Jinghpaw
Jingpo (Kachin)
Sino-Tibetan (Sal, Jingpho)
Jingpho (Kachin, called Jǐngpō in China) is the principal Sal-branch Tibeto-Burman language of northern Myanmar's Kachin State and adjacent Yunnan, with ~900K speakers. Functions as the lingua franca of the multi-ethnic Kachin people, who speak six distinct languages but share a common identity. Tonal (4 tones), with verb-final word order and elaborate evidentiality marking. Latin orthography developed by American Baptist missionary Ola Hanson in 1895, with diacritics for tone (Hanson script remains standard). Used in primary education in Kachin State.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Jingpo (Kachin)
Water
hka
/kʰaː˧/
Fire
wan
/waːn˧/
Sun
jan
/dʒan˧/
Moon
shata
/ʃata˧/
Star
shagan
/ʃəɡan/
Mother
nu
/nu˧/
Father
wa
/wa˧/
I
ngai
/ŋai/
You
nang
/naŋ/
Name
mying
/mjiŋ/
Eye
myi
/mji˧/
Hand
lata
/lata˧/
Heart
salum
/salum/
Love
tsaw ra
/tsau˧ra˧/
Tree
hpun
/pʰun˧/
House
nta
/nta˧/
Dog
gwi
/ɡwi˧/
Cat
nyaung
/ɲauŋ˧/
Eat
sha
/ʃa˧/
Drink
lu
/lu˧/
One
langai
/laŋai˧/
Two
lahkawng
/ləkʰoŋ/
Hello
kaja i
/kadʒa˧i˧/
Thank you
chyeju kaba
/tʃedʒu˧kaba˧/
Good
kaja
/kadʒa˧/
Cuckoo
kukdun
/kúk dùn/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Sino-Tibetan (Sal, Jingpho) languages
| Meaning | Jingpo (Kachin) | Akha | Azhe | Tangut | Pwo Karen | Naxi | Hakka Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | hka /kʰaː˧/ | i tsi /i˧tsɨ˧/ | ʑɿ /ʑɿ˧˧/ | 𗀚 /tjɨ˧/ | ထံ /tʰî/ | ggee /ɡɯ̄/ | 水 /sui˧˩/ |
| Fire | wan /waːn˧/ | mji /mji˧/ | mi /mī/ | 𘎩 /me˧/ | မ့ၣ် /me˨˩/ | mee /mɯ˧/ | 火 /fo˧˩/ |
| Sun | jan /dʒan˧/ | nyi ma /ɲi˧ma˧/ | ŋni /ŋnʲi˧˧/ | 𘂴 /pjij˧˥/ | မုန် /mu˧/ | ny-mei /ɲi˧mi˧/ | 日头 /ŋit˧tʰeu˧˥/ |
| Moon | shata /ʃata˧/ | ba la /ba˧la˧/ | ɬɛ /ɬɛ˧˧/ | 𗏯 /lja˧˥/ | လး /la˧/ | he-mei /hɯ˧mi˧/ | 月光 /ŋiet˧koŋ˥/ |
| Star | shagan /ʃəɡan/ | aqgeu /a˨˩ɡɯ˥/ | kɿ /kɿ˧/ | 𗄓 /gjɨ˧˥/ | ဆါ /ʃa˧/ | gee /kɯ˧/ | 星 /sen˦/ |
| Mother | nu /nu˧/ | a ma /a˧ma˧/ | amo /amo˧˧/ | 𘎒 /ma˧˥/ | မိ /mu˧˥/ | mei /mei˧/ | 阿姆 /a˥me˥/ |
| Father | wa /wa˧/ | a da /a˧da˧/ | ada /ada˧˧/ | 𗥃 /pa˧/ | ဖါ /pʰa/ | av /a˧/ | 阿爸 /a˥pa˥/ |
| I | ngai /ŋai/ | nga /ŋa˧/ | ŋa /ŋā/ | 𗧓 /ŋa˧˥/ | ယ /jə˧/ | ngeq /ŋə˨˩/ | 𠊎 /ŋai˩/ |
| You | nang /naŋ/ | naw /nɔ˧/ | no /no˧˧/ | 𘀍 /nja˧˥/ | နါ /nə˧/ | no /nɔ˧/ | 你 /ŋi˩/ |
| Name | mying /mjiŋ/ | myeh /mjɤ˥/ | mo /mo˧˧/ | 𗥠 /mjij˧˥/ | မံ /mi˨˩/ | mei /mei˧/ | 名 /miaŋ˩/ |
| Eye | myi /mji˧/ | myaq /mja̰ʔ/ | ȵi /ȵi˧˧/ | 𗞴 /mjij˧/ | မဲာ် /mɛ˧/ | nyi /ɲi˧/ | 目 /muk˧/ |
| Hand | lata /lata˧/ | la pa /la˧pa˧/ | la /la˧˧/ | 𘀔 /lje˧/ | စူ /sɔ˨/ | lel /lɯ˥/ | 手 /su˧˩/ |
| Heart | salum /salum/ | ne ma /nēmā/ | si /si˧˧/ | 𘃠 /njij˧˥/ | သး /θà/ | see-zai /sɯ˧dzɑ˧/ | 心 /sim˥/ |
| Love | tsaw ra /tsau˧ra˧/ | gaq /ɡaʔ˧/ | ŋa /ŋa˧˧/ | 𗙊 /lhjij˧˥/ | အဲင် /ʔài/ | lai /lɑ˧/ | 爱 /oi˧/ |
| Tree | hpun /pʰun˧/ | aq xeu /aʔ˧ɕeu˧/ | sɿ /sɿ˧˧/ | 𘀇 /sji˧/ | သုၣ် /tʰoŋ˧/ | si /si˧/ | 树 /su˧/ |
| House | nta /nta˧/ | nyma /ɲma˧/ | ɣɯ /ɣɯ˧˧/ | 𗩴 /kʰjwa˧˥/ | ဟံၣ် /hi˧/ | pee-mei /pɯ˧mi˧/ | 屋 /vuk˧/ |
| Dog | gwi /ɡwi˧/ | jia /tɕa˧/ | kʰɯ /kʰɯ˧˧/ | 𗋒 /kʰwjɨ˧/ | ထွဲ /tʰwi˧/ | kee /kʰɯ˧/ | 狗 /kieu˧˩/ |
| Cat | nyaung /ɲauŋ˧/ | a yi /a˧ji˧/ | vi /vi˧˧/ | 𗦷 /mji˧˥/ | ဖၣ် /pə˧/ | lai-mei /lɑ˧mi˧/ | 猫 /miau˥/ |
| Eat | sha /ʃa˧/ | za /dza˧/ | dza /dza˧˧/ | 𗅋 /dzjij˧˥/ | အၢင် /ai˧˩/ | zo /dzo˧/ | 食 /sɨt˧/ |
| Drink | lu /lu˧/ | tu /tu˧/ | du /du˧˧/ | 𘉞 /tʰjij˧˥/ | အူ /ɔ˧/ | chil /tʂʰi˥/ | 饮 /iam˧˩/ |
| One | langai /laŋai˧/ | ti /ti˧/ | tsʰɿ /tsʰɿ˧˧/ | 𘈩 /lew˧˥/ | တ /ta˧˩/ | ddee /dɯ˧/ | 一 /it˧/ |
| Two | lahkawng /ləkʰoŋ/ | nyi /ɲi̤˨˩/ | ȵi /ɲi˧/ | 𗍫 /njɨ˧/ | နီ /ni˨˩/ | nee /ni˧/ | 二 /ŋi˥˧/ |
| Hello | kaja i /kadʒa˧i˧/ | u du la /u˧du˧la˧/ | mosu /mosu˧˧/ | — /—/ | နာမှၤ /na˧ʃi˧/ | nyel-bbeq /ɲɯ˥bɯ˨˩/ | 你好 /nɡi˧˥ho˧˩/ |
| Thank you | chyeju kaba /tʃedʒu˧kaba˧/ | gv ya /ɡɯ˧ja˧/ | katɕʰɿ /katɕʰɿ˧˧/ | — /—/ | တၢ်ဘျုး /ta˧blu˧/ | jjuq jjuq /dʑɯ˨˩dʑɯ˨˩/ | 多谢 /to˥tsia˧/ |
| Good | kaja /kadʒa˧/ | jau /tɕau˧/ | mu /mu˧˧/ | 𗏁 /tsji˧/ | ဂ့ၤ /ɣai˧/ | ai /ɑ˧/ | 好 /ho˧˩/ |
| Cuckoo | kukdun /kúk dùn/ | — | — | — | — | — | 伏鸠仔 /pʰʊk̚˥keu˧˥ʋe˧˩/ |
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