Cần Nùng

Nùng

Kra-Dai (Tai, Central)

FamilyKra-Dai (Tai, Central) Speakers~1M ScriptLatin (Tày-Nùng orthography); historically also chữ Nôm Tày CountriesVietnam (Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, Hà Giang, Bắc Kạn) Official inVietnam (recognized minority language) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3nut

Nùng is the second-largest Tai-Kadai minority language of Vietnam after Tày (~1M speakers in northeast border provinces), to which it is very closely related — often analyzed together as a single Tày-Nùng dialect cluster within Central Tai. Several distinct sub-varieties (Nùng Phàn Slình, Nùng Cháo, Nùng Inh, Nùng An, Nùng Lòi etc.) form a continuum with both Tày to the west and Zhuang across the Chinese border. Tonal (6 tones), SVO, with Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary layers and a small Nôm Tày literary corpus.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Nùng

Water

nặm

naːm˨˩

Fire

fầy

fəj˨˩

Sun

tha vằn

tʰaː˧˧vən˨˩

Moon

boon

boːn˧˧

Star

đao

ɗaːw˧˧

Night

khưn

kʰɯn˧˧

Rain

phɔn

pʰɔn˧˧

Snow

nai

nai˧˧

Wind

lam

lam˧˧

Earth

na:m

naːm

Stone

thin

tʰin˧˧

Mountain

phja

pʰjaː˧˧

Sea

hải

haːj˨˩˧

Mother

mé

mɛ˨˩˧

Father

pò

pɔ˨˩

I

khỏi

xɔːj˨˩˧

You

mưng

mɯŋ˧˧

We

rầu

rəw˨˩

Name

chứ

tʃɯ˧˥

Person

cần

kən˨˩

Head

hu

hu˧˧

Eye

tha

tʰaː˧˧

Ear

khjou

kʰjou˧˧

Nose

đăng

ɗaŋ˧˧

Mouth

pác

paːk˥

Tooth

khẻo

kʰɛːw˧˩

Tongue

lin

lin˥˩

Hand

mừ

mɯ˨˩

Foot

tin

tin˧˧

Heart

cấy

kəj˨˩˧

Bone

đúc

ɗuk˥

Blood

lượt

lɯət˥˩

Love

rắc

rak˧˥

Tree

mạy

maːj˨˩

Dog

ma

maː˧˧

Cat

meo

meo˧˧

Fish

pya

pjaː˧˧

Bird

nục

nuk˥˩

Egg

xáy

saj˧˥

Bear

mui

mui˧˧

Horse

mạ

maː˨˩

House

rườn

zɯən˨˩

Milk

nùm

num˨˩

Salt

cưa

kɯə˧˧

Wine

lảu

laːw˨˩˧

Rice

khảu

kʰaːw˨˩˧

Iron

lích

lik˥

Book

xéc

sɛk˥

Eat

kin

kin˧˧

Drink

kin nặm

kin˧˧naːm˨˩

Sleep

nòn

nɔn˨˩

One

nưng

nɯŋ˧˧

Two

soong

soːŋ˧˧

Three

slam

ɬaːm˧˧

Four

slí

ɬi˧˥

Five

hả

haː˨˩˧

Hello

choà

tʃɔaː˨˩

Thank you

ơn rể

ɤn˧˧zɛ˨˩˧

Good

đây

ɗəj˧˧

New

máư

maɯ˧˥

Red

đeng

ɗɛŋ˧˧

White

khao

kʰaːw˧˧

Black

đăm

ɗam˧˧

Green

kheo

kʰɛːw˧˧

Blue

kheo

kʰɛːw˧˧

Cuckoo

khảm khắc

kʰaːm˨˩˧ kʰak˥

Ninety-nine

cảu slíp cảu

kaw˨˩˧ ɬip˧˥ kaw˨˩˧

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Kra-Dai (Tai, Central)

Meaning NùngTàyLaoBouyeiNorthern ThaiThai SongIsan
Water nặm /naːm˨˩/ nặm /nam˧˨ʔ/ ນ້ຳ /naːm˥˨/ raamx /ðaːm˧˩/ น้ำ /nam˦˥/ น้ำ /nam˦˧/ น้ำ /nam˦˥/
Fire fầy /fəj˨˩/ fầy /fəj˧˨/ ໄຟ /faj˧˥/ feih /fei˧˩/ ไฟ /faj˥/ ไฟ /faj˧˥˦/ ไฟ /faj˥/
Sun tha vằn /tʰaː˧˧vən˨˩/ tha vằn /tʰaː˧˧ van˧˨/ ຕາເວັນ /taː˩˧ ven˧˥/ ngonzbyaaiz /ŋon˩˩pjaːi˩˩/ ตะวัน /ta˨˩wan˥/ ตะวัน /ta˨˦ wan˧˥˦/ ตะเว็น /ta˨˩wen˥/
Moon boon /boːn˧˧/ hai /haːj˧˧/ ດວງເດືອນ /duaŋ˩˧ dɯːan˩˧/ ronh /roːn˧˩/ เดือน /dɯːan˥/ เดือน /dɯːan˨˦/ เดือน /dɯan˥/
Star đao /ɗaːw˧˧/ đao /ɗaːw˧˧/ ດາວ /daːw˩˧/ ndaux /ɗaːu˧˧/ ดาว /daːw˧/ ดาว /daːw˨˦/ ดาว /daːw˧/
Night khưn /kʰɯn˧˧/ cừn /kɨn˧˨/ ຄືນ /kʰɯːn˧˥/ haemh /ham˧˩/ คืน /kʰɯːn˧/ คืน /kʰɯːn˧˥˦/ คืน /kʰɯːn˧/
Rain phɔn /pʰɔn˧˧/ phân /pʰən˧˥/ ຝົນ /fɔn˩˧/ — ฝน /fɔn˩˧/ ฝน /fon˨˦/ ฝน /fɔn˩˧/
Snow nai /nai˧˧/ — ຫິມະ /hi˧˥maʔ˧/ nail /nɐi˨˦/ หิมะ /hi˨˩maʔ˦˥/ — หิมะ /hi˨˩maʔ˦˥/
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