 靛房镇, Luota 洛らく塔とう乡, Ganxi 干ひ溪けい乡, Mengxi 猛もう西にし乡, Fengxi 凤溪镇, Pojiao 坡脚乡, Tasha 他た砂すな乡, Neixi 内ない溪けい乡, Jiashi 贾市乡, Yanchong 岩がん冲乡, Changxi 长潭乡, Liye 里さと耶镇
  • Yongshun County (western; 5 townships): Duishan 对山乡, Heping 和平わへい乡, Xiqi 西にし歧乡, Shouche 首くび车镇, Shaoha 勺しゃく哈乡
  • Baojing County (western and southeastern; 10 townships):
    • Western Baojing County: Longtou 隆たかし头乡, Bi'er 比ひ耳みみ乡, Mawang 马王乡, Bamao 拔茅镇, Purong 普ひろし戎えびす镇, Angdong 昂のぼる洞ほら乡, Longxi 龙溪乡, Boji 簸ひ箕み乡
    • Southeastern Baojing County: Tuzha 涂乍乡, Xianren 仙人せんにん乡
  • Guzhang County (northwestern; 2 townships): Qietong 茄なす通どおり (including in Xiaolongre 小しょう龙热村むら ɕiao55 lũ21 ze55), Duanlong 断だん龙乡
  • Luxi County (1 township): Tanxi 潭溪镇 (including in Qieji 且己村むら tsʰa33 dʑi35 / tsʰe5533 dʑi21)
  • Laifeng County (1 township): Hedong 河かわ东乡

Phonology[edit]

Consonants[edit]

The following are the consonants in both the Northern and Southern Tujia dialects:[15][10]

Labial Alveolar Post-
alveolar 		Velar
Plosive voiceless p t k
aspirated pʰ tʰ kʰ
voiced1 b d ɡ
Affricate voiceless ts tɕ
aspirated tsʰ tɕʰ
voiced1 dz dʑ
Fricative voiceless f1 s ɕ x4
voiced z ɣ
Nasal m n2 ɲ3 ŋ
Approximant w l2 j
  1. Voiced plosives and affricates, and /f/ occur only in the Southern Tujia dialects.
  2. [n] and [l] are in free variation.
  3. [ɲ] is an allophone of /n/.
  4. /x/ has allophones [ç] before /i/ and [ɸ] before /u/.


Vowels[edit]

Front Central Back
Close i y ɨ ʉ u
Close-mid e ɤ o
Open-mid ɔ
Open a
Vowels/Combinations in the Tujia dialects
Oral Nasal
Medial ∅ i ʉ e a o u coda ∅ e æ a u n ŋ coda
Nucleus ∅ æ̃ ɛn ɜŋ
Vowel i iaʉ ie ia io iu iɛ ĩ iæ̃ iã iũ iɛn iŋ
y yei ye ya yẽ yæ̃
ɨ ɨi ɨe ɨu
ʉ
a ai aʉ au iau ã aŋ
e ei ẽ
ɔ uɔ ɔŋ iɔŋ
o oʉ ou ioʉ
ɤ
u uei ue ua uo uai ũ uẽ uæ̃ uã un uɛn
  • Combinations with oral vowels /y ʉ/ and nasal vowel /æ̃/ occur only in the Southern dialects.
  • Combinations with vowels /ɛ ɜ ɤ ɔ/ and coda /n/ occur only in the Northern dialects.

Orthography[edit]

Ye (1995)[edit]

One system of writing Tujia in Latin script is based on Hanyu Pinyin and uses letters as tone markers, namely, x, r, v, f.[16][17]

Brassett, Brassett, & Lu (2006)[edit]

Philip Brassett, Cecilia Brassett and Lu Meiyan have proposed an experimental Pinyin orthography for the Tujia language, as follows:[10]

Tujia Pinyin Consonants
Symbol IPA Symbol IPA
b p ng ŋ
c tsʰ p pʰ
d t q tɕʰ
g k r z
h x s s
hh ɣ t tʰ
j tɕ w w
k kʰ x ɕ
l l, n y j
m m z ts
n ɲ, n
Tujia Pinyin Vowels
Symbol IPA Symbol IPA
a a ing iŋ
ai ai iong iɔŋ
an ɛn iu iu
ang aŋ o ɔ
ao au ong ɔŋ
e ɤ ou ou
ei ei u u
eng ɜŋ ua ua
i i, ɨ uai uai
ia ia uan uɛn
ian iɛn ui uei
iao iau un un
ie iɛ uo uɔ
Tujia Pinyin Tones
Symbol Pitch Name of tone Letters
1 ˥ or ˦ High level -v
2 ˨˦ or ˧˥ Low rising -f
3 ˨˩ Low falling -r
4 ˥˩ or ˥˧ High falling -x

Tujia numerals[edit]

Tujia Pinyin Tones
Number Tujia words (with tone letters)
1 La
2 Niev
3 Sov
4 Riev
5 Uv
6 Wor
7 Nier
8 Yer
9 Kiev
10 Laxiv

Language preservation[edit]

Although only a small percentage of Tujia people speak the Tujia language, Tujia language enthusiasts work hard on to preserve it, both in Hunan and Hubei. According to news reports, two Tujia language instruction books have been published and work continues on a Tujia dictionary. The Tujia language scholar Chu Yongming (储永明あきら) works with children at the Baifusi Ethnic Minorities School (百ひゃく福司ふくじ民族みんぞく小学しょうがく) in Baifusi Town, Laifeng County, Hubei to promote the language use.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Northern at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Southern at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b Tujia, Northern
  3. ^ a b Tujia, Southern
  4. ^ a b c Dai 2005.
  5. ^ a b Ye 1995.
  6. ^ Zhou, Yulou (2020). Proto-Bizic: A Study of Tujia Historical Phonology (B.A. honors thesis). Stanford University. (list)
  7. ^ Bradley, David (2002). "The Subgrouping of Tibeto-Burman". In Beckwith, Christopher I. (ed.). Brill's Tibetan studies library. 2,6: PIATS 2000: Tibetan studies: Leiden 2000 / ed. by Christopher I. Beckwith. Proceedings of the ... seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies. Leiden Köln: Brill. pp. 73–112. ISBN 978-90-04-12424-0.
  8. ^ "China". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth Edition. 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-09-09.
  9. ^ Peng 1998.
  10. ^ a b c Brassett, Brassett & Lu 2006.
  11. ^ Chen 2006, p. 152.
  12. ^ Li Jingzhong [李り敬たかし忠ただし] (2000). 泸溪土家つちや语 [The Luxi Tujia language]. Beijing: Minzu University Press.
  13. ^ Yang 2011, p. 4.
  14. ^ Yang 2011, p. 15.
  15. ^ Zhang 2006.
  16. ^ Zhou, Minglang. Multilingualism in China: The Politics of Writing Reforms for Minority. De Gruyter.
  17. ^ "- YouTube". YouTube.
  18. ^ Humes, Bruce. "Rejuvenating the Tujia Language No Easy Feat". Ethnic ChinaLit. Archived from the original on 2012-06-10. based on 王おう功いさお尚なお; 蒲かば哲あきら; 孙文振ふ (2012-04-17), 大山おおやま深ふかし处的土家つちや语传承うけたまわ与あずか坚守, archived from the original on 2016-03-03, retrieved 2012-04-24

Bibliography[edit]

  • Brassett, Philip; Brassett, Cecilia; Lu, Meiyan (2006). The Tujia language. Languages of the World/Materials. Vol. 455. Munich: Lincom Europa. ISBN 9783895869952.
  • Chen, Kang [陈康] (2006). 土家つちや语研究けんきゅう [A Study of Tujia]. Beijing: Minzu University.
  • Dai, Qinxia [戴庆厦] (2005). 仙せん仁じん土家つちや语研究けんきゅう [A Study of Xianren Tujia]. Beijing: Minzu University.
  • Peng, Bo [彭勃] (1998). 土家つちや语研究けんきゅう及实录 [Tujiayu yanjiu ji shilu]. Yongshun County Ethnic Affairs Bureau [永えい顺县民族みんぞく事ごと务委员会].
  • Tian, Desheng [田た德とく生せい] (1986). 土家つちや语简志こころざし [A sketch of Tujia]. Beijing: Ethnic Publishing House [民族みんぞく出版しゅっぱん社しゃ].
  • Ye, Deshu [叶かのう德いさお书] (1995). 土家つちや语研究けんきゅう [A Study of Tujia]. Jishou: Jishou University Xiang-Chu Culture Research Institute 吉きち首くび大学だいがく湘楚文化ぶんか研究所けんきゅうじょ.
  • Yang, Zaibiao [杨再彪あや] (2011). 湖南こなん西部せいぶ四种濒危语言调查] [Four endangered languages of Hunan province]. Beijing: Ethnic Publishing House [民族みんぞく出版しゅっぱん社しゃ].
  • Yao, Yuanshen [姚元森もり] (2013). 母はは语存留とめ区く龙山坡脚的てき土家つちや语口语 [Muyu cunliuqu Longshan Pojiao de Tujiayu kouyu]. Beijing: Ethnic Publishing House [民族みんぞく出版しゅっぱん社しゃ].
  • Xiang, Kuiyi [向こう魁さきがけ益えき] (2012). 保ほ靖やすし县土家か语实录 [Baojing Tujiayu shilu]. Hunan Normal University Press [湖南こなん师范大学だいがく出版しゅっぱん社しゃ].
  • Zhang, Jun [张军] (2006). 土家つちや语语音おん硏究けんきゅう [Phonological study of the Tujia language] (Ph.D. dissertation). Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. hdl:1783.1/2836.

External links[edit]

Tujia language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tujia_language&oldid=1194186804"