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
31 core words in Azhe
Water
ʑɿ
/ʑɿ˧˧/
Fire
mi
/mī/
Sun
ŋni
/ŋnʲi˧˧/
Moon
ɬɛ
/ɬɛ˧˧/
Star
kɿ
/kɿ˧/
Mother
amo
/amo˧˧/
Father
ada
/ada˧˧/
I
ŋa
/ŋā/
You
no
/no˧˧/
Name
mo
/mo˧˧/
Eye
ȵi
/ȵi˧˧/
Hand
la
/la˧˧/
Heart
si
/si˧˧/
Love
ŋa
/ŋa˧˧/
Tree
sɿ
/sɿ˧˧/
House
ɣɯ
/ɣɯ˧˧/
Dog
kʰɯ
/kʰɯ˧˧/
Cat
vi
/vi˧˧/
Eat
dza
/dza˧˧/
Drink
du
/du˧˧/
One
tsʰɿ
/tsʰɿ˧˧/
Two
ȵi
/ɲi˧/
Hello
mosu
/mosu˧˧/
Thank you
katɕʰɿ
/katɕʰɿ˧˧/
Good
mu
/mu˧˧/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Sino-Tibetan languages
| Meaning | Azhe | Yi (Nuosu) | Naxi | Wenzhou Wu | Taishanese | Tangut | Lanyin Mandarin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ʑɿ /ʑɿ˧˧/ | ꒉ /ʑɿ̄/ | ggee /ɡɯ̄/ | 水 /sɿ˧˥/ | 水 /ɬui˧˧/ | 𗀚 /tjɨ˧/ | 水 /sui˥˧/ |
| Fire | mi /mī/ | ꃆꄔ /mu˨˩tu˥/ | mee /mɯ˧/ | 火 /hu˧˥/ | 火 /fɔ˥˥/ | 𘎩 /me˧/ | 火 /xo˥˧/ |
| Sun | ŋni /ŋnʲi˧˧/ | ꉘꁮ /ho˧˧bu˧˧/ | ny-mei /ɲi˧mi˧/ | 日头 /zai˨˩˧dau˧˩/ | 日头 /ɲit˨˨heu˧˧/ | 𘂴 /pjij˧˥/ | 日头 /ʐɨ˨˦tʰəu˨˦/ |
| Moon | ɬɛ /ɬɛ˧˧/ | ꆪ /ɬɯ˨˩/ | he-mei /hɯ˧mi˧/ | 月光 /ɦyø˨˩˧kuɔ˧˧/ | 月光 /ɲut˧˧kwɔŋ˨˨/ | 𗏯 /lja˧˥/ | 月亮 /yɛ˦˦ljaŋ/ |
| Star | kɿ /kɿ˧/ | ꈌ /kɯ˧/ | gee /kɯ˧/ | 星 /saŋ˧/ | 星 /ɬaŋ˧/ | 𗄓 /gjɨ˧˥/ | 星 /ɕiŋ˧˩/ |
| Mother | amo /amo˧˧/ | ꀊꂿ /a˧˧mo˧˧/ | mei /mei˧/ | 阿娘 /a˧˩ɲiɛ˧˩/ | 阿妈 /a˧˧ma˥˥/ | 𘎒 /ma˧˥/ | 妈 /ma˧˧/ |
| Father | ada /ada˧˧/ | ꀊꀧ /a˧˧bo˧˧/ | av /a˧/ | 阿爸 /a˧˩pa˧˧/ | 阿爸 /a˧˧pa˥˥/ | 𗥃 /pa˧/ | 爸 /pa˥˧/ |
| I | ŋa /ŋā/ | ꉢ /ŋā/ | ngeq /ŋə˨˩/ | 我 /ŋ˧˩/ | 我 /ŋɔi˧/ | 𗧓 /ŋa˧˥/ | 我 /vɤ˥˧/ |
| You | no /no˧˧/ | ꆧ /nɔ˧/ | no /nɔ˧/ | 你 /ni˧˩/ | 你 /ni˧/ | 𘀍 /nja˧˥/ | 你 /ni˥˧/ |
| Name | mo /mo˧˧/ | ꂷ /ma˧/ | mei /mei˧/ | 名 /miɛ˧˩/ | 名 /miaŋ˨˨˥/ | 𗥠 /mjij˧˥/ | 名 /miŋ˥˧/ |
| Eye | ȵi /ȵi˧˧/ | ꑓ /ɲɔ˧˧/ | nyi /ɲi˧/ | 眼睛 /ŋa˨˩˧tsaŋ˧˧/ | 眼 /ŋaːn˧˧/ | 𗞴 /mjij˧/ | 眼睛 /jɛn˥˧tɕin/ |
| Hand | la /la˧˧/ | ꇇ /lo˥/ | lel /lɯ˥/ | 手 /ɕiu˧˥/ | 手 /ɬiu˧˧/ | 𘀔 /lje˧/ | 手 /sou˥˧/ |
| Heart | si /si˧˧/ | ꌋ /sī/ | see-zai /sɯ˧dzɑ˧/ | 心 /saŋ˧˧/ | 心 /ɬim˨˨/ | 𘃠 /njij˧˥/ | 心 /ɕin˧˩/ |
| Love | ŋa /ŋa˧˧/ | ꉂ /ŋɡu˧˧/ | lai /lɑ˧/ | 爱 /ai˦˨/ | 爱 /ɔi˧˧/ | 𗙊 /lhjij˧˥/ | 爱 /ɛ˨˦/ |
| Tree | sɿ /sɿ˧˧/ | ꌩꁧ /sɿ˧˧bo˧˧/ | si /si˧/ | 树 /zɿ˧˩/ | 树 /ɬi˧˨/ | 𘀇 /sji˧/ | 树 /sɨ˨˦/ |
| House | ɣɯ /ɣɯ˧˧/ | ꑳ /ji˧˧/ | pee-mei /pɯ˧mi˧/ | 屋 /au˧˩/ | 屋 /uk˥˥/ | 𗩴 /kʰjwa˧˥/ | 房子 /faŋ˨˦tsɨ/ |
| Dog | kʰɯ /kʰɯ˧˧/ | ꈌ /kʰɯ˧˧/ | kee /kʰɯ˧/ | 犬 /kʰyø˧˥/ | 狗 /kau˧˧/ | 𗋒 /kʰwjɨ˧/ | 狗 /kəu˥˧/ |
| Cat | vi /vi˧˧/ | ꀉꑐ /a˧˦ɲɛ˧˧/ | lai-mei /lɑ˧mi˧/ | 猫 /mau˧˧/ | 猫 /miau˨˨/ | 𗦷 /mji˧˥/ | 猫 /mau˧˧/ |
| Eat | dza /dza˧˧/ | ꋠ /dzɯ˧˧/ | zo /dzo˧/ | 食 /dzai˨˩˧/ | 食 /ɬik˧˧/ | 𗅋 /dzjij˧˥/ | 吃 /tʂʰɨ˧˧/ |
| Drink | du /du˧˧/ | ꄸ /tu˧˧/ | chil /tʂʰi˥/ | 吃 /kʰa˧˧/ | 饮 /ɲim˧˧/ | 𘉞 /tʰjij˧˥/ | 喝 /xɛ˧˧/ |
| One | tsʰɿ /tsʰɿ˧˧/ | ꋍ /tsʰɿ˨˩/ | ddee /dɯ˧/ | 一 /iai̯˥/ | 一 /it˥˥/ | 𘈩 /lew˧˥/ | 一 /ji˧˧/ |
| Two | ȵi /ɲi˧/ | ꑍ /ɲi˧/ | nee /ni˧/ | 二 /ni˩˧/ | 二 /ei˧/ | 𗍫 /njɨ˧/ | 二 /ɚ˩˧/ |
| Hello | mosu /mosu˧˧/ | ꂿꎆꈐ /mo˧˧su˧˧kɤ˧˧/ | nyel-bbeq /ɲɯ˥bɯ˨˩/ | 你好 /ŋ˧˩hau˧˥/ | 你好 /nei˧˧hau˧˧/ | — /—/ | 你好 /ni˥˧xau˥˧/ |
| Thank you | katɕʰɿ /katɕʰɿ˧˧/ | ꃰꊿ /vo˧˧tso˧˧/ | jjuq jjuq /dʑɯ˨˩dʑɯ˨˩/ | 谢谢 /zia˨˩˧zia/ | 多谢 /tɔ˨˨ɬɛ˧˨/ | — /—/ | 谢谢 /ɕjɛ˨˦ɕjɛ/ |
| Good | mu /mu˧˧/ | ꉾ /xɯ˧˧/ | ai /ɑ˧/ | 好 /hau˧˥/ | 好 /hau˧˧/ | 𗏁 /tsji˧/ | 好 /xau˥˧/ |
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