Page Type: languageDongxiang | Ethnologue

SCE ISO 639-3

Dongxiang

Santa Autonym

A language of China

ISO 639
sce
Alternate Names
Tung, Tunghsiang
Autonym
Santa
Population
200,000 (Bradley 2007a). Half in Suonanba dialect. 80,000 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 622,000 (2010 census).
Location:
Gansu province: Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture, 7 counties and a city; Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture, Huocheng and Yining counties.
Language Status
6b* (Threatened). Language of recognized nationality: Dongxiang.
Classification
Mongolic, Eastern, Mongour
Dialects
Suonanba (Xiaonan), Wangjiaji, Sijiaji. Some intelligibility with Bonan [peh]. Minor dialect differences in pronunciation and borrowed words. Suonanba considered the standard.
Typology
SOV; no vowel harmony or vowel length distinction; rich in consonants including uvulars; case marking.
Language Use
Home, religion, local commerce, oral tradition. Positive attitudes. Also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn]. Written Chinese in common use.
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 12%. Radio. Dictionary. Grammar.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Dongxiang
Writing
Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], informal usage. Latin script [Latn], experimental usage.
Other Comments
30% of vocabulary borrowed from Chinese. Muslim.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Gansu province: Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture, 7 counties and a city; Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture, Huocheng and Yining counties.