Paha language
Encyclopedia
Paha is a Kra language spoken in northern Guangnan County
, Wenshan Prefecture
, Yunnan
. The two villages are located near the border with Longlin County
, Guangxi
. Paha is often considered to be part of the Buyang
dialect cluster and is the most divergent form. Although listed in Ethnologue
as Baha Buyang (ISO 639-3: yha), Thai linguist Weera Ostapirat considers Paha to be a separate language.
Within Guangnan County
(广南县), Yunnan
, the Paha language is spoken in the two villages of Yangliancun 央连村 (from Zhuang
jaaŋ24 lɛŋ31, or "lonely Buyang [village]") in Diyu Township 底于乡 and Anshecun 安舍村 in Bada Township 八达乡. While Yanglian has around 500 Paha speakers, Anshe only has about 100 speakers left. Paha speakers are shifting rapidly to Zhuang and Southwestern Mandarin
, particularly in Anshe village. Many Buyang men in Yanglian village are also married to Zhuang women.
Unlike the Buyang
dialects of Langjia, Ecun, and Yalang, Paha negatives (such as pi45) precede the verb, whereas the Buyang dialects always place negatives at the end of a sentence. This phenomenon in Paha is probably due to Chinese influence.
Guangnan County
Guangnan County is located in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China.-Climate:-Historical sites:Grave of Princess Anhua...
, Wenshan Prefecture
Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in Yunnan Province, China.-Subdivisions:-Ethnic groups:Wenshan is highly diverse...
, Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
. The two villages are located near the border with Longlin County
Longlin Various Nationalities Autonomous County
Longlin Various Nationalities Autonomous County is an autonomous county, under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Baise, in western Guangxi, China, near the border with Yunnan and Guizhou....
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
. Paha is often considered to be part of the Buyang
Buyang language
Buyang is a Tai–Kadai language spoken in Guangnan and Funing counties, Yunnan Province, China by the Buyang people. It is important to the reconstruction of Austro-Tai as it retains the disyllabic roots characteristic of Austronesian languages. Examples are "to die", "eye", "head", and "eight"...
dialect cluster and is the most divergent form. Although listed in Ethnologue
Ethnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
as Baha Buyang (ISO 639-3: yha), Thai linguist Weera Ostapirat considers Paha to be a separate language.
Within Guangnan County
Guangnan County
Guangnan County is located in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China.-Climate:-Historical sites:Grave of Princess Anhua...
(广南县), Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, the Paha language is spoken in the two villages of Yangliancun 央连村 (from Zhuang
Standard Zhuang
The standard Zhuang language is the variety of Zhuang spoken in Wuming County in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, where it is an official language.-Classification:...
jaaŋ24 lɛŋ31, or "lonely Buyang [village]") in Diyu Township 底于乡 and Anshecun 安舍村 in Bada Township 八达乡. While Yanglian has around 500 Paha speakers, Anshe only has about 100 speakers left. Paha speakers are shifting rapidly to Zhuang and Southwestern Mandarin
Southwestern Mandarin
Southwestern Mandarin , also known as Upper Yangtze Mandarin , is a primary branch of Mandarin Chinese spoken by Han Chinese people throughout many regions of central and southwestern China, such as Sichuan, Yunnan, Chongqing, Guizhou, most parts of Hubei, the western part of Hunan, the northern...
, particularly in Anshe village. Many Buyang men in Yanglian village are also married to Zhuang women.
Unlike the Buyang
Buyang language
Buyang is a Tai–Kadai language spoken in Guangnan and Funing counties, Yunnan Province, China by the Buyang people. It is important to the reconstruction of Austro-Tai as it retains the disyllabic roots characteristic of Austronesian languages. Examples are "to die", "eye", "head", and "eight"...
dialects of Langjia, Ecun, and Yalang, Paha negatives (such as pi45) precede the verb, whereas the Buyang dialects always place negatives at the end of a sentence. This phenomenon in Paha is probably due to Chinese influence.