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Zhuang languages

Various Tai languages used by the Zhuang people of southern China

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Through China

The Tai languages are believed to have been originally spoken in what is now southern China, with speakers of the Southwestern Tai languages, which include Thai (modern-day Thailand), Lao (modern-day Laos) and Shan (modern-day Shan State, Myanmar) having emigrated south in the face of Chinese expansion. Noting that both the Zhuang and Thai peoples have the same exonym for the Vietnamese, kɛɛuA1, from the Chinese commandery of Jiaozhi in northern Vietnam, Jerold A. Edmondson posited that the split between Zhuang and the Southwestern Tai languages happened no earlier than the founding of Jiaozhi in 112 BC. He also argues that the departure of the Thai from southern China must predate the 5th century AD, when the Tai who remained in China began to take family names.

Surveys

Zhāng Jūnrú's (張均如) Zhuàngyǔ Fāngyán Yánjiù (壯語方言研究 [A Study of Zhuang dialects]) is the most detailed study of Zhuang dialectology published to date. It reports survey work carried out in the 1950s, and includes a 1465-word list covering 36 varieties of Zhuang. For the list of the 36 Zhuang variants below from Zhang (1999), the name of the region (usually county) is given first, followed by the specific village. The phylogenetic position of each variant follows that of Pittayaporn (2009) (see Tai languages#Pittayaporn (2009)).

  1. Wuming – Shuāngqiáo 雙橋 – Subgroup M
  2. Hengxian – Nàxù 那旭 – Subgroup N
  3. Yongning (North) – Wǔtáng 五塘 – Subgroup N
  4. Pingguo – Xīnxū 新圩 – Subgroup N
  5. Tiandong – Héhéng 合恒 – Subgroup N
  6. Tianlin – Lìzhōu 利周 – Subgroup N
  7. Lingyue – Sìchéng 泗城 – Subgroup N
  8. Guangnan (Shā people 沙族) – Zhěméng Township 者孟鄉 – Subgroup N
  9. Qiubei – Gēhán Township 戈寒鄉 – Subgroup N
  10. Liujiang – Bǎipéng 百朋 – Subgroup N
  11. Yishan – Luòdōng 洛東 – Subgroup N
  12. Huanjiang – Chéngguǎn 城管 – Subgroup N
  13. Rong'an – Ānzì 安治 – Subgroup N
  14. Longsheng – Rìxīn 日新 – Subgroup N
  15. Hechi – Sānqū 三區 – Subgroup N
  16. Nandan – Méma 麼麻 – Subgroup N
  17. Donglan – Chéngxiāng 城廂 – Subgroup N
  18. Du'an – Liùlǐ 六里 – Subgroup N
  19. Shanglin – Dàfēng 大豐 – Subgroup N
  20. Laibin – Sìjiǎo 寺腳 – Subgroup N
  21. Guigang – Shānběi 山北 – Subgroup N
  22. Lianshan – Xiǎosānjiāng 小三江 – Subgroup N
  23. Qinzhou – Nàhé Township 那河鄉 – Subgroup I
  24. Yongning (South) – Xiàfāng Township 下枋鄉 – Subgroup M
  25. Long'an – Xiǎolín Township 小林鄉 – Subgroup M
  26. Fusui (Central) – Dàtáng Township 大塘鄉 – Subgroup M
  27. Shangsi – Jiàodīng Township 叫丁鄉 – Subgroup C
  28. Chongzuo – Fùlù Township 福鹿鄉 – Subgroup C
  29. Ningming – Fēnghuáng Township 鳳璜鄉 – Subgroup B
  30. Longzhou – Bīnqiáo Township 彬橋鄉 – Subgroup F
  31. Daxin – Hòuyì Township 後益鄉 – Subgroup H
  32. Debao – Yuándì'èrqū 原第二區 – Subgroup L
  33. Jingxi – Xīnhé Township 新和鄉 – Subgroup L
  34. Guangnan (Nóng people 儂族) – Xiǎoguǎngnán Township 小廣南鄉 – Subgroup L
  35. Yanshan (Nóng people 儂族) – Kuāxī Township 誇西鄉 – Subgroup L
  36. Wenma (Tǔ people 土族) – Hēimò Township 黑末鄉大寨, Dàzhài – Subgroup P

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