Jinghpaw

Jingpo

Sino-Tibetan (Sal, Jingpho)

FamilySino-Tibetan (Sal, Jingpho) Speakers~900K ScriptLatin (Jinghpaw orthography); Chinese-style romanization in China CountriesMyanmar (Kachin State); China (Yunnan, as Jingpo) Official inMyanmar (Kachin State); China (autonomous prefecture) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3kac

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

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87 core words in Jingpo

Water

hka

kʰaː˧

Fire

wan

waːn˧

Sun

jan

dʒan˧

Moon

shata

ʃata˧

Star

shagan

ʃəɡan˧

Night

shana

ʃana˧ʔ

Rain

marang

maraŋ˧

Snow

hkyen

kʰjen˧

Wind

nbung

n̩buŋ˧

Earth

ga

ka˧

Stone

nlung

n̩luŋ˧˩

Mountain

bum

bum

Sea

panglai

paŋ˧lai˧

Mother

nu

nu˧

Father

wa

wa˧

Daughter

num sha

num˧ʃa˧˩

I

ngai

ŋai˧

You

nang

naŋ˧

We

anhte

an˥˥tʰe˧

Name

mying

mjiŋ˧

Person

masha

məʃa˧˩

Head

baw

bo˧

Eye

myi

mji˧

Ear

na

na˧

Nose

ladi

ladi˥˩

Mouth

n-gup

n̩kup˧˩

Tooth

wa

wa˧

Tongue

shinglet

ʃiŋ˧˩let˧

Hand

lata

lata˧

Foot

lagaw

laɡo˧

Heart

salum

salum˧

Bone

nra

n̩ʒa˧

Blood

sai

sai˧˩

Poop

hkyi

kʰji˥˥

Love

tsaw ra

tsau˧ra˧

Tree

hpun

pʰun˧

Dog

gwi

ɡwi˧

Cat

nyaung

ɲauŋ˧

Fish

nga

ŋa˧

Bird

u

u˧˩

Butterfly

palamla

palam˥˩laʔ˥˥

Egg

u di

u˧ di˧

Bear

tsap

tsap˥˥

Horse

gumra

ɡum˧˩ʒa˧˩

House

nta

nta˧

Milk

chyu

tʃu˥˥

Honey

lagat ntsin

ləkat˧˩ n̩tsin˧

Salt

jum

tʃum˧˩

Rice

n-gu

n̩ɡu˧

Iron

hpri

pʰʒi˧˩

Silk

lai

lai˧

Book

laika

lai˧˩ka˧

Eat

sha

ʃa˧

Drink

lu

lu˧

Sleep

yup

jup˥˥

One

langai

laŋai˧

Two

lahkawng

ləkʰoŋ˥˩

Three

masum

məsum˧

Four

mali

məli˧

Five

manga

məŋa˧

Hundred

tsa

tsa˧

Hello

kaja i

kadʒa˧i˧

Thank you

chyeju kaba

tʃedʒu˧kaba˧

Good

kaja

kadʒa˧

New

nnan

n̩nan˧

Red

hkyeng

kʰjeŋ˧

White

hpraw

pʰro˧˩

Black

chyang

tʃaŋ˧

Green

tsit

tsit˧˩

Blue

panglai nsam

paŋ˧lai˧ n̩sam˥˥

Cuckoo

kukdun

kuk˥˥ dun˧˩

Tea

hpa lap

pʰaʔ˧˩ lap˧˩

Sugar

jum dwi

tʃum˧˩ tui˧˩

Ninety-nine

jahku shi jahku

dʒəkʰu˧˩ ʃi˧ dʒəkʰu˧˩

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sino-Tibetan (Sal, Jingpho)

Meaning JingpoTangutYiHaniHainaneseTibetanAkha
Water hka /kʰaː˧/ 𗋽 /zjɨr˧˥/ ꒉ /ʑɿ˧˧/ wulquvq /u˥˥tɕʰu˧˩/ 水 /tui˨˩˧/ ཆུ /tɕʰu˥/ i cuq /i˥tɕṵ˨˩/
Fire wan /waːn˧/ 𗜐 /mə˧/ ꃆꄔ /mu˨˩tu˥/ miqzaq /mi˧˩dza˧˩/ 火 /hue˨˩˧/ མེ /me˩˧/ mi dza /mi˨˩dza˨˩/
Sun jan /dʒan˧/ 𗾔 /be˧˥/ ꉘꁮ /ho˧˧bu˧˧/ naolma /nɔ˥˥ma˧˧/ 日头 /zit˧ hau˧˩/ ཉི་མ /ɲima/ nah ma /nɔ˥ma˧/
Moon shata /ʃata˧/ 𗼑 /lhji˧˥/ ꆪ /ɬɯ˨˩/ bala /ba˧˧la˧˧/ 月 /vue˧˧/ ཟླ་བ /tawa˩˧/ ba la /ba˧la˧/
Star shagan /ʃəɡan˧/ 𗄓 /ɡjɨ˧˥/ ꃅꏸ /mu˧˧tɕɿ˧˧/ aqgeel /a˧˩ɡɯ˥˥/ 星 /sɛ˨˧/ སྐར་མ /karma˥/ aqgeu /a˨˩ɡɯ˥/
Night shana /ʃana˧ʔ/ — /—/ ꃅꌋ /mu˧˧si˧˧/ aoqqivq /ɔ˧˩tɕi˧˩/ 暝头 /mɛ˧˩ hau˧˩/ མཚན་མོ /tsʰɛ̃˥mo˥/ uchi /u˧tɕi˧/
Rain marang /maraŋ˧/ 𗼮 /dzju˧˥/ ꂷꉐ /ma˧˧ha˧˧/ aoqsseil /ɔ˧˩ze˥˥/ 雨 /hɔu˧˧/ ཆར་པ /tɕʰaː˥pa˥/ u yeh /u˨˩jɛ˥/
Snow hkyen /kʰjen˧/ 𗎆 /wji˧/ ꃰ /vo˧˧/ haqju /xa˧˩dʑu˧˧/ 雪 /te˥˥/ ཁ་བ /kʰawa˥/ ngeh /ŋɛ˥/
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