Zaiwa language

Zaiwa (autonym: tsau˧˩va˥˩; Tsaiwa, Tsaiva, 载瓦) is a language spoken in parts of China and Burma. There are around 100,000 speakers. It is also known as Atsi, its name in Jingpo. Other names for the language include Atzi, Azi, Aci, Aji, Atshi, Atsi-Maru, Maru, Zi, Tsaiwa, Szi, and Xiaoshanhua.^[3] Zaiwa is a member of the Burmish languages. Pela (Bola), 400 speakers, was once classified as a dialect. Zaiwa has also been developed, in 1957, into a written language and it uses Latin script.^[4]

Distribution

There are more than 70,000 Zaiwa speakers in Yunnan, China, including in:^[5]

• Bangwa 邦瓦, Longchuan County 陇川县
• Zhanxi 盏西, Yingjiang County 盈江县
• Xishan 西山, Luxi County 潞西县

The Ethnologue lists Bengwa, Longzhun, and Tingzhu as dialects.

Tones

Zaiwa has five tones. Three of these five tones are in unchecked syllables and the remaining two are in checked syllables.^[4] The tones are distinguished through a numbering system of one to five; one being the lowest pitch and five the highest pitch.^[6]

References

• 程黙 Chéng Mò. 1956. ‘載瓦語簡介 Zàiwǎ yǔ jiǎnjiè [Introduction to the Zaiwa Language]’, 中国語文 Zhōngguó yǔwén [Chinese Language] 53 (November), 41-44.
• Yabu Shirō 藪 司郎 (1982). アツィ語基礎語彙集 / Atsigo kiso goishū / Classified dictionary of the Atsi or Zaiwa language (Sadon dialect) with Atsi, Japanese and English indexes. Tokyo: 東京外国語大学アジア・アフリカ言語文化研究所 Tōkyō Gaikokugo Daigaku Ajia Afurika Gengo Bunka Kenkyūjo.
• Yabu Shirō 藪 司郎 (1988). A preliminary report on the study of the Maru, Lashi and Atsi languages of Burma. In Yoshiaki Ishizawa (ed.), Historical and cultural studies in Burma, 65-132. Tokyo: Institute of Asian Studies, Sophia University.
• Lustig, Anton (2010). A grammar and dictionary of Zaiwa. Leiden: Brill.
• Yanhua Zhu 朱艳华, Lepaizaosha 勒排早扎著, and Qingxia Dai 戴庆厦 (2013). 遮放载瓦语参考语法 [Reference Grammar of Zhefang Zaiwa] Zhefang Zaiwa yu can kao yu fa. Beijing: 中国社会科学出版社 Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe.