The Southern Zhuang Languages of Yunnan Province’s Wenshan Prefecture from a Sociolinguistic Perspective

Alternative Titles: 
从社会语言学方面看云南省文山州的壮语南部方言
Date Created: 
2007
Extent: 
49 pages
Abstract: 
Although the majority of China’s 16 million Zhuang nationality people live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, over one million Zhuang also live in Yunnan Province, mostly in the Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in the extreme southeast of the province. More than half of these Zhuang speak Central Taic languages collectively known to linguists as “Southern Zhuang,” but referred to by their speakers as “Nong,” “Dai,” and “Min.” The goal of this paper is to introduce the sociolinguistic situation of the Yunnan Southern Zhuang languages, especially focusing on the current language use situation in rural Southern Zhuang villages, the present vitality of these languages and their prospects for future preservation and development.
Publication Status: 
Draft (posted 'as is' without peer review)
Table of Contents: 
1 Introduction 4 1.1 The Taic Languages 4 1.2 The Central Taic Languages 5 1.3 Geography and Population 6 1.4 Ethnic History and Identity 7 1.4.1 The Dai Zhuang 9 1.4.2 The Nong Zhuang 10 1.4.3 The Min Zhuang 12 2 Language Use 12 2.1 The Linguistic Milieu 12 2.2 Language Use Research Methodology 13 2.3 Nong Zhuang Language Use Datapoints 16 2.3.1 Geji Village in Xichou County 16 2.3.2 Jiangdong Village in Malipo County 17 2.3.3 Xia Douyue Village in Guangnan County 18 2.3.4 Summary of Nong Zhuang Language Use Situation 21 2.4 Dai Zhuang Language Use Datapoints 21 2.4.1 Xiao Minghu Village, Wenshan County (Northern Dai Zhuang) 21 2.4.2 Niutouzhai and Shuichezhai villages, Wenshan County (Central Dai Zhuang) 22 2.4.3 Dai Zhuang Language Use Conclusions 24 2.5 The Min Zhuang village of Guixun-Anhe 24 2.6 Language Attitudes among Yunnan Southern Zhuang Speakers 25 2.7 Factors Affecting Bilingualism Patterns among Yunnan Southern Zhuang Speakers 26 2.7.1 Local Contact with Other Ethnolinguistic Groups 26 2.7.2 Formal Education 26 2.7.3 Wage Labor Internal Migration 27 2.7.4 Summary of the Yunnan Southern Zhuang Bilingualism Situation 27 3 How Threatened or Endangered are the Central Taic Languages of Wenshan Prefecture? 28 3.1 Fishman’s “Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale” 28 3.2 Landweer’s “Eight Indicators of Linguistic Vitality” 29 3.3 UNESCO’s Language Vitality Assessment Factors 32 4 Conclusion 34 5 Acknowledgements 35 6 Bibliography 36 7 Appendix A: Yunnan Province Zhuang Populations 43 8 Appendix B: Major Zhuang Ethnic Subgroups in Wenshan Prefecture 45 9 Appendix C: Zhuang Local Leader Language Use Questionnaire 46 10 Appendix D: Observation Schedule 50
Country: 
China
Content Language: 
Work Type: 
Nature of Work: 
Entry Number: 
41607