Prinmi

Northern Pumi

Sino-Tibetan (Qiangic)

FamilySino-Tibetan (Qiangic) Speakers~54K (Pumi nationality ~43K) ScriptUnwritten CountriesChina (Sichuan: Muli, Yanyuan, Jiulong; Yunnan: Ninglang) Official inNo (recognized minority nationality; language unwritten) Vitalityvulnerable ISO 639-3pmi

In Sichuan many Pumi are registered administratively not as Pumi but as Tibetan, so the nationality figure — about 43,000 in the 2010 census — undercounts the community: roughly 54,000 people speak the language. Speakers call themselves Prinmi. The language is Qiangic, a branch of Sino-Tibetan, and is spoken in northwestern Yunnan and southwestern Sichuan; it splits into a northern and a southern group divided enough that the two are counted separately, and this row is Northern Pumi as recorded at Taoba in Muli, Sichuan. Pumi religion keeps a pre-Buddhist ritual tradition alongside Tibetan Buddhism. The language is unwritten and tonal, and the forms here carry Chao tone values from the source.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Northern Pumi

Water

tɕɨ53

tɕɨ˥˧

Fire

mɐ35

mɐ˧˥

Sun

bu̵53

bʉ˥˧

Moon

ɬi55

ɬi˥˥

Star

dʐə35

ɖʐə˧˥

Night

ɕyɛ55

ɕyɛ˥˥

Rain

gui53

ɡui˥˧

Snow

pu̵53

pʉ˥˧

Wind

mu55wa53

mu˥˥wa˥˧

Earth

dẽ35

dẽ˧˥

Stone

jã35ba53

jã˧˥ba˥˧

Mountain

ri53

ri˥˧

Mother

ma55

ma˥˥

Father

suɛ̃33

suɛ̃˧˧

Daughter

m̥ə53

m̥ə˥˧

I

a35

a˧˥

You

ȵi35

ɲi˧˥

We

ɛ̃35rə53 / a35rə53

ɛ̃˧˥rə˥˧ / a˧˥rə˥˧

Name

mɛ̃55

mɛ̃˥˥

Person

mə53

mə˥˧

Head

khu53

kʰu˥˧

Eye

ȵɛ53

ɲɛ˥˧

Ear

nɐ55pɐ53

nɐ˥˥pɐ˥˧

Nose

n̥ə35ɣiã53

n̥ə˧˥ɣiã˥˧

Mouth

ȵõ35

ɲõ˧˥

Tooth

ʂu̵53

ʂʉ˥˧

Tongue

ɬiɛ53

ɬiɛ˥˧

Hand

ʑɛ35

ʑɛ˧˥

Foot

tʂhə53

ʈʂʰə˥˧

Heart

xuɐ53

xuɐ˥˧

Bone

rɛ35ka53

rɛ˧˥ka˥˧

Blood

se35

se˧˥

Poop

xe53

xe˥˧

Love

ɣiɛ35

ɣiɛ˧˥

Tree

sẽ35bõ35

sẽ˧˥bõ˧˥

Dog

khɯ35dʐa35

kʰɯ˧˥ɖʐa˧˥

Cat

mɐ35tsə55

mɐ˧˥tsə˥˥

Fish

dʑɨ53

dʑɨ˥˧

Bird

guɛ35tɕi35

ɡuɛ˧˥tɕi˧˥

Butterfly

ma35bʐɛ53

ma˧˥bʐɛ˥˧

Egg

rɐ35ku55

rɐ˧˥ku˥˥

Bear

guẽ55

ɡuẽ˥˥

Horse

ɣuẽ35

ɣuẽ˧˥

House

tɕø̃55

tɕø̃˥˥

Milk

nɛ35

nɛ˧˥

Salt

tshi55

tsʰi˥˥

Rice

tɕhyø35

tɕʰyø˧˥

Iron

ɕī55

ɕi˥˥

Silk

thiɛ35

tʰiɛ˧˥

Book

dʑi35dʑi35

dʑi˧˥dʑi˧˥

Eat

dzə53

dzə˥˧

Drink

thiẽ53

tʰiẽ˥˧

Sleep

khə35ʑi35

kʰə˧˥ʑi˧˥

One

ti35

ti˧˥

Two

nə35

nə˧˥

Three

sõ35

sõ˧˥

Four

ʐɐ55

ʐɐ˥˥

Five

ŋuɐ55

ŋuɐ˥˥

Hundred

re53

re˥˧

Hello

—

—

Thank you

—

—

Good

tɕhyi55mə53

tɕʰyi˥˥mə˥˧

New

ɕi55ɕi55mə53

ɕi˥˥ɕi˥˥mə˥˧

Red

ȵɛ55mə53

ɲɛ˥˥mə˥˧

White

phʐã55mə53

pʰʐã˥˥mə˥˧

Black

ȵɛ35mə53

ɲɛ˧˥mə˥˧

Green

ȵĩ55mə53

ɲĩ˥˥mə˥˧

Blue

ȵi55na55mə53

ɲi˥˥na˥˥mə˥˧

Sugar

bu̵35

bʉ˧˥

Sources

Words compared

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

Meaning Northern PumiNusuSouthern QiangAchangJinoYiDakpa Monpa
Water tɕɨ53 /tɕɨ˥˧/ ɹi31gɹɑ53 /ɹi˧˩ɡɹɑ˥˧/ tsuə /tsuə˧˧/ ti55 /ti˥˥/ ji31tʃho55 /ji˧˩tʃʰo˥˥/ ꒉ /ʑɿ˧˧/ tshi53 /tsʰi˥˧/
Fire mɐ35 /mɐ˧˥/ mi55 /mi˥˥/ mi /mi˧˧/ poi31 /poi˧˩/ mi33 /mi˧˧/ ꃆꄔ /mu˨˩tu˥/ me13 /me˩˧/
Sun bu̵53 /bʉ˥˧/ ȵi35ɑ55 /ɲi˧˥ɑ˥˥/ masɿ /ma˧˧sɿ˥˥/ ni31 mɔ31 /ni˧˩ mɔ˧˩/ ȵɔ35 /ɲɔ˧˥/ ꉘꁮ /ho˧˧bu˧˧/ plᴀŋ53 /plᴀŋ˥˧/
Moon ɬi55 /ɬi˥˥/ ɬɑ31 /ɬɑ˧˩/ ɕyɕya /ɕy˧˧ɕya˥˥/ pʰă31 lɔʔ31 /pʰă˧˩ lɔʔ˧˩/ pu33ɬa44 /pu˧˧ɬa˦˦/ ꆪ /ɬɯ˨˩/ lɛː55thøn55 /lɛː˥˥tʰøn˥˥/
Star dʐə35 /ɖʐə˧˥/ kɹe31lɔ35 /kɹe˧˩lɔ˧˥/ χdʐepe /χdʐe˧˧pe˥˥/ kʰʐə55 /kʰʐə˥˥/ pu33ke33 /pu˧˧ke˧˧/ ꃅꏸ /mu˧˧tɕɿ˧˧/ kᴀr55mᴀ53 /kᴀr˥˥mᴀ˥˧/
Night ɕyɛ55 /ɕyɛ˥˥/ suɑʴ35nɑ35 /suɑ˞˧˥nɑ˧˥/ mudʑo /mu˧˧dʑo˨˦˩/ ni31 tɕʰot35 /ni˧˩ tɕʰot˧˥/ mi33tɕhø33 /mi˧˧tɕʰø˧˧/ ꃅꌋ /mu˧˧si˧˧/ ȵen13ne31 /ɲen˩˧ne˧˩/
Rain gui53 /ɡui˥˧/ mɯ55ɑ31ɹuɑ55 /mɯ˥˥ɑ˧˩ɹuɑ˥˥/ maʐi /ma˧˩ʐi˥˥/ mau31 ʐo55 /mau˧˩ ʐo˥˥/ mi31tha55 /mi˧˩tʰa˥˥/ ꂷꉐ /ma˧˧ha˧˧/ nᴀm13 /nᴀm˩˧/
Snow pu̵53 /pʉ˥˧/ vɑ55 /vɑ˥˥/ məpɑ /mə˧˩pɑ˥˥/ xan31 ʑai55 /xan˧˩ ʑai˥˥/ njɛ33ji44 /ɲɛ˧˧ji˦˦/ ꃰ /vo˧˧/ khᴀ55ru53 /kʰᴀ˥˥ru˥˧/
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