Standard Zhuang
Standard Zhuang (autonym: Vahcuengh (pre-1982: Vaƅcueŋƅ; Sawndip: 话壮); simplified Chinese: 壮语; traditional Chinese: 壯語; pinyin: Zhuàngyǔ) is the official standardized form of the Zhuang languages. Its pronunciation is based on that of the dialect of Shuangqiao in Wuming County (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), with some influence from Fuliang, also in Wuming,[1] while its vocabulary is a mix of Northern Zhuang. It is the national standard of the Zhuang languages, though in Yunnan a local standard is used.[2]
Phonology
Standard Zhuang has six tones, reduced to two (numbered 7–8) in checked syllables:
| Number |
Letter |
Contour |
Description |
Example |
Gloss |
| 1 |
(none) |
˨˦ |
rising |
son |
to teach |
| 2 |
-z |
˧˩ |
low falling |
mwngz |
you(sing.) |
| 3 |
-j |
˥ |
high level |
hwnj |
to climb up |
| 4 |
-x |
˦˨ |
falling |
max |
a horse |
| 5 |
-q |
˧˥ |
high rising |
gvaq |
to cross |
| 6 |
-h |
˧ |
mid level |
dah |
a river |
| 7 long |
long vowel + -p/t/k |
˧˥ |
high rising |
bak |
a mouth |
| 7 short |
short vowel + -p/t/k |
˥ |
high level |
daep |
a liver |
| 8 |
-b/g/d |
˧ |
mid level |
bag
daeb |
to hack
to stack |
The sentence Son mwngz hwnj max gvaq dah "Teach you to climb on a horse to cross a river" is often used to help people remember the six tones.
Classification
Standard Zhuang is an artificial mixture of several Zhuang languages. The lexicon is based on various Northern Zhuang dialects. The phonology is essentially that of Shuangqiao, with the addition of ny, ei, ou from Fuliang, both located in Wuming County. Zhang (1999), along with other Chinese scholars, classifies Shuangqiao dialect as Northern Tai (Northern Zhuang),[3] while Pittayaporn (2009) places it outside of Northern Tai proper, though closely related to it.[4] (See Tai languages#Pittayaporn (2009).) Shuangqiao was chosen for the standard pronunciation in the 1950s because it was considered to be Northern Zhuang but with characteristics of Southern Zhuang.
Domains of use
Standard Zhuang is mainly used in domains where Zhuang was not previously used. It is used for mass media such news broadcasts and newspapers. It is used for writing stories and modern songs, however songs in the traditional folk style are usually written in sawndip. It is one of the official languages of China that appears on bank notes, all Chinese laws must be published in it, and it is used for bilingual signs. Whilst used for adult literacy programs it is currently only taught in a very small percent of primary and secondary schools in Zhuang speaking areas.
Differences from Wuming Zhuang
While Standard Zhuang is largely pronounced as Shuangqiao Wuming dialect, there is a degree of purposeful dialect mixture in vocabulary:
| Standard |
IPA |
Wuming |
IPA |
gloss |
| gyaeuj |
kʲau˥ |
raeuj |
ɣau˥ |
head |
| da |
ta˨˦ |
ra |
ɣa˨˦ |
eye |
| ga |
ɡa˨˦ |
ha |
ha˨˦ |
leg |
Writing systems
In 1957 the People's Republic of China introduced a Latin alphabet with some special letters for the newly standardized Zhuang language. The alphabet included a mixture of modified Cyrillic and IPA letters; the Cyrillic letters, however, were used because their shapes approximated those of the numerals previously used to write tone, and so have no connection to the sounds of actual Cyrillic. A spelling reform in 1982 replaced both the Cyrillic and IPA letters with Latin letters to facilitate printing and computer use.[5]
The tables below illustrate the 1982 reform, with changes in green.
Consonants
| 1957 |
1982 |
IPA |
1957 |
1982 |
IPA |
1957 |
1982 |
IPA |
1957 |
1982 |
IPA |
1957 |
1982 |
IPA |
| B b |
B b |
/p/ |
Ƃ ƃ |
Mb mb |
/ɓ/ |
M m |
M m |
/m/ |
F f |
F f |
/f/ |
V v |
V v |
/β/ |
| D d |
D d |
/t/ |
Ƌ ƌ |
Nd nd |
/ɗ/ |
N n |
N n |
/n/ |
S s |
S s |
/θ/ |
L l |
L l |
/l/ |
| G g |
G g |
/k/ |
Gv gv |
Gv gv |
/kʷ/ |
Ŋ ŋ |
Ng ng |
/ŋ/ |
H h |
H h |
/h/ |
R r |
R r |
/ɣ/ |
| C c |
C c |
/ɕ/ |
Y y |
Y y |
/j/ |
Ny ny |
Ny ny |
/ɲ/ |
Ŋv ŋv |
Ngv ngv |
/ŋʷ/ |
| By by |
By by |
/pʲ/ |
Gy gy |
Gy gy |
/kʲ/ |
My my |
My my |
/mʲ/ |
Vowels
| 1957 |
1982 |
IPA |
1957 |
1982 |
IPA |
1957 |
1982 |
IPA |
| A a |
A a |
/aː/ |
E e |
E e |
/e/ |
Ə ə |
AE ae |
/a/ |
| I i |
I i |
/i/ |
O o |
O o |
/oː/ |
Ɯ ɯ |
W w |
/ɯ/ |
| U u |
U u |
/u/ |
Ɵ ɵ |
OE oe |
/o/ |
|
Tones
| Tone |
1957 |
1982 |
Tone contour |
IPA |
| 1 |
(no letter) |
24 |
/˨˦/ |
| 2 |
Ƨ ƨ |
Z z |
31 |
/˧˩/ |
| 3 |
З з |
J j |
55 |
/˥/ |
| 4 |
Ч ч |
X x |
42 |
/˦˨/ |
| 5 |
Ƽ ƽ |
Q q |
35 |
/˧˥/ |
| 6 |
Ƅ ƅ |
H h |
33 |
/˧/ |
|
The Old Zhuang script, sawndip, is a Chinese character–based writing system, similar to Vietnamese chữ nôm. Some sawndip logograms were borrowed directly from Chinese, while others were created from the existing components of Chinese characters. Sawndip has been used for over one thousand years for various Zhuang dialects. Unlike Chinese, sawndip has never been standardized, and authors may differ in their choices of characters, or spelling. Although Standard Zhuang may be written in sawndip, sawndip is not part of the official writing system.
Example
First article of the Declaration of Human Rights.
| Latin script |
| 1957 |
1982 |
English |
| Bouч bouч ma dəŋƨ laзƃɯn couƅ miƨ cɯyouƨ, cinƅyenƨ cəuƽ genƨli bouчbouч biŋƨdəŋз. Gyɵŋƽ vunƨ miƨ liзsiŋ cəuƽ lieŋƨsim, ɯŋdaŋ daiƅ gyɵŋƽ de lumз beiчnueŋч ityieŋƅ. |
Boux boux ma daengz lajmbwn couh miz cwyouz, cinhyenz caeuq genzli bouxboux bingzdaengj. Gyoengq vunz miz lijsing caeuq liengzsim, wngdang daih gyoengq de lumj beixnuengx ityiengh. |
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. |
References
- ^ 张均如 / Zhang Junru, et. al. 壮语方言研究 / Zhuang yu fang yan yan jiu [A Study of Zhuang dialects]. Chengdu: 四川民族出版社 / Sichuan min zu chu ban she, 1999. page 429f ISBN7-5409-2293-1/H.75
- ^ The standard for Yunnan Zhuang http://www.wszhuangzu.cn/yuyan/yy/201107/391.html and http://www.wszhuangzu.cn/yuyan/yy/201107/392.html
- ^ 张均如 / Zhang Junru, et. al. 壮语方言研究 / Zhuang yu fang yan yan jiu [A Study of Zhuang dialects]. Chengdu: 四川民族出版社 / Sichuan min zu chu ban she, 1999.
- ^ Pittayaporn, Pittayawat. 2009. The Phonology of Proto-Tai. Ph.D. dissertation. Department of Linguistics, Cornell University.
- ^ Minglang Zhou, Multilingualism in China: the politics of writing reforms for minority languages 1949-2002 (Berlin, Mouton de Gruyter 2003), ISBN 3-11-017896-6, pp. 251–258.