Kiong Nai language

Kiong Nai
Jiongnai
Native to	China
Region	Jinxiu County, Guangxi
Native speakers	1,000  (date missing)
Language family	Hmong–Mien Hmongic She–Jiongnai Kiong Nai
Language codes
ISO 639-3	pnu

Kiong Nai (or Jiongnai, Chinese: 炯奈 jiǒngnài) is a divergent Hmongic (Miao) language spoken in Jinxiu County, Guangxi, China. The speakers' autonym is pronounced [kjɔ̄ŋ nāi] or [kjaŋ˧˩ nɛ˧˩]; kjɔŋ means 'mountain', while nai means 'people' (Meng 2001:1). Mao & Li (2002) consider it to be most closely related to She.

Dialects

Mao & Li (2002) divide Jiongnai into two major dialects.

• Longhua 龙华, spoken in Longhua 龙华村 of Changdong Township 长垌乡
• Liuxiang 六巷, spoken in Liuxiang Township 六巷乡

References

• 毛宗武, 李云兵 / Mao Zongwu, Li Yunbing. 2002. 炯奈语硏究 / Jiongnai yu yan jiu (A Study of Jiongnai). Beijing: 中央民族大学出版社 / Zhong yang min zu da xue chu ban she.
• 蒙朝吉 / Meng Chaoji. 2001. 瑤族布努语方言研究 / Yao zu Bunu yu fang yan yan jiu [A Study of the Bunu Dialects of the Yao People]. Beijing: 民族出版社 / Min zu chu ban she.
• http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/ratliff2003review.pdf