Nusu

Sino-Tibetan (Nungish / Loloish, branch debated)

FamilySino-Tibetan (Nungish / Loloish, branch debated) Speakers~9K (Nu nationality ~37K) ScriptUnwritten CountriesChina (Yunnan: Nujiang) Official inNo (recognized minority nationality; language unwritten) Vitalitydefinitely endangered ISO 639-3nuf

Nusu, a Sino-Tibetan language of the Nujiang valley in north-west Yunnan, China, has roughly 9,000 speakers; whether its branch is Loloish or Nungish is debated. The map shows the Bijiang doculect; Bijiang county was dissolved in 1986 and split between Fugong and Lushui, so the place it names no longer exists as a county. The Nu nationality of about 37,000 in the 2010 census speaks four mutually unintelligible languages: Nusu, the nearly extinct Anong with a few hundred speakers, Zauzou, and a Derung-like variety. The nationality is a single administrative category, not close relatives: Nusu and Zauzou lean Loloish — they are in fact each other's closest relatives — while Anong and the Derung-like variety are Nungish. Tonal and unwritten, Nusu sits beside Lisu, the valley's lingua franca, and Chinese, along the upper Salween gorge, among the world's deepest, whose villages were historically reached by rope bridges.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Nusu

Water

ɹi31gɹɑ53

ɹi˧˩ɡɹɑ˥˧

Fire

mi55

mi˥˥

Sun

ȵi35ɑ55

ɲi˧˥ɑ˥˥

Moon

ɬɑ31

ɬɑ˧˩

Star

kɹe31lɔ35

kɹe˧˩lɔ˧˥

Night

suɑʴ35nɑ35

suɑ˞˧˥nɑ˧˥

Rain

mɯ55ɑ31ɹuɑ55

mɯ˥˥ɑ˧˩ɹuɑ˥˥

Snow

vɑ55

vɑ˥˥

Wind

mɯ55ɑ31ɬi35

mɯ˥˥ɑ˧˩ɬi˧˥

Earth

mɹi35ɑ55

mɹi˧˥ɑ˥˥

Stone

lu̱53

lu˥˧

Mountain

ŋu35ɑ55

ŋu˧˥ɑ˥˥

Sea

shuɑ35

sʰuɑ˧˥

Mother

iɑ55m̩31

iɑ˥˥m̩˧˩

Father

iɑ55bɑ31

iɑ˥˥bɑ˧˩

Daughter

mi31ɑ31zɑ55

mi˧˩ɑ˧˩zɑ˥˥

I

ŋɑ35

ŋɑ˧˥

You

ȵo55

ɲo˥˥

We

ɑ55iɯ31 / ŋɑ35dɯ31

ɑ˥˥iɯ˧˩ / ŋɑ˧˥dɯ˧˩

Name

m̥ə̃ʴ35

m̥ə̃˞˧˥

Person

su35

su˧˥

Head

u31phu55

u˧˩pʰu˥˥

Eye

miɑ53dʑi31

miɑ˥˧dʑi˧˩

Ear

n̥ɑ55shə̃ɹ35

n̥ɑ˥˥sʰə̃ɹ˧˥

Nose

n̥ɑ55kɑ̃35

n̥ɑ˥˥kɑ̃˧˥

Mouth

n̥ɑ55khɔ̃35

n̥ɑ˥˥kʰɔ̃˧˥

Tooth

shua55

sʰua˥˥

Tongue

fɹɑ35

fɹɑ˧˥

Hand

ʔlɑ53

ʔlɑ˥˧

Foot

khɹi35

kʰɹi˧˥

Heart

ʔĩ31lɔ55

ʔĩ˧˩lɔ˥˥

Bone

—

—

Blood

sui55

sui˥˥

Poop

khji55i55

kʰji˥˥i˥˥

Love

mi35

mi˧˥

Tree

si53dzə̃ʴ35

si˥˧dzə̃˞˧˥

Dog

khui55

kʰui˥˥

Cat

mɯ35ȵɛ31

mɯ˧˥ɲɛ˧˩

Fish

ŋɑ55

ŋɑ˥˥

Bird

hɑ̃53

hɑ̃˥˧

Butterfly

phɑ53ɬɑ55

pʰɑ˥˧ɬɑ˥˥

Egg

ɹɑ31ʔu31

ɹɑ˧˩ʔu˧˩

Bear

khui55uɑ35

kʰui˥˥uɑ˧˥

Horse

mɹɯ31lɑ55

mɹɯ˧˩lɑ˥˥

House

iɔ35kɑʴ35

iɔ˧˥kɑ˞˧˥

Milk

nɯ55nɯ31

nɯ˥˥nɯ˧˩

Salt

tshɑ55

tsʰɑ˥˥

Rice

mɛ35mɛ31

mɛ˧˥mɛ˧˩

Iron

ɕɑ35

ɕɑ˧˥

Silk

ɑ55ɕi31tɕhe53ɑ31

ɑ˥˥ɕi˧˩tɕʰe˥˧ɑ˧˩

Book

uɔʴ55su35ɑ55

uɔ˞˥˥su˧˥ɑ˥˥

Eat

dzɑ55

dzɑ˥˥

Drink

ɕhu̱55

ɕʰu˥˥

Sleep

iɔ̱53ɔ31

iɔ˥˧ɔ˧˩

One

thi53

tʰi˥˧

Two

m̩55

m̩˥˥

Three

sɔ35

sɔ˧˥

Four

vɹi35

vɹi˧˥

Five

ŋɑ53

ŋɑ˥˧

Hundred

ɕhɑ35

ɕʰɑ˧˥

Hello

—

—

Thank you

—

—

Good

ge35ɑ55

ɡe˧˥ɑ˥˥

New

dʑɔ53

dʑɔ˥˧

Red

xɹi35ɑ55

xɹi˧˥ɑ˥˥

White

bɑ55bɑ31

bɑ˥˥bɑ˧˩

Black

nɑ35nɑ53

nɑ˧˥nɑ˥˧

Green

ȵɯ35ȵɯ31

ɲɯ˧˥ɲɯ˧˩

Blue

ȵɯ35ȵɯ31

ɲɯ˧˥ɲɯ˧˩

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sino-Tibetan (Nungish / Loloish, branch debated)

Meaning NusuNorthern PumiIdu MishmiJinoSouthern QiangYiAzhe
Water ɹi31gɹɑ53 /ɹi˧˩ɡɹɑ˥˧/ tɕɨ53 /tɕɨ˥˧/ mɑ55tɕi55 /mɑ˥˥tɕi˥˥/ ji31tʃho55 /ji˧˩tʃʰo˥˥/ tsuə /tsuə˧˧/ ꒉ /ʑɿ˧˧/ ʐitɕɪ /ʐi˨˨tɕɪ˧˧/
Fire mi55 /mi˥˥/ mɐ35 /mɐ˧˥/ mɑ55mɹu55 /mɑ˥˥mɹu˥˥/ mi33 /mi˧˧/ mi /mi˧˧/ ꃆꄔ /mu˨˩tu˥/ mɯtɯ /mɯ˥˥tɯ˥˥/
Sun ȵi35ɑ55 /ɲi˧˥ɑ˥˥/ bu̵53 /bʉ˥˧/ i55ȵi55 /i˥˥ɲi˥˥/ ȵɔ35 /ɲɔ˧˥/ masɿ /ma˧˧sɿ˥˥/ ꉘꁮ /ho˧˧bu˧˧/ lodʐi /lo˨˩dʐi˨˨/
Moon ɬɑ31 /ɬɑ˧˩/ ɬi55 /ɬi˥˥/ e55lɑ55 /e˥˥lɑ˥˥/ pu33ɬa44 /pu˧˧ɬa˦˦/ ɕyɕya /ɕy˧˧ɕya˥˥/ ꆪ /ɬɯ˨˩/ lobo /lo˨˨bo˨˨/
Star kɹe31lɔ35 /kɹe˧˩lɔ˧˥/ dʐə35 /ɖʐə˧˥/ ɑ55nde55kɹu55 /ɑ˥˥ⁿde˥˥kɹu˥˥/ pu33ke33 /pu˧˧ke˧˧/ χdʐepe /χdʐe˧˧pe˥˥/ ꃅꏸ /mu˧˧tɕɿ˧˧/ kɛzo /kɛ˧˧zo˨˩/
Night suɑʴ35nɑ35 /suɑ˞˧˥nɑ˧˥/ ɕyɛ55 /ɕyɛ˥˥/ ɑ31boŋ55tioŋ55 /ɑ˧˩boŋ˥˥tioŋ˥˥/ mi33tɕhø33 /mi˧˧tɕʰø˧˧/ mudʑo /mu˧˧dʑo˨˦˩/ ꃅꌋ /mu˧˧si˧˧/ kumo /kʰu˧˧mo˧˧/
Rain mɯ55ɑ31ɹuɑ55 /mɯ˥˥ɑ˧˩ɹuɑ˥˥/ gui53 /ɡui˥˧/ ɑ31ɹɑ55 /ɑ˧˩ɹɑ˥˥/ mi31tha55 /mi˧˩tʰa˥˥/ maʐi /ma˧˩ʐi˥˥/ ꂷꉐ /ma˧˧ha˧˧/ muxoʐi /mu˨˩xo˨˨ʐi˨˨/
Snow vɑ55 /vɑ˥˥/ pu̵53 /pʉ˥˧/ poŋ35 /poŋ˧˥/ njɛ33ji44 /ɲɛ˧˧ji˦˦/ məpɑ /mə˧˩pɑ˥˥/ ꃰ /vo˧˧/ ɣo /ɣo˨˩/
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