Azhepu
Azhe
Sino-Tibetan
Azhe (Azhepu, "Azhe people") is a Loloish language of southeastern Yunnan, China, spoken in Mile and Yiliang counties of Honghe Hani-Yi Autonomous Prefecture. The Azhe are recognized by the Chinese government as part of the broader Yi nationality (ethnic group), though the Azhe variety is mutually unintelligible with the prestige Yi (Nuosu) variety (ii) of Liangshan Prefecture. Azhe is famous in Chinese ethnomusicology as the language of the "Azhe Tiao Yue" ("Azhe Jumping Moon Dance"), an iconic ritual dance with extensive song lyrics in Azhe documented since the 1950s. Linguistically, Azhe shows typical Loloish features: tonal (4 tones), classifier-noun constructions, and a rich vocabulary for terraced rice agriculture.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Azhe
Water
ʑɿ
/ʑɿ˧˧/
Fire
mi
/mi˧˧/
Sun
ŋni
/ŋnʲi˧˧/
Moon
ɬɛ
/ɬɛ˧˧/
Mother
amo
/amo˧˧/
Father
ada
/ada˧˧/
Eat
dza
/dza˧˧/
Drink
du
/du˧˧/
Love
ŋa
/ŋa˧˧/
Heart
si
/si˧˧/
Tree
sɿ
/sɿ˧˧/
House
ɣɯ
/ɣɯ˧˧/
Dog
kʰɯ
/kʰɯ˧˧/
Cat
vi
/vi˧˧/
Hand
la
/la˧˧/
Eye
ȵi
/ȵi˧˧/
Hello
mosu
/mosu˧˧/
Thank you
katɕʰɿ
/katɕʰɿ˧˧/
One
tsʰɿ
/tsʰɿ˧˧/
Good
mu
/mu˧˧/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Sino-Tibetan languages
| Meaning | Azhe | Yi (Nuosu) | Wenzhou Wu | Akha | Taishanese | Lanyin Mandarin | Tujia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ʑɿ /ʑɿ˧˧/ | ꒉ /ʑɿ˧˧/ | 水 /sɿ˧˥/ | i tsi /i˧tsɨ˧/ | 水 /ɬui˧˧/ | 水 /sui˥˧/ | zi /t͡sɨ˥˧/ |
| Fire | mi /mi˧˧/ | ꃆꄔ /mu˨˩tu˥/ | 火 /hu˧˥/ | mji /mji˧/ | 火 /fɔ˥˥/ | 火 /xo˥˧/ | mi /mi˥˧/ |
| Sun | ŋni /ŋnʲi˧˧/ | ꉘꁮ /ho˧˧bu˧˧/ | 日头 /zai˨˩˧dau˧˩/ | nyi ma /ɲi˧ma˧/ | 日头 /ɲit˨˨hau˧˧/ | 日头 /ʐɨ˨˦tʰəu˨˦/ | ni /ni˧˥/ |
| Moon | ɬɛ /ɬɛ˧˧/ | ꆪ /ɬɯ˨˩/ | 月光 /ɦyø˨˩˧kuɔ˧˧/ | ba la /ba˧la˧/ | 月光 /ɲut˧˧kwɔŋ˨˨/ | 月亮 /yɛ˦˦ljaŋ/ | nie /nie˧˥/ |
| Mother | amo /amo˧˧/ | ꀊꂿ /a˧˧mo˧˧/ | 阿娘 /a˧˩ɲiɛ˧˩/ | a ma /a˧ma˧/ | 阿妈 /a˧˧ma˥˥/ | 妈 /ma˧˧/ | a-mie /a˧mie˧/ |
| Father | ada /ada˧˧/ | ꀊꀧ /a˧˧bo˧˧/ | 阿爸 /a˧˩pa˧˧/ | a da /a˧da˧/ | 阿爸 /a˧˧pa˥˥/ | 爸 /pa˥˧/ | a-pa /a˧pa˧/ |
| Eat | dza /dza˧˧/ | ꋠ /dzɯ˧˧/ | 食 /d͡zai˨˩˧/ | za /dza˧/ | 食 /ɬik˧˧/ | 吃 /tʂʰɨ˧˧/ | za /t͡sa˨˩/ |
| Drink | du /du˧˧/ | ꄸ /tu˧˧/ | 吃 /kʰa˧˧/ | tu /tu˧/ | 饮 /ɲim˧˧/ | 喝 /xɛ˧˧/ | da /ta˧/ |
| Love | ŋa /ŋa˧˧/ | ꉂ /ŋɡu˧˧/ | 爱 /ai˦˨/ | gaq /ɡaʔ˧/ | 爱 /ɔi˧˧/ | 爱 /ɛ˨˦/ | aci /a˧˥t͡si˥/ |
| Heart | si /si˧˧/ | ꌋ /si˧˧/ | 心 /saŋ˧˧/ | ne ma /ne˧ma˧/ | 心 /ɬim˨˨/ | 心 /ɕin˧˩/ | xin /ɕin˧/ |
| Tree | sɿ /sɿ˧˧/ | ꌩꁧ /sɿ˧˧bo˧˧/ | 树 /zɿ˧˩/ | aq xeu /aʔ˧ɕeu˧/ | 树 /ɬi˧˨/ | 树 /sɨ˨˦/ | si /sɨ˧˥/ |
| House | ɣɯ /ɣɯ˧˧/ | ꑳ /ji˧˧/ | 屋 /au˧˩/ | nyma /ɲma˧/ | 屋 /uk˥˥/ | 房子 /faŋ˨˦tsɨ/ | li /li˧˥/ |
| Dog | kʰɯ /kʰɯ˧˧/ | ꈌ /kʰɯ˧˧/ | 犬 /kʰyø˧˥/ | jia /tɕa˧/ | 狗 /kau˧˧/ | 狗 /kəu˥˧/ | kvʼ /kʰə˨˩/ |
| Cat | vi /vi˧˧/ | ꀉꑐ /a˧˦ɲɛ˧˧/ | 猫 /mau˧˧/ | a yi /a˧ji˧/ | 猫 /miau˨˨/ | 猫 /mau˧˧/ | mau /mau˧/ |
| Hand | la /la˧˧/ | ꇇ /lo˥/ | 手 /ɕiu˧˥/ | la pa /la˧pa˧/ | 手 /ɬau˧˧/ | 手 /sou˥˧/ | lo /lo˨˩/ |
| Eye | ȵi /ȵi˧˧/ | ꑓ /ɲɔ˧˧/ | 眼睛 /ŋa˨˩˧t͡saŋ˧˧/ | nyaq /ɲaʔ˧/ | 眼 /ŋaːn˧˧/ | 眼睛 /jɛn˥˧tɕin/ | mie /mie˨˩/ |
| Hello | mosu /mosu˧˧/ | ꂿꎆꈐ /mo˧˧su˧˧kɤ˧˧/ | 你好 /ŋ˧˩hau˧˥/ | u du la /u˧du˧la˧/ | 你好 /nei˧˧hau˧˧/ | 你好 /ni˥˧xau˥˧/ | shu shu /ʃu˧ʃu˧/ |
| Thank you | katɕʰɿ /katɕʰɿ˧˧/ | ꃰꊿ /vo˧˧tso˧˧/ | 谢谢 /zia˨˩˧zia/ | gv ya /ɡɯ˧ja˧/ | 多谢 /tɔ˨˨ɬɛ˧˨/ | 谢谢 /ɕjɛ˨˦ɕjɛ/ | angzai /aŋ˧˥t͡sai˥/ |
| One | tsʰɿ /tsʰɿ˧˧/ | ꋍ /tsʰɿ˨˩/ | 一 /iai̯˥/ | ti /ti˧/ | 一 /it˥˥/ | 一 /ji˧˧/ | lao /lao˧˥/ |
| Good | mu /mu˧˧/ | ꉾ /xɯ˧˧/ | 好 /hau˧˥/ | jau /tɕau˧/ | 好 /hau˧˧/ | 好 /xau˥˧/ | ngaq /ŋaʔ˧˥/ |
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