Qau language

Qau, Central Gelao, or Sinicized Gelao (Chinese: 汉仡佬; pinyin: Hàn Gēlǎo) is a Gelao language spoken in Guizhou, China.[2][3]

Qau
Native toChina
RegionAnshun City and Pingba County, Guizhou
Native speakers
2,000 (2011)[1]
Kra–Dai
Language codes
ISO 639-3gqu
Glottologqaua1234
ELPGao Gelao

Dialects

The dialects of Qau that are still spoken are:[4]

Phonology

Consonants
Labial Alveolar (Alveolo-)
palatal		 Velar Uvular Glottal
plain lat. plain lat.
Nasal m n ɲ̟ ŋ
Stop voiceless p pˡ t k kˡ q (ʔ)
aspirated pʰ tʰ kʰ qʰ
prenasal ᵐp ᵐpˡ ⁿt ᵑk ᵑkˡ
Affricate voiceless ts tɕ
aspirated tsʰ tɕʰ
prenasal ⁿts ᶮtɕ
Fricative voiceless f s ɕ x h
voiced v vˡ z ʑ
Approximant l (w)
  • [ʔ] is heard in syllable-initial position before vowels.
  • [w] is heard as an initial consonant of Chinese loanwords.

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i (ɯ) u
Mid e ə ə˞ o
Open a ɒ
Diphthongs
Front Central Back
Close iu, ie, iɒ, io ue, ua, uɒ
Mid ei əu, əɯ
Open ai, au
Triphthong iau uei, uai
Final-nasal
Front Central Back
Close in un uŋ
Mid en
Open an aŋ
Triphthong ian uan uaŋ
  • /i/ is heard as a syllabic [ɹ̩] when after sounds /s, ts/
  • [ɯ] is only heard in the diphthong /əɯ/.
  • Vowels with a word-final /n/ can also be heard as nasalized [Ṽ].[5]

Pronouns

The following are pronouns from Pingba Gelao.[2]

GlossPingba Gelao
I(su33) i42
you(su33) mu21
he, she, it(su33) u42
we(su33) ta33
you all(su33) sa33
theypə42 nu42
my householdqa33/a33 qei42
your householdqa33/a33 mu21
his/her householdqa33/a55 qu42

Numerals

Pingba Gelao numerals are given below.

  1. si33
  2. su33
  3. ta33
  4. pu33
  5. mpu33
  6. naŋ33
  7. ɕi13
  8. zua55
  9. sə13
  10. pan13

References
  1. Qau at Ethnologue (24th ed., 2021) closed access
  2. Zhang, Jimin 张済民 (1993). Gēlǎoyǔ yánjiū 仡佬语研究 [A Study of Gelao] (in Chinese). Guiyang: Guizhou minzu chubanshe.
  3. Zhou, Guoyan 周国炎 (2004). Gēlǎozú mǔyǔ shēngtài yánjiū 仡佬族母語生态硏究 [Studies on the Linguistic Ecology of the Gelao People] (in Chinese). Beijing: Minzu chubanshe.
  4. Li, Jinfang 李锦芳 (2006). Xīnán dìqū bīnwēi yǔyán diàochá yánjiū 西南地区濒危语言调查研究 [Studies on Endangered Languages in the Southwest China] (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhongyang minzu daxue chubanshe.
  5. He, Jiashan [贺嘉善] (1983). Gēlǎo yǔ jiǎn zhì [仡佬语简志] (A sketch of Gelao). Beijing: Ethnic Publishing House [民族出版社].


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