Loloish languages
| Loloish | |
|---|---|
| Yi, Ngwi, Nisoic | |
| Ethnicity: | Yi people |
| Geographic distribution: |
Southern China and Southeast Asia |
| Linguistic classification: |
Sino-Tibetan
|
| Proto-language: | Proto-Loloish |
| Subdivisions: | |
| Glottolog: | lolo1267 |
The Loloish languages, also known as Yi in China and occasionally Ngwi (Bradley 1997) or Nisoic (Lama 2012), are a family of fifty to a hundred Sino-Tibetan languages. They are most closely related to Burmese and its relatives. Both the Loloish and Burmish branches are well defined, as is their superior node, Lolo–Burmese. However, subclassification is more contentious. All Loloish languages show significant Austroasiatic influence.
Loloish is the traditional name for the family. Some publications avoid the term under the misapprehension that Lolo is pejorative. Lolo is the Chinese rendition of the autonym of the Yi people, and it is only pejorative when written with a particular Chinese character (one that uses a beast rather than human radical), a practice that was prohibited by the Chinese government in the 1950s.
David Bradley uses the name Ngwi, which is also used by Ethnologue, and Lama (2012) uses Nisoic. Paul K. Benedict coined the term Yipho, from Yi and a common autonym element (-po or -pho), but it never gained wide usage.
Loloish is traditionally divided into a northern branch, with Lisu and the numerous Yi languages, and a southern branch, with everything else. However, per Bradley (1997) and Thurgood (2003:8) there is also a central branch, with languages from both northern and southern. Bradley (2002, 2007) adds a fourth, southeastern branch:
Ugong is divergent; Bradley (1997) places it with the Burmish languages. The Tujia language is difficult to classify due to massive influence from both Yi and Chinese. Bai also has numerous connections to Loloish, but its oldest core of vocabulary appears to be Old Chinese, and so it may be a Sinitic rather than Loloish language. Other unclassified Loloish languages are Gokhy (Gɔkhý), Ayizi and Chesu ('Northern'), Lopi, Ache, Limi, and Mili.
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