Naqxi

Naxi

Sino-Tibetan (Naic/Loloish)

FamilySino-Tibetan (Naic/Loloish) Speakers~310K ScriptLatin / Dongba pictographs (ritual) CountriesChina (Yunnan, Sichuan) Official inNo (recognized minority) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3nxq

Naxi is famous for its Dongba pictographic script, the only living pictographic writing system in the world, used ritually by Naxi shamans. The everyday Latin orthography uses tone-bearing letters (l h q) appended to syllables.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Naxi

Water

jjiq

dʑi˨˩

Fire

mi

mi˧

Sun

ni-mei

ɲi˧me˧

Moon

hei-mei

he˧me˧

Star

geeq

kɯ˨˩

Night

meekvl

mɯ˧kʰv̩˥

Rain

heeq

hɯ˨˩

Snow

nbei

mbe˧

Wind

her

hɚ˧

Earth

zhee

ʈʂʅ˧

Stone

lv

lv˧

Mountain

njiuq

ndʑy˨˩

Sea

heel

hɯ˥

Mother

eqmo

ə˨˩mo˧

Father

eqbba

ə˨˩bɑ˧

Daughter

mil

mi˥

I

ngeq

ŋə˨˩

You

nvq

nv̩˨˩

We

ngemgeeq

ŋə˧ŋɡɯ˨˩

Name

miq

mi˨˩

Head

gu'liu

ku˧ly˧

Eye

mieq

miə˨˩

Ear

heilzeeq

he˥tsɿ˨˩

Nose

nilmerq

ɲi˥mɚ˨˩

Mouth

nvl

nv̩˥

Tooth

hee

xɯ˧

Tongue

xil

ɕi˥

Hand

laq

lɑ˨˩

Foot

kee

kʰɯ˧

Heart

nvlmei

nv̩˥me˧

Bone

so-lo

so˧lo˧

Blood

sai

sa˧

Poop

qer

tɕʰɚ˧

Love

pieq

pʰiə˨˩

Tree

nzerq

ndzɚ˨˩

Dog

kee

kʰɯ˧

Cat

hual'leiq

xwɑ˥le˨˩

Fish

ni

ɲi˧

Bird

vlssi

v̩˥zi˧

Butterfly

pei'leiq

pʰe˧le˨˩

Egg

gv

kv̩˧

Bear

ggvq

ɡv̩˨˩

Horse

rua

ʐwɑ˧

House

jjiq

dʑi˨˩

Milk

eeno

ɰɯ˧no˧

Honey

nbai

mba˧

Salt

ce

tsʰe˧

Wine

pvqtazie

pʰv̩˨˩tʰɑ˧tɕɤ˧

Rice

chua

ʈʂʰwɑ˧

Iron

shuq

ʂu˨˩

Silk

chuq

ʈʂʰu˨˩

Book

tei'ee

tʰe˧ɰɯ˧

Eat

nzee

ndzɯ˧

Drink

teeq

tʰɯ˨˩

Sleep

yil

ʑi˥

One

ddee

dɯ˧

Two

niq

ɲi˨˩

Three

seeq

sɯ˨˩

Four

lu

lu˧

Five

ua

ua˧

Hundred

xi

ɕi˧

Hello

nyel-bbeq

ɲɯ˥bɯ˨˩

Thank you

jjuq jjuq

dʑɯ˨˩dʑɯ˨˩

Good

ga

kɑ˧

New

sheel

ʂʅ˥

Red

hiuq

xy˨˩

White

perq

pʰɚ˨˩

Black

naq

nɑ˨˩

Green

herq

hɚ˨˩

Blue

herq

hɚ˨˩

Tea

leil

le˥

Sugar

beftaiq

pɤ˩˧tʰa˨˩

Sources

Words compared

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

Meaning NaxiYiHaniHainaneseZaiwaTibetanAzhe
Water jjiq /dʑi˨˩/ ꒉ /ʑɿ˧˧/ wulquvq /u˥˥tɕʰu˧˩/ 水 /tui˨˩˧/ wuì /ʋui˥˩/ ཆུ /tɕʰu˥/ ʐitɕɪ /ʐi˨˨tɕɪ˧˧/
Fire mi /mi˧/ ꃆꄔ /mu˨˩tu˥/ miqzaq /mi˧˩dza˧˩/ 火 /hue˨˩˧/ myi /mji˨˩/ མེ /me˩˧/ mɯtɯ /mɯ˥˥tɯ˥˥/
Sun ni-mei /ɲi˧me˧/ ꉘꁮ /ho˧˧bu˧˧/ naolma /nɔ˥˥ma˧˧/ 日头 /zit˧ hau˧˩/ buì /pui˥˩/ ཉི་མ /ɲima/ lodʐi /lo˨˩dʐi˨˨/
Moon hei-mei /he˧me˧/ ꆪ /ɬɯ˨˩/ bala /ba˧˧la˧˧/ 月 /vue˧˧/ lhamó /lŏ̱˥˥mo˥˥/ ཟླ་བ /tawa˩˧/ lobo /lo˨˨bo˨˨/
Star geeq /kɯ˨˩/ ꃅꏸ /mu˧˧tɕɿ˧˧/ aqgeel /a˧˩ɡɯ˥˥/ 星 /sɛ˨˧/ kyoi /kjoi˥˥/ སྐར་མ /karma˥/ kɛzo /kɛ˧˧zo˨˩/
Night meekvl /mɯ˧kʰv̩˥/ ꃅꌋ /mu˧˧si˧˧/ aoqqivq /ɔ˧˩tɕi˧˩/ 暝头 /mɛ˧˩ hau˧˩/ myinle /mjin˥˥le˨˩/ མཚན་མོ /tsʰɛ̃˥mo˥/ kumo /kʰu˧˧mo˧˧/
Rain heeq /hɯ˨˩/ ꂷꉐ /ma˧˧ha˧˧/ aoqsseil /ɔ˧˩ze˥˥/ 雨 /hɔu˧˧/ mau /mau˨˩/ ཆར་པ /tɕʰaː˥pa˥/ muxoʐi /mu˨˩xo˨˨ʐi˨˨/
Snow nbei /mbe˧/ ꃰ /vo˧˧/ haqju /xa˧˩dʑu˧˧/ 雪 /te˥˥/ kyoq /kjoʔ˨˩/ ཁ་བ /kʰawa˥/ ɣo /ɣo˨˩/
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