Akhazà
Akha
Sino-Tibetan (Loloish, Hani)
Akha is a Loloish (Yi-branch) Sino-Tibetan language spoken across the highland borders of Yunnan (China), Myanmar's Shan State, northern Thailand (Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai), Laos, and Vietnam. Closely related to Hani in Yunnan; the two together form the Hani-Akha group. It has three contrastive tones, SOV word order, and rich verb-final particles. Akha society is famous for its Akha Way of ancestor genealogy, recited as a chain stretching back more than sixty generations.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Akha
Water
i tsi
/i˧tsɨ˧/
Fire
mji
/mji˧/
Sun
nyi ma
/ɲi˧ma˧/
Moon
ba la
/ba˧la˧/
Star
aqgeu
/a˨˩ɡɯ˥/
Mother
a ma
/a˧ma˧/
Father
a da
/a˧da˧/
I
nga
/ŋa˧/
You
naw
/nɔ˧/
Name
myeh
/mjɤ˥/
Eye
myaq
/mja̰ʔ/
Hand
la pa
/la˧pa˧/
Heart
ne ma
/nēmā/
Love
gaq
/ɡaʔ˧/
Tree
aq xeu
/aʔ˧ɕeu˧/
House
nyma
/ɲma˧/
Dog
jia
/tɕa˧/
Cat
a yi
/a˧ji˧/
Eat
za
/dza˧/
Drink
tu
/tu˧/
One
ti
/ti˧/
Two
nyi
/ɲi̤˨˩/
Hello
u du la
/u˧du˧la˧/
Thank you
gv ya
/ɡɯ˧ja˧/
Good
jau
/tɕau˧/
Words compared
Compared with related Sino-Tibetan (Loloish, Hani) languages
| Meaning | Akha | Naxi | Azhe | Yi (Nuosu) | Tujia | Tangut | Jingpo (Kachin) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | i tsi /i˧tsɨ˧/ | ggee /ɡɯ̄/ | ʑɿ /ʑɿ˧˧/ | ꒉ /ʑɿ̄/ | zi /tsɨ˥˧/ | 𗀚 /tjɨ˧/ | hka /kʰaː˧/ |
| Fire | mji /mji˧/ | mee /mɯ˧/ | mi /mī/ | ꃆꄔ /mu˨˩tu˥/ | mi /mi˥˧/ | 𘎩 /me˧/ | wan /waːn˧/ |
| Sun | nyi ma /ɲi˧ma˧/ | ny-mei /ɲi˧mi˧/ | ŋni /ŋnʲi˧˧/ | ꉘꁮ /ho˧˧bu˧˧/ | ni /ni˧˥/ | 𘂴 /pjij˧˥/ | jan /dʒan˧/ |
| Moon | ba la /ba˧la˧/ | he-mei /hɯ˧mi˧/ | ɬɛ /ɬɛ˧˧/ | ꆪ /ɬɯ˨˩/ | nie /nie˧˥/ | 𗏯 /lja˧˥/ | shata /ʃata˧/ |
| Star | aqgeu /a˨˩ɡɯ˥/ | gee /kɯ˧/ | kɿ /kɿ˧/ | ꈌ /kɯ˧/ | sei /sei˥˧/ | 𗄓 /gjɨ˧˥/ | shagan /ʃəɡan/ |
| Mother | a ma /a˧ma˧/ | mei /mei˧/ | amo /amo˧˧/ | ꀊꂿ /a˧˧mo˧˧/ | a-mie /a˧mie˧/ | 𘎒 /ma˧˥/ | nu /nu˧/ |
| Father | a da /a˧da˧/ | av /a˧/ | ada /ada˧˧/ | ꀊꀧ /a˧˧bo˧˧/ | a-pa /a˧pa˧/ | 𗥃 /pa˧/ | wa /wa˧/ |
| I | nga /ŋa˧/ | ngeq /ŋə˨˩/ | ŋa /ŋā/ | ꉢ /ŋā/ | nga /ŋa˧˥/ | 𗧓 /ŋa˧˥/ | ngai /ŋai/ |
| You | naw /nɔ˧/ | no /nɔ˧/ | no /no˧˧/ | ꆧ /nɔ˧/ | ni /ȵi˧˥/ | 𘀍 /nja˧˥/ | nang /naŋ/ |
| Name | myeh /mjɤ˥/ | mei /mei˧/ | mo /mo˧˧/ | ꂷ /ma˧/ | mingzi /miŋ˨˩tsi˧˥/ | 𗥠 /mjij˧˥/ | mying /mjiŋ/ |
| Eye | myaq /mja̰ʔ/ | nyi /ɲi˧/ | ȵi /ȵi˧˧/ | ꑓ /ɲɔ˧˧/ | mie /mie˨˩/ | 𗞴 /mjij˧/ | myi /mji˧/ |
| Hand | la pa /la˧pa˧/ | lel /lɯ˥/ | la /la˧˧/ | ꇇ /lo˥/ | lo /lo˨˩/ | 𘀔 /lje˧/ | lata /lata˧/ |
| Heart | ne ma /nēmā/ | see-zai /sɯ˧dzɑ˧/ | si /si˧˧/ | ꌋ /sī/ | xin /ɕin/ | 𘃠 /njij˧˥/ | salum /salum/ |
| Love | gaq /ɡaʔ˧/ | lai /lɑ˧/ | ŋa /ŋa˧˧/ | ꉂ /ŋɡu˧˧/ | aci /a˧˥tsi˥/ | 𗙊 /lhjij˧˥/ | tsaw ra /tsau˧ra˧/ |
| Tree | aq xeu /aʔ˧ɕeu˧/ | si /si˧/ | sɿ /sɿ˧˧/ | ꌩꁧ /sɿ˧˧bo˧˧/ | si /sɨ˧˥/ | 𘀇 /sji˧/ | hpun /pʰun˧/ |
| House | nyma /ɲma˧/ | pee-mei /pɯ˧mi˧/ | ɣɯ /ɣɯ˧˧/ | ꑳ /ji˧˧/ | li /li˧˥/ | 𗩴 /kʰjwa˧˥/ | nta /nta˧/ |
| Dog | jia /tɕa˧/ | kee /kʰɯ˧/ | kʰɯ /kʰɯ˧˧/ | ꈌ /kʰɯ˧˧/ | kvʼ /kʰə˨˩/ | 𗋒 /kʰwjɨ˧/ | gwi /ɡwi˧/ |
| Cat | a yi /a˧ji˧/ | lai-mei /lɑ˧mi˧/ | vi /vi˧˧/ | ꀉꑐ /a˧˦ɲɛ˧˧/ | mau /mau˧/ | 𗦷 /mji˧˥/ | nyaung /ɲauŋ˧/ |
| Eat | za /dza˧/ | zo /dzo˧/ | dza /dza˧˧/ | ꋠ /dzɯ˧˧/ | za /tsa˨˩/ | 𗅋 /dzjij˧˥/ | sha /ʃa˧/ |
| Drink | tu /tu˧/ | chil /tʂʰi˥/ | du /du˧˧/ | ꄸ /tu˧˧/ | da /ta˧/ | 𘉞 /tʰjij˧˥/ | lu /lu˧/ |
| One | ti /ti˧/ | ddee /dɯ˧/ | tsʰɿ /tsʰɿ˧˧/ | ꋍ /tsʰɿ˨˩/ | lao /lao˧˥/ | 𘈩 /lew˧˥/ | langai /laŋai˧/ |
| Two | nyi /ɲi̤˨˩/ | nee /ni˧/ | ȵi /ɲi˧/ | ꑍ /ɲi˧/ | nie /ȵie˥/ | 𗍫 /njɨ˧/ | lahkawng /ləkʰoŋ/ |
| Hello | u du la /u˧du˧la˧/ | nyel-bbeq /ɲɯ˥bɯ˨˩/ | mosu /mosu˧˧/ | ꂿꎆꈐ /mo˧˧su˧˧kɤ˧˧/ | shu shu /ʃu˧ʃu˧/ | — /—/ | kaja i /kadʒa˧i˧/ |
| Thank you | gv ya /ɡɯ˧ja˧/ | jjuq jjuq /dʑɯ˨˩dʑɯ˨˩/ | katɕʰɿ /katɕʰɿ˧˧/ | ꃰꊿ /vo˧˧tso˧˧/ | angzai /aŋ˧˥tsai˥/ | — /—/ | chyeju kaba /tʃedʒu˧kaba˧/ |
| Good | jau /tɕau˧/ | ai /ɑ˧/ | mu /mu˧˧/ | ꉾ /xɯ˧˧/ | ngaq /ŋaʔ˧˥/ | 𗏁 /tsji˧/ | kaja /kadʒa˧/ |
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