Bisu language (original) (raw)

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Loloish language spoken in Thailand and China

Bisu (Chinese: 毕苏语) is a Loloish language of Thailand, with a couple thousand speakers in China. Varieties are Bisu proper (Mbisu) and Laomian (Guba), considered by Pelkey to be distinct languages.

The Laomian are classified within the Lahu ethnic group; the Lahu proper call them the "Lawmeh".[2]

According to Bisuyu Yanjiu 毕苏语研究 (2002), there are over 5,000 Bisu speakers in Yunnan, China, and a total of nearly 10,000 Bisu speakers in all countries combined. Within Yunnan, it is spoken mostly in Pu'er Prefecture, as well as neighboring parts of Xishuangbanna.

• Lancang County 澜沧县
  • Zhutang 竹塘乡
    * Dazhai 大寨, Laomian 老面[3] (see Laomian language)
  • Laba 拉巴乡
  • Donglang 东朗乡
  • Fubang 富邦乡
• Menghai County 勐海县
  • Mengzhe 勐遮乡
    * Laopinzhai 老品寨[4] (see Laopin language)
• Ximeng County 西盟县
  • Lisuo 力锁乡
• Menglian County 孟连县
  • Nanya 南雅乡

In Thailand, two dialects of Bisu are spoken in the following villages of Phan District, Chiang Rai Province (Bisuyu Yanjiu 2002:152).

• Dialect 1: Huai Chomphu village (also called Ban Huaisan) and Doi Pui village
• Dialect 2: Phadaeng village

Another variety of Bisu differing from the Phayao variety is spoken in Takɔ (Ban Thako), Mae Suai District, Chiang Rai Province.

In Laos, Bisu (pi33 su44; also called Lao-Phai) is spoken in Phudokcham village, Phongxaly District.[5]In Myanmar, Bisu is spoken in three or two villages of Shan State, and Bisu speakers live alongside Pyen speakers

In Thailand, the Bisu language is written with the Thai script.

Consonants[6][7]

| | Labial | Coronal | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | plain | sibilant | | | | | | | | Plosive/Affricate | unaspirated | p ⟨p, ป⟩ | t ⟨t, ต⟩ | ts ⟨c, จฺ⟩ | t͡ɕ~t͡ʃ ⟨č, จ⟩ | k ⟨k, ก⟩ | ʔ ⟨-, อ⟩ | | aspirated | pʰ ⟨ph, พ⟩ | tʰ ⟨th, ท⟩ | tsʰ ⟨ch, ชฺ⟩ | t͡ɕʰ~t͡ʃʰ ⟨čh, ช⟩ | kʰ ⟨kh, ค⟩ | | | | voiced | b ⟨b, บ⟩ | d ⟨d, ด⟩ | | | g ⟨g, กง⟩ | | | | Fricative | f ⟨f, ฟ⟩ | | s ⟨s, ซ⟩ | ʃ ⟨š, ซฺ⟩ | | h ⟨h, ฮ⟩ | | | Nasal | plain | m ⟨m, ม⟩ | n ⟨n, น⟩ | | ɲ ⟨ñ, ญ⟩ | ŋ ⟨ŋ, ง⟩ | | | preaspirated | m̥ ⟨hm, ฮม⟩ | n̥ ⟨hn, ฮน⟩ | | ɲ̊ ⟨hñ, ฮญ⟩ | ŋ̊ ⟨hŋ, ฮง⟩ | | | | Approximant | plain | w ⟨w, ว⟩ | l ⟨l, ล⟩ | | j ⟨y, ย⟩ | | | | preaspirated | | l̥ ⟨hl, ฮล⟩ | | j̊ ⟨hy, ฮย⟩ | | | |

There is no different meaning between long and short vowels. However, check syllables may sound shorter than non-checked ones when speaking. Thai standard uses only long vowels.

• -า – a – [a]
• -ี – i – [i]
• -ือ/-ื – ɨ – [ɨ~ʉ]
• -ู – u – [u]
• เ- – e – [e]
• แ- – ɛ – [ɛ~æ]
• โ- – o – [o]
• -อ – ɔ – [ɔ]
• เ-อ/เ-ิ – ə – [ə]
• เ-ีย – ia – [ia][6][7]
• – – no mark – mid
• -่ – grave accent – low
• -้ – acute accent – high

1. ^ a b Bisu at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
2. ^ Bradley (2007)
3. ^ "Láncāng Lāhùzú Zìzhìxiàn Zhútáng Xiāng Lǎotànshān Lǎomiǎnzhài" 澜沧拉祜族自治县竹塘乡老炭山老缅寨 [Laomianzhai, Laotanshan, Zhutang Township, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County]. ynszxc.gov.cn. Archived from the original on 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
4. ^ "Měnghǎi Xiàn Měngzhē Zhèn Mànhóng Cūnwěihuì Lǎopǐn Zìráncūn" 勐海县勐遮镇曼洪村委会老品自然村 [Laopin Natural Village, Manhong Village Committee, Mengzhe Town, Menghai County]. ynszxc.gov.cn. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
5. ^ Kingsadā, Thō̜ngphet; Shintani, Tadahiko (1999). Basic Vocabularies of the Languages Spoken in Phongxaly, Lao P.D.R. Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA).
6. ^ a b "Bisu". Omniglot. Archived from the original on 2019-07-05.
7. ^ a b สำนักงานราชบัณฑิตยสภา. คู่มือระบบเขียนภาษาบีซูอักษรไทย ฉบับราชบัณฑิตยสภา. กรุงเทพฯ : สำนักงานราชบัณฑิตยสภา, 2563, หน้า 32.

• Bradley, David (2007). "Language Endangerment in China and Mainland Southeast Asia". In Brenzinger, Matthias (ed.). Language Diversity Endangered. New York: Mouton de Gruyte.

• The New Testament in Bisu on Bible.com