衡州話 / 衡陽湘語

Hengyang Xiang

Sino-Tibetan (Sinitic, Xiang — 衡州片)

FamilySino-Tibetan (Sinitic, Xiang — 衡州片) Speakers~1.5M (Hengyang City, southwestern Hunan) ScriptSimplified Chinese CountriesChina (Hunan — Hengyang 衡阳) Official inNo (regional; part of Hunan province, PRC)

Hengyang Xiang is a Sinitic variety spoken in urban Hengyang and nearby Hengyang and Hengnan counties in southern Hunan, China. The 1987 Language Atlas of China grouped it with Chang-Yi Xiang, while a later five-way classification places it in a separate Hengzhou branch, illustrating its transitional position between New and Old Xiang. The urban variety has largely devoiced the Middle Chinese voiced obstruent initials but retains a distinctive local tone system and vocabulary. Detailed descriptions also document its pronouns, aspect expressions, degree constructions, and sentence-final particles. It is used chiefly in speech, while Standard Chinese and standard written Chinese dominate formal education, administration, and most publishing.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Hengyang Xiang

Water

水

ɕy˧˧

Fire

火

xo˧˧

Sun

日头

ɕi˩˩˨ təu˩˩˨

Moon

月光

ye˩˩˨ kuan˦˦˥

Star

星子

ɕin˦˦˥ tsɿ

Night

夜里

ia˨˩˧ ti˧˧

Rain

雨

y˧˧

Snow

雪

ɕye˨˨

Wind

风

xəŋ˦˦˥

Earth

土

tʰu˧˧

Stone

石头

ɕi˩˩˨ təu˩˩˨

Mountain

山

san˦˦˥

Sea

海

xai˧˧

Mother

妈妈

ma˦˦˥ ma˦˦˥

Father

爸爸

pa˩˩˨ pa˩˩˨

Daughter

女

ny˧˧

I

我

ŋo˧˧

You

你

ni˧˧

We

我伲

ŋo˨˩ ȵin˩˩

Name

名

mian˩˩˨

Person

人

ɕin˩˩˨

Head

脑壳

nau˧˧ kʰo˨˨

Eye

眼珠

ŋan˧˧ tɕy˦˦˥

Ear

耳朵

ə˧˧ to˧˧

Nose

鼻筒

pi˩˩˨ təŋ˩˩˨

Mouth

嘴巴子

tɕy˧˧ pa˦˦˥ tsɿ

Tooth

牙

ŋa˩˩˨

Tongue

舌子

ɕie˩˩˨ tsɿ

Hand

手

ɕiu˧˧

Foot

脚

tɕio˨˨

Heart

心

ɕin˦˦˥

Bone

骨头

ku˨˨ təu˩˩˨

Blood

血

ɕye˨˨

Poop

屎

sɿ˧˧

Love

爱

ŋai˧˨˦

Tree

树

ɕy˨˩˧

Dog

狗

kəu˧˧

Cat

猫

mau˦˦˥

Fish

鱼

y˩˩˨

Bird

鸟

tiau˧˧

Butterfly

哈老婆婆

xa˧˧ lau˧˧ po˩˩˨ po˩˩˨

Egg

鸡蛋

tɕi˦˦˥ tan˨˩˧

Bear

熊

ɕin˩˩˨

Horse

马

ma˧˧

House

屋里

u˨˨ ti˧˧

Milk

牛奶

niu˩˩˨ nai˦˦˥

Honey

蜂蜜

xəŋ˦˦˥ mi˩˩˨

Salt

盐

ien˩˩˨

Wine

葡萄酒

pu˩˩˨ tau˩˩˨ tɕiu˧˧

Rice

米

mi˧˧

Iron

铁

tʰie˨˨

Wheel

轮子

luən˩˩˨ tsɿ

Silk

丝

sɿ˦˦˥

Book

书

ɕy˦˦˥

Eat

吃

tɕʰia˨˨

Drink

喝

xo˨˨

Sleep

睏

kʰuən˧˨˦

One

一

i˨˨

Two

二

ə˨˩˧

Three

三

san˦˦˥

Four

四

sɿ˧˨˦

Five

五

u˧˧

Hundred

百

pe˨˨

Hello

你好

ni˧˧ xau˧˧

Thank you

谢谢

tɕie˨˩˧ tɕie˨˩˧

Good

好

xau˧˧

New

新

ɕin˦˦˥

Red

红

xəŋ˩˩˨

White

白

pe˩˩˨

Black

黑

xe˨˨

Green

绿

lu˩˩˨

Blue

蓝

lan˩˩˨

Computer

电脑

tien˨˩˧ nau˧˧

Sushi

寿司

ɕiu˨˩˧ sɿ˦˦˥

Tea

茶

tsua˩˩˨

Ninety-nine

九十九

tɕiu˧˧ ɕi˩˩˨ tɕiu˧˧

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sino-Tibetan (Sinitic, Xiang — 衡州片)

Meaning Hengyang XiangChengdu MandarinSichuan MandarinJiʼan GanXiangZhongyuan MandarinChongqing Mandarin
Water 水 /ɕy˧˧/ 水 /suei˥˧/ 水 /suei˥˧/ 水 /suei˥˧/ 水 /ɕyei˦˩/ 水 /ʂuei˥˧/ 水 /suei˦˨/
Fire 火 /xo˧˧/ 火 /xo˥˧/ 火 /xo˥˧/ 火 /fo˥˧/ 火 /xo˦˩/ 火 /xuo˥˧/ 火 /xo˦˨/
Sun 日头 /ɕi˩˩˨ təu˩˩˨/ 太阳 /tʰai˨˩˧ iaŋ˨˩/ 太阳 /tʰai˨˩˧ iaŋ˨˩/ 日头 /lɛ˧˧˦ tʰɛu˩˩/ 太阳 /tʰai˦˥ ian˩˧/ 太阳 /tʰai˧˩˨ iaŋ˦˨/ 太阳 /tʰai˨˩˧ iaŋ˨˩/
Moon 月光 /ye˩˩˨ kuan˦˦˥/ 月亮 /ye˨˩ lia̠ŋ˨˩˧/ 月亮 /ye˨˩ liaŋ˨˩˧/ 月光 /yɛ˧˧˦ kuɔŋ˧˧˦/ 月亮 /ye˨˦ liæn˨˩/ 月亮 /yɛ˨˦ liaŋ/ 月亮 /yo˨˩ liaŋ˨˩˧/
Star 星子 /ɕin˦˦˥ tsɿ/ 星星 /ɕin˥˥ ɕin˥˥/ 星星 /ɕin˥ ɕin/ 星光 /ɕiaŋ˧˧˦ kuɔŋ˧˧˦/ 星子 /ɕin˧˧ tsɿ/ 星星 /ɕiŋ˨˦ ɕiŋ/ 星星儿 /ɕin˥ ɕiəɹ˥/
Night 夜里 /ia˨˩˧ ti˧˧/ 晚上 /wan˥˧ saŋ/ 晚上 /wan˥˧ saŋ/ 夜里 /ia˨˩˦ li˥˧/ 夜里 /ia˨˩ li˦˩/ 晚上 /uan˥˧ saŋ/ 晚上 /wan˦˨ saŋ/
Rain 雨 /y˧˧/ 雨 /y˥˧/ 雨 /y˥˧/ 雨 /y˥˧/ 雨 /y˦˩/ 雨 /y˥˧/ 雨 /y˦˨/
Snow 雪 /ɕye˨˨/ 雪 /ɕye˨˩/ 雪 /ɕye˨˩/ 雪 /ɕyɛ˧˧˦/ 雪 /ɕye˨˦/ 雪 /ɕyɛ˨˦/ 雪 /ɕye˨˩/
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Han readings compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sino-Tibetan (Sinitic, Xiang — 衡州片)

Character Hengyang XiangChengdu MandarinSichuan MandarinChongqing MandarinKaifeng MandarinWuhan MandarinLiuzhou Mandarin
一 i²² /i˨˨/ yi²¹ /i˨˩/ yi²¹ /i˨˩/ yi²¹ /i˨˩/ yi²⁴ /i˨˦/ yi²¹³ /i˨˩˧/ yi³¹ /i˧˩/
二 ə²¹³ /ə˨˩˧/ er²¹³ /ɚ˨˩˧/ er²¹³ /ɚ˨˩˧/ er²¹⁴ /ɚ˨˩˦/ er³¹² /ɚ˧˩˨/ er³⁵ /ɚ˧˥/ er²⁴ /ɚ˨˦/
三 san⁴⁴⁵ /san˦˦˥/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/ san²⁴ /san˨˦/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/ san⁴⁴ /san˦˦/
四 sɿ³²⁴ /sɿ˧˨˦/ si²¹³ /sɿ˨˩˧/ si²¹³ /sɿ˨˩˧/ si²¹⁴ /sɿ˨˩˦/ si³¹² /sɿ˧˩˨/ si³⁵ /sɿ˧˥/ si²⁴ /sɿ˨˦/
五 u³³ /u˧˧/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/ wu⁴² /u˦˨/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/ wu⁴² /u˦˨/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/
六 tiu¹¹² /tiu˩˩˨/ nu²¹ /nu˨˩/ neu²¹ /nəu˨˩/ liu²¹ /liəu˨˩/ liu²⁴ /liəu˨˦/ nou²¹³ /nəu˨˩˧/ lou³¹ /lou˧˩/
七 tɕʰi²² /tɕʰi˨˨/ qi²¹ /tɕʰi˨˩/ qi²¹ /tɕʰi˨˩/ qi²¹ /tɕʰi˨˩/ qi²⁴ /tɕʰi˨˦/ qi²¹³ /tɕʰi˨˩˧/ ci³¹ /tsʰi˧˩/
八 pa²² /pa˨˨/ ba²¹ /pa˨˩/ ba²¹ /pa˨˩/ ba²¹ /pa˨˩/ ba²⁴ /pa˨˦/ ba²¹³ /pa˨˩˧/ ba³¹ /pa˧˩/
九 tɕiu³³ /tɕiu˧˧/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiəu˥˧/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiəu˥˧/ jiu⁴² /tɕiəu˦˨/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiəu˥˧/ jiu⁴² /tɕiəu˦˨/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiou˥˧/
十 ɕi¹¹² /ɕi˩˩˨/ si²¹ /sɿ˨˩/ si²¹ /sɿ˨˩/ si²¹ /sɿ˨˩/ shi⁴² /ʂʐ̩˦˨/ si²¹³ /sɿ˨˩˧/ si³¹ /sɿ˧˩/
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