BFS ISO 639-3
Bai, Southern
白语 (Baip‧ngvp‧zix) Autonym
A language of China
- ISO 639
- bfs
- Autonym
- 白语 (Baip‧ngvp‧zix)
- Population
- 680,000 (Shearer and Sun 2017).
- Location:
- Yunnan province: Dali Bai autonomous prefecture, Xiangyun.
- Language Status
- 6a (Vigorous). Language of recognized nationality: Bai.
- Classification
- Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Northeastern Tibeto-Burman, Bai
- Dialects
- Xiangyun, Dali.
- Typology
- SVO; attributives precede noun heads; number classifier constructions follow noun heads; tense-lax vowel distinction; tonal, 5 to 8 tones.
- Language Use
- Used by all.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Bai, Southern
- Writing
- Han (Hanzi, Kanji, Hanja) script [Hani], dating from 9th century, limited use in folk songs and ritual texts, favoured by older people. Latin script [Latn], pinyin-based, used since 1993, experimental, small-scale use in education, administration, and literature.
- Other Comments
- Classification difficult due to heavy borrowing (60%–70%) from Chinese. Considered genetically related to Chinese, or a mixed language with Chinese, or related to Yi, or an independent branch of Tibeto-Burman. Traditional religion, Buddhist, Daoist.
Also Spoken in
Map
Location: Yunnan province: Dali Bai autonomous prefecture, Xiangyun.
Size and Vitality
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