ěrsū / 尔苏

Ersu

Sino-Tibetan (Qiangic)

FamilySino-Tibetan (Qiangic) Speakers~9–17K (endangered) ScriptErsu Shaba (ritual pictographs, ~200 glyphs; proposed to Unicode 2017, unencoded); IPA transcription used here; Latin romanization (Chirkova & Wang 2014) CountriesChina Official inNot an official language. Speakers are officially classified as Tibetan ethnic group.

Ersu (ISO 639-3: ers) is an endangered Sino-Tibetan language, often grouped within Qiangic, spoken by roughly 9,000–17,000 people in Ganluo, Yuexi, Shimian, Hanyuan, and Jiulong counties of Sichuan, China. It is distinct from its close relatives Lizu and Duoxu, and generations of contact with Nuosu, Southwestern Mandarin, and Pumi have shaped its vocabulary and structure. Ersu has a rich consonant inventory, a two-way high–low tone contrast, and predominantly SOV clause order. Most everyday use is oral; the pictographic Shaba system, comprising about 200 identified signs, is used chiefly by ritual specialists, while a Latin-based romanization supports linguistic documentation.

Where it is spoken

Wear this language Pick the words you like, printed in the same typeface the map uses. Make a T-shirt from Ersu words →

87 core words in Ersu

Water

dʒo

dʒo

Fire

mɛ

mɛ

Sun

ȵoma

ɲoma

Moon

ɬapʰɛ

ɬapʰɛ

Star

tʂɿ

tʂɿ

Night

nkhua

nkʰua˥˥

Rain

guɑ

ɡuɑ˧˧

Snow

zɿ

zɿ

Wind

mɛəʴ

mɛ˥˥əʴ˥˥

Earth

mɛli

mɛli

Stone

əʴkhuɑ

əʴ˥˥kʰuɑ˥˥

Mountain

nbi

nbi˥˥

Mother

ɑma

ɑma

Father

ɑba

ɑba

Daughter

ziji

zi˧˧ji˥˥

I

ɑ

ɑ

You

nɛ

nɛ

We

—

—

Name

mi

mi

Person

su

su˥˥

Head

vili

vi˧˧li˥˥

Eye

miɑ

miɑ

Ear

nɑku

nɑ˥˥ku˥˥

Nose

sɿnbu

sɿ˥˥nbu˥˥

Mouth

sɿnphɑ

sɿ˥˥npʰɑ˥˥

Tooth

ʂɿma

ʂɿma

Tongue

htsɿpsɿ

htsɿ˧˧psɿ˥˥

Hand

lɛpʰɛ

lɛpʰɛ

Foot

əʴpʰɛ

əʴ˥˥pʰɛ˥˥

Heart

sɿȵi

sɿɲi

Bone

—

—

Blood

ʂo

ʂo˥˥

Poop

htʃo

htʃo˥˥

Love

ɡɑ

ɡɑ

Tree

sipu

sipu

Dog

tʂʰo

tʂʰo

Cat

m̩tsɿ

m̩tsɿ

Fish

zu

zu

Bird

xuɑi

xuɑi˥˥

Butterfly

nomɑkɑlɛ

no˧˧mɑ˥˥kɑ˥˥lɛ˥˥

Egg

tsɛ

tsɛ

Bear

xaʴ

xa˞́

Horse

nbo

nbo˧˧

House

ji

ji

Milk

ȵoȵo

ɲo˥˥ɲo˥˥

Salt

tshɿ

tsʰɿ

Rice

ntʃhɛ

ntʃʰɛ˥˥

Iron

ʂɛ

ʂɛ˥˥

Silk

kohtʃɛ

ko˧˧htʃɛ˥˥

Book

ndʒondzɿpu

ndʒo˥˥ndzɿ˥˥pu˧˧

Eat

dzɿ

dzɿ

Drink

tsʰɛ

tsʰɛ

Sleep

maʴ

maʴ˥˥

One

tɛ

tɛ

Two

nɛ

nɛ

Three

si

si

Four

ʐo

ʐo˧˧

Five

ŋuaʴ

ŋuaʴ

Hundred

zɑ

zɑ˥˥

Hello

ni

ni

Thank you

kʰadʑi

kʰadʑi

Good

jɑli

jɑli

New

sɿ

sɿ˥˥

Red

ȵi

ɲi

White

əʴ

əʴ

Black

nuɑ

nuɑ˥˥

Green

zizɑ

zi˥˥zɑ˥˥

Blue

ba

ba˥˥

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sino-Tibetan (Qiangic)

Meaning ErsuNusuLisuNorthern PumiSouthern QiangHaniIdu Mishmi
Water dʒo /dʒo/ ɹi31gɹɑ53 /ɹi˧˩ɡɹɑ˥˧/ yi /ji/ tɕɨ53 /tɕɨ˥˧/ tsuə /tsuə˧˧/ wulquvq /u˥˥tɕʰu˧˩/ mɑ55tɕi55 /mɑ˥˥tɕi˥˥/
Fire mɛ /mɛ/ mi55 /mi˥˥/ a-to /ɑ˥˥to˥˥/ mɐ35 /mɐ˧˥/ mi /mi˧˧/ miqzaq /mi˧˩dza˧˩/ mɑ55mɹu55 /mɑ˥˥mɹu˥˥/
Sun ȵoma /ɲoma/ ȵi35ɑ55 /ɲi˧˥ɑ˥˥/ mei-lo /mejlo/ bu̵53 /bʉ˥˧/ masɿ /ma˧˧sɿ˥˥/ naolma /nɔ˥˥ma˧˧/ i55ȵi55 /i˥˥ɲi˥˥/
Moon ɬapʰɛ /ɬapʰɛ/ ɬɑ31 /ɬɑ˧˩/ ha-ba /haba/ ɬi55 /ɬi˥˥/ ɕyɕya /ɕy˧˧ɕya˥˥/ bala /ba˧˧la˧˧/ e55lɑ55 /e˥˥lɑ˥˥/
Star tʂɿ /tʂɿ/ kɹe31lɔ35 /kɹe˧˩lɔ˧˥/ akw /a˧˧ kwɿ˧˧/ dʐə35 /ɖʐə˧˥/ χdʐepe /χdʐe˧˧pe˥˥/ aqgeel /a˧˩ɡɯ˥˥/ ɑ55nde55kɹu55 /ɑ˥˥ⁿde˥˥kɹu˥˥/
Night nkhua /nkʰua˥˥/ suɑʴ35nɑ35 /suɑ˞˧˥nɑ˧˥/ sakhua /sa˦˦kʰua˧˧/ ɕyɛ55 /ɕyɛ˥˥/ mudʑo /mu˧˧dʑo˨˦˩/ aoqqivq /ɔ˧˩tɕi˧˩/ ɑ31boŋ55tioŋ55 /ɑ˧˩boŋ˥˥tioŋ˥˥/
Rain guɑ /ɡuɑ˧˧/ mɯ55ɑ31ɹuɑ55 /mɯ˥˥ɑ˧˩ɹuɑ˥˥/ muha /mɯ˧˩hɑ˧˧/ gui53 /ɡui˥˧/ maʐi /ma˧˩ʐi˥˥/ aoqsseil /ɔ˧˩ze˥˥/ ɑ31ɹɑ55 /ɑ˧˩ɹɑ˥˥/
Snow zɿ /zɿ/ vɑ55 /vɑ˥˥/ wa /wɑ˧˩/ pu̵53 /pʉ˥˧/ məpɑ /mə˧˩pɑ˥˥/ haqju /xa˧˩dʑu˧˧/ poŋ35 /poŋ˧˥/
Page 1/9

Open the interactive map: Word Map · HanMap · Name Map · Word Order · Tree

Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.

Made by Heuron Inc. · GitHub · cho@heuron.com · LangMap home