Qiang language

Qiang
Qiang
Ethnicity	Qiang people
Geographic; distribution	Sichuan Province
Linguistic classification	Sino-Tibetan Qiangic Qiang; ;
Subdivisions	Northern Qiang; Southern Qiang;
Language codes
Glottolog	qian1264

This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

Qiang (also Qiangish languages or Rma languages) is a Sino-Tibetan language cluster of the Qiangic branch spoken by approximately 140,000 people in north-central Sichuan Province, China.

Qiang consists of:

Northern Qiang language (a tonal language)
Southern Qiang language (a non-tonal language)

Classification

Sims (2016)^[1] gives the following classification for the "Qiangish" (or "Rma") languages, which include Northern Qiang and Southern Qiang. Individual dialects are highlighted in italics.

Qiangish

'upstream' *nu- innovation group
- NW Heishui: Luhua
- Central Heishui
  - Qinglang
  - Zhawo
  - Ciba
  - Shuangliusuo
  - uvular V's innovation group: Zhimulin, Hongyan, Mawo
- SE Heishui: Luoduo, Longba, Musu, Shidiaolou
- North Maoxian: Taiping, Songpingguo
- South Songpan: Xiaoxing, Zhengjiangguan, Zhengping
- West Maoxian / South Heishui: Weigu, Waboliangzi, Se'ergu, Ekou, Weicheng, Ronghong, Chibusu, Qugu, Wadi, Baixi, Huilong, Sanlong
- Central Maoxian: Heihu
- SE Maoxian (reflexive marker innovation): Goukou, Yonghe
Perfective agreement suffixes innovation group
- 'inward' *ji innovation subgroup
  - North Wenchuan: Longxi
  - South Wenchuan: Mianchi
- 'downward' *ɚ innovation subgroup
  - Western Lixian: Puxi, Xuecheng, Muka, Jiuzi
  - Eastern Lixian: Taoping, Tonghua

Reconstruction

Sims (2017)^[2] reconstructs tones for Proto-Rma (alternatively called Proto-Qiangish), proposing that the lack of tones in Northern Qiang is due to Tibetan influence. High tones and low tones are reconstructed for Proto-Rma, as well as for Proto-Prinmi.

References

^ Sims, Nathaniel. 2016. Towards a More Comprehensive Understanding of Qiang Dialectology. Language and Linguistics 17(3), 351–381. DOI:10.1177/1606822X15586685
^ Sims, Nathaniel. 2017. The suprasegmental phonology of proto-Rma (Qiang) in comparative perspective. Presented at the 50th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Beijing, November 26, 2017.

Bibliography

Bradley, David. (1997). Tibeto-Burman languages and classification. In D. Bradley (Ed.), Papers in South East Asian linguistics: Tibeto-Burman languages of the Himalayas (No. 14, pp. 1–71). Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
LaPolla, Randy J. with Chenglong Huang. 2003. A Grammar of Qiang, with Annotated Texts and Glossary (Mouton Grammar Library). Berlin. Mouton de Gruyter.
Evans, Jonathan P. 2006. Vowel quality in Hongyan Qiang. Language and Linguistics 7.4: 937-960.

[1] Sims, Nathaniel. 2016. Towards a More Comprehensive Understanding of Qiang Dialectology. Language and Linguistics 17(3), 351–381. DOI:10.1177/1606822X15586685

[Sims2017-2] Sims, Nathaniel. 2017. The suprasegmental phonology of proto-Rma (Qiang) in comparative perspective. Presented at the 50th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Beijing, November 26, 2017.

[1]

[2]