A'ou language

Kra language spoken in China From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A'ou (阿欧方言) or Red Gelao (红仡佬语) is an endangered Gelao language spoken by fewer than 100 people in Guizhou, China.[2] Only the Hongfeng (红丰) and Bigong (比贡) dialects are still spoken, each with only a few dozen speakers.

NativetoChina
RegionGuizhou
Native speakers
50 (2011)[1]
Kra–Dai
Quick facts Native to, Region ...
A'ou
Native toChina
RegionGuizhou
Native speakers
50 (2011)[1]
Kra–Dai
Language codes
ISO 639-3aou
Glottologaoua1234
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Dialects

The main dialects of A'ou, which all have limited mutual intelligibility, are:

  • Hongfeng (红丰)[3]
  • Bigong (比贡)[4]
  • Qiaoshang (桥上)[5] (extinct)

Only one elderly speaker of the Houzitian (猴子田) dialect was found in 2013, and it is likely now extinct.[6]

Mulao (木佬) is sometimes also included, in addition to Yi (羿), an extinct A'ou variety of Sichuan.[7]

Phonology

Consonants

More information Labial, Alveolar ...
Labial Alveolar (Alveolo-)
palatal		 Velar Uvular Glottal
plain retroflex
Stop voiceless p t k q ʔ
aspirated pʰ tʰ kʰ qʰ
voiced b d
Affricate voiceless ts tɕ
aspirated tsʰ tɕʰ
Fricative voiceless f s ɕ (x) χ h
voiced v z ʑ ɣ ʁ
Nasal m n ŋ
Lateral median l ɭ (ˀl)
fricative ɬ
Approximant w j
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  • Consonant clusters may include /pl, bl, vl, ml/.
  • /d/ may have an allophone of [ˀl], heard in free variation.
  • Nasal sounds /m, n, ŋ/ may be heard as prenasal sounds [ᵐb, ⁿt, ᵑɡ] when in combination with low tones in initial position.
  • /χ/ may also be heard as velar [x] in free variation.

Vowels

More information Front, Central ...
Front Central Back
Close i (ɯ) u
Mid ɛ (ə) (ɤ) ɔ
Open a
Syllabic ɹ̩
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  • Sounds /ə, ɯ, ɤ/ are only heard when in vowel diphthongs /əu, aɯ, əɯ, ɤu/ or triphthongs /iəɯ, iəu, uəɯ/.
  • /ə/ only rarely occurs as a monophthong.
  • /ɛ/ may also be heard as [e] in free variation.[4]

References

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