Anaam

Maonan

Kra-Dai (Kam-Sui)

FamilyKra-Dai (Kam-Sui) Speakers~30K (Maonan nationality ~124K) ScriptUnwritten CountriesChina (Guangxi: Huanjiang; Guizhou) Official inNo (recognized minority nationality; language unwritten) Vitalityvulnerable ISO 639-3mmd

Maonan belongs to the Kam-Sui branch of Kra-Dai and is spoken in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County in northern Guangxi, China, with a smaller group in neighbouring Guizhou. The Maonan nationality numbers about 124,000 in the 2020 census, but only some 30,000 still speak the language; nearly all of them are also fluent in the local Chinese variety, and the language is rated vulnerable, with transmission to children weakening. Its closest relative is Chadong, with Ai-Cham and Mak next nearest. The language is unwritten. The digit after each form is a tone-category number; the IPA converts it to Chao values. The Maonan are known for the Fenlong festival and for a masked nuo ritual opera performed at household rites.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Maonan

Water

nam3

nam˥˩

Fire

vi1

vi˦˨

Sun

la:k8 van1

laːk˨˦ van˦˨

Moon

ni4 njen2

ni˨˦ njen˨˧˩

Star

zət7

zət˥˥

Night

ʔȵam5

ʔȵam˦˦

Rain

fin1

fin˦˨

Snow

tɕu5

tɕu˦˦

Wind

ləm1

ləm˦˨

Earth

khəm5

kʰəm˦˦

Stone

tu:i2

tuːi˨˧˩

Mountain

kɔŋ5 pja1

kɔŋ˦˦ pja˦˨

Sea

hai3

hai˥˩

Mother

ni4

ni˨˦

Father

tɛ2

tɛ˨˧˩

Daughter

la:ʔ8 piəʔ8

laːʔ˨˦ piəʔ˨˦

I

ɦe2

ɦe˨˧˩

You

ŋ2

ŋ˨˧˩

We

ⁿda:u1 / ⁿde1

ⁿdaːu˦˨ / ⁿde˦˨

Name

da:n2

daːn˨˧˩

Person

zən1

zən˦˨

Head

ko3

ko˥˩

Eye

ⁿda1

ⁿda˦˨

Ear

kha1

kʰa˦˨

Nose

ʔnaŋ1

ʔnaŋ˦˨

Mouth

pa:k7

paːk˦˦

Tooth

hi:u3

hiːu˥˩

Tongue

ma2

ma˨˧˩

Hand

si:m3

siːm˥˩

Foot

ti:n1

tiːn˦˨

Heart

sam1

sam˦˨

Bone

da:k8

daːk˨˦

Blood

phja:t7

pʰjaːt˦˦

Love

—

—

Tree

mai4

mai˨˦

Dog

ma1

ma˦˨

Cat

—

—

Fish

ᵐbjai3

ᵐbjai˥˩

Bird

nɔk8

nɔk˨˧

Butterfly

phuŋ6 pa4

pʰuŋ˨˩˧ pa˨˦

Egg

kai5

kai˦˦

Bear

moi1

moi˦˨

Horse

mja4

mja˨˦

House

ja:n1

jaːn˦˨

Milk

tsɛ5

tsɛ˦˦

Salt

kwo1

kwo˦˨

Rice

u5

u˦˦

Iron

tɕhit7

tɕʰit˥˥

Wheel

lun6 tsha1

lun˨˩˧ tsʰa˦˨

Silk

tɕɔn5

tɕɔn˦˦

Book

lɛ1

lɛ˦˨

Eat

na4

na˨˦

Drink

na4

na˨˦

Sleep

nu:n2

nuːn˨˧˩

One

tɔ2

tɔ˨˧˩

Two

ja1

ja˦˨

Three

sa:m1

saːm˦˨

Four

si5

si˦˦

Five

ŋɔ4

ŋɔ˨˦

Hundred

pɛk7

pɛk˥˥

Hello

—

—

Thank you

—

—

Good

da:i2

daːi˨˧˩

New

mai5

mai˦˦

Red

la:n3

laːn˥˩

White

kwa3

kwa˥˩

Black

nam1

nam˦˨

Green

ju1

ju˦˨

Blue

pha1

pʰa˦˨

Sugar

ta:ŋ2

taːŋ˨˧˩

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Kra-Dai (Kam-Sui)

Meaning MaonanMulamSuiSouthern DongHa HlaiThai SongTai Dam
Water nam3 /nam˥˩/ nəm4 /nəm˨˦/ nam3 /nam˧˧/ nɐm31 /nɐm˧˩/ nom3 /nom˩˩/ น้ำ /nam˦˧/ ꪙꪾꫂ /nam˧˩ˀ/
Fire vi1 /vi˦˨/ fi1 /fi˦˨/ vi1 /vi˩˩/ pui55 /pui˥˥/ fei1 /fei˥˧/ ไฟ /faj˧˥˦/ ꪼꪡ /faj˥/
Sun la:k8 van1 /laːk˨˦ van˦˨/ thəu5 fan1 /tʰəu˦˦ fan˦˨/ ⁿda1 van1 /ⁿda˩˩ van˩˩/ ta53 mən55 /ta˥˧ mən˥˥/ tsha1 hwan1 /tsʰa˥˧ hwan˥˧/ ตะวัน /ta˨˦ wan˧˥˦/ ꪔꪱꪹꪫꪸꪙ /taː˨ven˥/
Moon ni4 njen2 /ni˨˦ njen˨˧˩/ kɣa:ŋ1 njen2 /kɣaːŋ˦˨ njen˩˨˩/ njen2 /njen˧˩/ kwaŋ55 ɲan55 /kwaŋ˥˥ ɲan˥˥/ ȵa:n1 /ȵaːn˥˧/ เดือน /dɯːan˨˦/ ꪹꪚꪙ /bɯən˨/
Star zət7 /zət˥˥/ la:k8 m̥ət7 /laːk˩˩ m̥ət˥˥/ zət7 /zət˥˥/ ɕət55 /ɕət˥˥/ ra:u1 /raːu˥˧/ ดาว /daːw˨˦/ ꪒꪱꪫ /daːw˨/
Night ʔȵam5 /ʔȵam˦˦/ mu2 /mu˩˨˩/ saan2 /saːn˧˩/ ɲɐm53 /ɲɐm˥˧/ tshop7 /tsʰop˥˥/ คืน /kʰɯːn˧˥˦/ ꪁꪳꪙ /kɯn˥/
Rain fin1 /fin˦˨/ kwən1 /kwən˦˨/ fən1 /fən˩˩/ pjən55 /pjən˥˥/ fun1 /fun˥˧/ ฝน /fon˨˦/ ꪶꪠꪙ /fon˨/
Snow tɕu5 /tɕu˦˦/ nui1 /nui˦˨/ ʔnui1 /ʔnui˩˩/ nui55 /nui˥˥/ — — —
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