Ngacʼang

Achang

Sino-Tibetan (Lolo-Burmese, Burmish)

FamilySino-Tibetan (Lolo-Burmese, Burmish) Speakers~30K (Achang nationality ~40K) ScriptUnwritten (Dai and Chinese used in writing) CountriesChina (Yunnan: Dehong), Myanmar (Kachin State) Official inNo (recognized minority nationality; language unwritten) Vitalityvulnerable ISO 639-3acn

Achang is one of the closest living relatives of Burmese, which makes it useful for reconstructing the Burmish branch of Sino-Tibetan. It is spoken by roughly 30,000 people in Longchuan, Lianghe and Luxi counties in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan, China; the Achang nationality numbers about 40,000 in the 2010 census. A further group lives in Kachin State, Myanmar, where they are known as Maingtha or Ngochang. The language is unwritten, and Achang people commonly also use Dai (Tai Nuea) and Chinese. Achang is tonal, and the forms in this row are written with the Chao tone values given in the source. The Achang are known as smiths: the Husa knife, forged in Husa township, is traded across Yunnan and beyond.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Achang

Water

ti55

ti˥˥

Fire

poi31

poi˧˩

Sun

ni31 mɔ31

ni˧˩ mɔ˧˩

Moon

pʰă31 lɔʔ31

pʰă˧˩ lɔʔ˧˩

Star

kʰʐə55

kʰʐə˥˥

Night

ni31 tɕʰot35

ni˧˩ tɕʰot˧˥

Rain

mau31 ʐo55

mau˧˩ ʐo˥˥

Snow

xan31 ʑai55

xan˧˩ ʑai˥˥

Wind

l̥i55

l̥i˥˥

Earth

mi55

mi˥˥

Stone

laŋ31kɔʔ55

laŋ˧˩kɔʔ˥˥

Mountain

pum55

pum˥˥

Sea

nam31 tɕu31

nam˧˩ tɕu˧˩

Mother

mauʔ51

mauʔ˥˩

Father

teʔ55

teʔ˥˥

Daughter

tsaŋ31 ʑi31

tsaŋ˧˩ ʑi˧˩

I

ŋɔ55

ŋɔ˥˥

You

nuaŋ55

nuaŋ˥˥

We

ŋɔ55 tuʔ31

ŋɔ˥˥ tuʔ˧˩

Name

a31 nʲiŋ55

a˧˩ nʲiŋ˥˥

Person

tʂo55

tʂo˥˥

Head

nă31kuaŋ31

nă˧˩kuaŋ˧˩

Eye

nʲɔʔ55 tsiʔ31

nʲɔʔ˥˥ tsiʔ˧˩

Ear

ni31 ʈʂʰua31

ni˧˩ ʈʂʰua˧˩

Nose

n̥ʲɔŋ55

n̥ʲɔŋ˥˥

Mouth

n̥ʲot55

n̥ʲot˥˥

Tooth

tɕoi55

tɕoi˥˥

Tongue

ɕɔ55

ɕɔ˥˥

Hand

lɔʔ55

lɔʔ˥˥

Foot

tɕʰi55

tɕʰi˥˥

Heart

n̥ʲa55 lum31

n̥ʲa˥˥ lum˧˩

Bone

a31ʐau31

a˧˩ʐau˧˩

Blood

sui31

sui˧˩

Poop

tɕʰi31

tɕʰi˧˩

Love

—

—

Tree

saŋ31 tseŋ55

saŋ˧˩ tseŋ˥˥

Dog

xui31

xui˧˩

Cat

—

—

Fish

ŋa31 ʂua31

ŋa˧˩ ʂua˧˩

Bird

m̥ɔʔ55

m̥ɔʔ˥˥

Butterfly

phă31ʐam35tʂam55

pʰă˧˩ʐam˧˥tʂam˥˥

Egg

uʔ31

uʔ˧˩

Bear

ɔm55

ɔm˥˥

Horse

m̥ʐaŋ31

m̥ʐaŋ˧˩

House

in55

in˥˥

Milk

nau35

nau˧˥

Salt

tɕʰɔ31

tɕʰɔ˧˩

Rice

tsʰen55

tsʰen˥˥

Iron

ʂam55

ʂam˥˥

Silk

phe55

pʰe˥˥

Book

a31pʐo55

a˧˩pʐo˥˥

Eat

tɕɔ31

tɕɔ˧˩

Drink

ʂoʔ55

ʂoʔ˥˥

Sleep

e31

e˧˩

One

ta31

ta˧˩

Two

sək55

sək˥˥

Three

sum31

sum˧˩

Four

mi31

mi˧˩

Five

ŋɔ31

ŋɔ˧˩

Hundred

pak35

pak˧˥

Hello

—

—

Thank you

—

—

Good

tɕi55

tɕi˥˥

New

ʂək55

ʂək˥˥

Red

na55

na˥˥

White

pʰʐo55

pʰʐo˥˥

Black

lɔk55

lɔk˥˥

Green

nʲau55

nʲau˥˥

Blue

səm31

səm˧˩

Tea

tʂhaʔ31

tʂʰaʔ˧˩

Sugar

năm31muai31

năm˧˩muai˧˩

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sino-Tibetan (Lolo-Burmese, Burmish)

Meaning AchangZaiwaHaniSouthern DongBlangSuiJino
Water ti55 /ti˥˥/ wuì /ʋui˥˩/ wulquvq /u˥˥tɕʰu˧˩/ nɐm31 /nɐm˧˩/ ʔom33 /ʔom˧˧/ nam3 /nam˧˧/ ji31tʃho55 /ji˧˩tʃʰo˥˥/
Fire poi31 /poi˧˩/ myi /mji˨˩/ miqzaq /mi˧˩dza˧˩/ pui55 /pui˥˥/ ŋɔi31 /ŋɔi˧˩/ vi1 /vi˩˩/ mi33 /mi˧˧/
Sun ni31 mɔ31 /ni˧˩ mɔ˧˩/ buì /pui˥˩/ naolma /nɔ˥˥ma˧˧/ ta53 mən55 /ta˥˧ mən˥˥/ ŋai31 sa31 ŋi51 /ŋai˧˩ sa˧˩ ŋi˥˩/ ⁿda1 van1 /ⁿda˩˩ van˩˩/ ȵɔ35 /ɲɔ˧˥/
Moon pʰă31 lɔʔ31 /pʰă˧˩ lɔʔ˧˩/ lhamó /lŏ̱˥˥mo˥˥/ bala /ba˧˧la˧˧/ kwaŋ55 ɲan55 /kwaŋ˥˥ ɲan˥˥/ kaŋ33 khi51 /kaŋ˧˧ kʰi˥˩/ njen2 /njen˧˩/ pu33ɬa44 /pu˧˧ɬa˦˦/
Star kʰʐə55 /kʰʐə˥˥/ kyoi /kjoi˥˥/ aqgeel /a˧˩ɡɯ˥˥/ ɕət55 /ɕət˥˥/ sa31 məiŋ51 /sa˧˩ məiŋ˥˩/ zət7 /zət˥˥/ pu33ke33 /pu˧˧ke˧˧/
Night ni31 tɕʰot35 /ni˧˩ tɕʰot˧˥/ myinle /mjin˥˥le˨˩/ aoqqivq /ɔ˧˩tɕi˧˩/ ɲɐm53 /ɲɐm˥˧/ ta51 buh51 /ta˥˩ buh˥˩/ saan2 /saːn˧˩/ mi33tɕhø33 /mi˧˧tɕʰø˧˧/
Rain mau31 ʐo55 /mau˧˩ ʐo˥˥/ mau /mau˨˩/ aoqsseil /ɔ˧˩ze˥˥/ pjən55 /pjən˥˥/ lei51 /lei˥˩/ fən1 /fən˩˩/ mi31tha55 /mi˧˩tʰa˥˥/
Snow xan31 ʑai55 /xan˧˩ ʑai˥˥/ kyoq /kjoʔ˨˩/ haqju /xa˧˩dʑu˧˧/ nui55 /nui˥˥/ — ʔnui1 /ʔnui˩˩/ njɛ33ji44 /ɲɛ˧˧ji˦˦/
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