Lisu

Sino-Tibetan (Loloish)

FamilySino-Tibetan (Loloish) Speakers~1M ScriptFraser/Lisu script (Latin-based, 1915) / Pollard / Latin CountriesChina (Yunnan), Myanmar, Thailand, India Official inNo (recognized minority) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3lis

Lisu is a Loloish (Yi-branch) Tibeto-Burman language with multiple competing scripts. The Fraser script invented by missionary James O. Fraser in 1915 uses rotated and inverted Latin letters to mark tone, and is now encoded in Unicode (U+A4D0-U+A4FF). Spoken across China (Yunnan), Myanmar, Thailand, and India.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Lisu

Water

yi

ji

Fire

a-to

ɑ˥˥to˥˥

Sun

mei-lo

mejlo

Moon

ha-ba

haba

Star

akw

a˧˧ kwɿ˧˧

Night

sakhua

sa˦˦kʰua˧˧

Rain

muha

mɯ˧˩hɑ˧˧

Snow

wa

wɑ˧˩

Wind

mihi

mi˧˩hi˧˧

Earth

mi-nae

mi˦˦nɛ˦˦

Stone

lo-tshi

lo˦˦tsʰɿ˧˥

Mountain

ko

ko˦˦

Sea

e-lu-be

e˦˦lu˧˩be˧˧

Mother

ma

ma

Father

a-pa

apa

Daughter

zamu

zɑ˧˩mɯ˧˩

I

ngua

ŋwa

You

nu

nu˧˧

We

ngua nu

ŋwa˧˧nu˧˩

Name

myi

mi˧˧

Person

tsho-za

tsʰo˦˦zɑ˧˩

Head

o-du

o˥˥du˧˧

Eye

mya

mʲa

Ear

na-po

nɑ˦˦po˦˦

Nose

na-khu

nɑ˦˦kʰu˦˦

Tooth

sichi

sɿ˧˩tɕʰi˧˧

Tongue

lachi

la˧˧tɕʰɯ˧˧

Hand

la

la

Foot

hchi-hpa

tɕʰi˧˧pʰɛ˧˥

Heart

ni-ma

nima

Bone

o-to

oto

Blood

si

sɿ˧˩

Poop

chi

tɕʰi˧˩

Love

gu-hpa

ɡupʰa

Tree

shi-pa

ʃipa

Dog

kwe

kwɛ

Cat

a-nyi

aɲi

Fish

ngua

ŋua

Bird

nyae

ɲɛ˧˥

Butterfly

bo-lo-na-gua

bo˦˩lo˦˦nɑ˥˥ɡuɑ˧˧

Egg

e-fu

e˥˥fu˦˦

Bear

wo

wo˦˦

Horse

a-mo

ɑ˥˥mo˧˩

House

hi

hi˧˧

Milk

achi

ɑ˥˥tʃɿ˧˥

Salt

tsha-bo

tsʰɑ˧˩bo˧˧

Rice

dza-phu

dzɑ˧˧pʰu˧˧

Iron

xo

xo˦˦

Book

tho-uh

tʰo˧˩ɣɯ˧˩

Eat

dza

dza˨˩

Drink

do

do˧˧

Sleep

e-ta

e˧˩tɑ˥˥

One

ti

ti

Two

nyi

ɲi˧˧

Three

sa

sa˧˧

Four

li

li˧˧

Five

ngua

ŋua

Hundred

hya

hɛ˧˧

Hello

ngo-lan

ŋolan

Thank you

ti-tu

titu

Good

ji

dʑi

New

shi

ʃi˧˩

Red

si

sɿ˧˩

White

phu

pʰu˦˦

Black

nae

nɛ˦˦

Green

ni-chi

ni˧˥tʃʰɿ˦˩

Cuckoo

kwá py̱

kʷá py̰

Sources

Words compared

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

Meaning LisuYiHaniJinoAzheAchangNusu
Water yi /ji/ ꒉ /ʑɿ˧˧/ wulquvq /u˥˥tɕʰu˧˩/ ji31tʃho55 /ji˧˩tʃʰo˥˥/ ʐitɕɪ /ʐi˨˨tɕɪ˧˧/ ti55 /ti˥˥/ ɹi31gɹɑ53 /ɹi˧˩ɡɹɑ˥˧/
Fire a-to /ɑ˥˥to˥˥/ ꃆꄔ /mu˨˩tu˥/ miqzaq /mi˧˩dza˧˩/ mi33 /mi˧˧/ mɯtɯ /mɯ˥˥tɯ˥˥/ poi31 /poi˧˩/ mi55 /mi˥˥/
Sun mei-lo /mejlo/ ꉘꁮ /ho˧˧bu˧˧/ naolma /nɔ˥˥ma˧˧/ ȵɔ35 /ɲɔ˧˥/ lodʐi /lo˨˩dʐi˨˨/ ni31 mɔ31 /ni˧˩ mɔ˧˩/ ȵi35ɑ55 /ɲi˧˥ɑ˥˥/
Moon ha-ba /haba/ ꆪ /ɬɯ˨˩/ bala /ba˧˧la˧˧/ pu33ɬa44 /pu˧˧ɬa˦˦/ lobo /lo˨˨bo˨˨/ pʰă31 lɔʔ31 /pʰă˧˩ lɔʔ˧˩/ ɬɑ31 /ɬɑ˧˩/
Star akw /a˧˧ kwɿ˧˧/ ꃅꏸ /mu˧˧tɕɿ˧˧/ aqgeel /a˧˩ɡɯ˥˥/ pu33ke33 /pu˧˧ke˧˧/ kɛzo /kɛ˧˧zo˨˩/ kʰʐə55 /kʰʐə˥˥/ kɹe31lɔ35 /kɹe˧˩lɔ˧˥/
Night sakhua /sa˦˦kʰua˧˧/ ꃅꌋ /mu˧˧si˧˧/ aoqqivq /ɔ˧˩tɕi˧˩/ mi33tɕhø33 /mi˧˧tɕʰø˧˧/ kumo /kʰu˧˧mo˧˧/ ni31 tɕʰot35 /ni˧˩ tɕʰot˧˥/ suɑʴ35nɑ35 /suɑ˞˧˥nɑ˧˥/
Rain muha /mɯ˧˩hɑ˧˧/ ꂷꉐ /ma˧˧ha˧˧/ aoqsseil /ɔ˧˩ze˥˥/ mi31tha55 /mi˧˩tʰa˥˥/ muxoʐi /mu˨˩xo˨˨ʐi˨˨/ mau31 ʐo55 /mau˧˩ ʐo˥˥/ mɯ55ɑ31ɹuɑ55 /mɯ˥˥ɑ˧˩ɹuɑ˥˥/
Snow wa /wɑ˧˩/ ꃰ /vo˧˧/ haqju /xa˧˩dʑu˧˧/ njɛ33ji44 /ɲɛ˧˧ji˦˦/ ɣo /ɣo˨˩/ xan31 ʑai55 /xan˧˩ ʑai˥˥/ vɑ55 /vɑ˥˥/
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