Southern Qiang

Sino-Tibetan (Qiangic)

FamilySino-Tibetan (Qiangic) Speakers~80–100K Scriptunwritten; typically romanized via pinyin or represented in Hanzi CountriesChina Official innot official; minority language status in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan

Southern Qiang (ISO 639-3: qxs) is a Sino-Tibetan language traditionally classified in the Qiangic branch and spoken by Qiang communities along the Min River in northern Sichuan, China. Its varieties are reported in Li County, Wenchuan County, and part of Mao County, and seven markedly divergent dialects are commonly distinguished. Unlike closely related Northern Qiang, Southern Qiang is tonal; some varieties also preserve older pronominal inflection lost in the north. The language is threatened as Standard Chinese dominates education and mass media, and published descriptions cover particular local varieties rather than a single uniform standard.

Where it is spoken

Wear this language Pick the words you like, printed in the same typeface the map uses. Make a T-shirt from Southern Qiang words →

87 core words in Southern Qiang

Water

tsuə

tsuə˧˧

Fire

mi

mi˧˧

Sun

masɿ

ma˧˧sɿ˥˥

Moon

ɕyɕya

ɕy˧˧ɕya˥˥

Star

χdʐepe

χdʐe˧˧pe˥˥

Night

mudʑo

mu˧˧dʑo˨˦˩

Rain

maʐi

ma˧˩ʐi˥˥

Snow

məpɑ

mə˧˩pɑ˥˥

Wind

mɑʁu

mɑ˧˧ʁu˥˥

Earth

dzu

dzu˥˥

Stone

ʁo

ʁo˨˦˩

Mountain

tsʰuə

tsʰuə˥˥

Sea

ɕye

ɕye˧˧

Mother

ma

ma˧˧

Father

pi

pi˥˥

Daughter

tɕi

tɕi˧˧

I

qɑ

qɑ˥˥

You

no

no˥˥

We

tsuətʰyɑ / qɑtʰyɑ

tsuə˧˩tʰyɑ˥˥ / qɑ˧˩tʰyɑ˥˥

Name

χmə

χmə˥˥

Person

mə

mə˧˧

Head

qəpotʂɿ

qə˧˧po˥˥tʂɿ˧˧

Eye

mi

mi˥˥

Ear

ȵikie

ɲi˧˩kie˧˧

Nose

χȵiqopə

χɲi˧˩qo˥˥pə˧˧

Mouth

χqɑ

χqɑ˥˥

Tooth

suə

suə˥˥

Tongue

zɿqə

zɿ˧˩qə˥˥

Hand

i

i˥˥

Foot

dʑi

dʑi˥˥

Heart

χtiemə

χtie˥˥mə˥˥

Bone

rɑkɑ

rɑkɑ

Blood

sɑ

sɑ˧˧

Poop

tʃʰɿ

tʃʰɿ˥˥

Love

mɑ

mɑ˧˧

Tree

pʰo

pʰo˥˥

Dog

kʰuə

kʰuə˥˥

Cat

maȵy

ma˧˩ɲy˥˥

Fish

dzɿ

dzɿ˧˧

Bird

dʑeyemə

dʑe˨˦˩ye˥˥mə˧˧

Butterfly

futie

fu˧˩tie˧˧

Egg

χtə

χtə˥˥

Bear

ti

ti˧˧

Horse

ʐu

ʐu˥˥

House

tɕi

tɕi˧˧

Milk

ȵyȵytsuə

ɲy˥˥ɲy˥˥tsuə˥˥

Salt

tsʰɿ

tsʰɿ˧˧

Rice

qʰə

qʰə˧˧

Iron

ɕi

ɕi˥˥

Silk

ʁueχto

ʁue˧˧χto˧˧

Book

ʒɿʒɿ

ʒɿ˧˩ʒɿ˧˧

Eat

dʒɿ

dʒɿ˧˧

Drink

tʰie

tʰie˧˧

Sleep

ne

ne˥˥

One

tʃɿ

tʃɿ˧˧

Two

ȵi

ɲi˥˥

Three

tsʰi

tsʰi˥˥

Four

dʒɿ

dʒɿ˧˧

Five

ʁuɑ

ʁuɑ˧˧

Hundred

tʂʰi

tʂʰi˥˥

Hello

niə

niə

Thank you

—

—

Good

nɑ

nɑ˧˧

New

tsʰi

tsʰi˥˥

Red

χȵiȵi

χɲi˧˩ɲi˧˧

White

pʰʐi

pʰʐi˥˥

Black

ȵiȵi

ɲi˥˥ɲi˧˩

Green

χueχue

χue˧˧χue˧˩

Blue

lanȵi

lanɲi

Sugar

tɕʰytɕʰy

tɕʰy˧˩tɕʰy˥˥

Sources

Words compared

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

Meaning Southern QiangNorthern PumiYiNusuJinoAchangHani
Water tsuə /tsuə˧˧/ tɕɨ53 /tɕɨ˥˧/ ꒉ /ʑɿ˧˧/ ɹi31gɹɑ53 /ɹi˧˩ɡɹɑ˥˧/ ji31tʃho55 /ji˧˩tʃʰo˥˥/ ti55 /ti˥˥/ wulquvq /u˥˥tɕʰu˧˩/
Fire mi /mi˧˧/ mɐ35 /mɐ˧˥/ ꃆꄔ /mu˨˩tu˥/ mi55 /mi˥˥/ mi33 /mi˧˧/ poi31 /poi˧˩/ miqzaq /mi˧˩dza˧˩/
Sun masɿ /ma˧˧sɿ˥˥/ bu̵53 /bʉ˥˧/ ꉘꁮ /ho˧˧bu˧˧/ ȵi35ɑ55 /ɲi˧˥ɑ˥˥/ ȵɔ35 /ɲɔ˧˥/ ni31 mɔ31 /ni˧˩ mɔ˧˩/ naolma /nɔ˥˥ma˧˧/
Moon ɕyɕya /ɕy˧˧ɕya˥˥/ ɬi55 /ɬi˥˥/ ꆪ /ɬɯ˨˩/ ɬɑ31 /ɬɑ˧˩/ pu33ɬa44 /pu˧˧ɬa˦˦/ pʰă31 lɔʔ31 /pʰă˧˩ lɔʔ˧˩/ bala /ba˧˧la˧˧/
Star χdʐepe /χdʐe˧˧pe˥˥/ dʐə35 /ɖʐə˧˥/ ꃅꏸ /mu˧˧tɕɿ˧˧/ kɹe31lɔ35 /kɹe˧˩lɔ˧˥/ pu33ke33 /pu˧˧ke˧˧/ kʰʐə55 /kʰʐə˥˥/ aqgeel /a˧˩ɡɯ˥˥/
Night mudʑo /mu˧˧dʑo˨˦˩/ ɕyɛ55 /ɕyɛ˥˥/ ꃅꌋ /mu˧˧si˧˧/ suɑʴ35nɑ35 /suɑ˞˧˥nɑ˧˥/ mi33tɕhø33 /mi˧˧tɕʰø˧˧/ ni31 tɕʰot35 /ni˧˩ tɕʰot˧˥/ aoqqivq /ɔ˧˩tɕi˧˩/
Rain maʐi /ma˧˩ʐi˥˥/ gui53 /ɡui˥˧/ ꂷꉐ /ma˧˧ha˧˧/ mɯ55ɑ31ɹuɑ55 /mɯ˥˥ɑ˧˩ɹuɑ˥˥/ mi31tha55 /mi˧˩tʰa˥˥/ mau31 ʐo55 /mau˧˩ ʐo˥˥/ aoqsseil /ɔ˧˩ze˥˥/
Snow məpɑ /mə˧˩pɑ˥˥/ pu̵53 /pʉ˥˧/ ꃰ /vo˧˧/ vɑ55 /vɑ˥˥/ njɛ33ji44 /ɲɛ˧˧ji˦˦/ xan31 ʑai55 /xan˧˩ ʑai˥˥/ haqju /xa˧˩dʑu˧˧/
Page 1/9

Open the interactive map: Word Map · HanMap · Name Map · Word Order · Tree

Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.

Made by Heuron Inc. · GitHub · cho@heuron.com · LangMap home