Lashi language (original) (raw)

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Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Burma and China

Lashi
လရှီ / လချစ် Lacid
Native to Myanmar, China
Native speakers 30,000 (2000)[1]
Language family Sino-Tibetan(Tibeto-Burman)Lolo–BurmeseBurmishMaruicLashi
Language codes
ISO 639-3 lsi (incl. Chashan)
Glottolog lash1243

Lashi (Burmese: လရှီ, endonym Lacid) is a Burmish language. Although the endonym Lashi is often used by Western researchers, the people refer to themselves and their language as Lacid.[2] It is according to Nishi in the Maruic branch, which preserves the preglottalized initials of Proto-Burmish in the most phonotactic environments.[3]

There are conflicting reports about the size of the Lashi population. Reports range from 30,000 to 60,000.[2] In China, Lashi (Leqi) speakers are distributed in Mangshi City (formerly Luxi County), Ruili City, Longchuan County, and Yingjiang County of western Yunnan Province (Dai 2007:5). Mangshi has the most Lashi speakers, who are distributed in the following townships.

Lashi (လရှီ) is also spoken in eastern Shan State, Burma. Lashi was originally spoken in the downstream area of the Ngochang Hka river valley, a tributary of the N’Mai Hka river, while Ngochang was originally spoken in the upstream area of the Ngochang Hka river valley.[4]

The Chashan language, which is closely related to Lashi, is spoken in nearby Pianma Township (片马镇), Lushui County.

  1. ^ Lashi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b Robert Noftz (2017) A Literature Review on Segments in Lacid (Lashi)[_full citation needed_]
  3. ^ Nishi, Yoshio (1999). Four Papers on Burmese: Toward the History of Burmese (the Myanmar Language). Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa. ISBN 978-4-87297-744-8.
  4. ^ Sawada, Hideo (2017). Two Undescribed Dialects of Northern Burmish Sub-branch: Gyannoʔ and Thoʔlhang. Presented at ICSTLL 50, Beijing, China.