Lingling (Chinese: Linghua 伶话 Línghuà or Lingling hua; Lingling: ) is an unclassified mixed Chinese language. It is spoken by 20,000 ethnic Miao in Longsheng County, Guangxi. It is only spoken within the community; with outsiders, Southwestern Mandarin is spoken.
He (2009) covers the Linghua dialect of Taiping (太平村), Pingdeng Township (平等乡), Longsheng County, Guangxi.
A description of the Taipingtang 太平塘村 dialect of Linghua can be found in Wang (2014). (Originally published in Fangyan 方言 1979(2):137-141; 1979(3):231-240)
Phonology
Consonants + ConsonantsLabialAlveolarRetroflexAlveolo-palatalVelarplainlateralPlosive/Affricateplain p t tɬ tʂ tɕ kaspirated pʰ tʰ tɬʰ tʂʰ tɕʰ kʰvoiced b d dl dʑ gNasal m n ŋFricative f s ɬ ɕ hApproximant w l
Vowels Front Central Back Closeiyu Midəɔ Opena
Tones + Tones Tone category Tone value A1 ˥ (5) A2 ˨ (2) B1 ˧ (3) B2 ˦ (4) C ˦ (4) D ˨ (2)
Vocabulary This section lists sample vocabulary in Linghua from Wang (2014). Translated English glosses have also been provided.
Pronouns sg. pl. 1st person ŋa˧ ŋai˧ 2nd person ŋ̍˧ ŋ̍˧liɛ˥ 3rd person tʰa˥, i˥ i˥liɛ˥
Numerals Numeral Linghua 1 i˨ 2 ni˦ 3 ɬa˥ 4 ɬi˦ 5 ŋ̍˧ 6 liu˨ 7 tɬʰi˨ 8 pia˨ 9 tɕiu˧ 10 dl̩˨
Nature Chinese gloss English gloss Linghua 天 sky tʰiɛ˥ 太阳 sun ni˨dau˨/˥ 月亮 moon wei˨liɔ˦ 星星 star ɬiɛ˥liɛ˧ 云 cloud uŋ˨wu˦ 雨 rain u˧ 风 wind puŋ˥ 山 mountain ɬai˥ 田 field diɛ˨
Body parts Chinese gloss English gloss Linghua 头 head dau˨ 头发 hair (of head) dau˨pei˨/˥ 脸 face miɛ˦ 耳朵 ear niɛ˧tɔ˧ 眼睛 eye ŋai˧tɬiɛ˥ 鼻子 nose bi˨haŋ˧ 嘴 mouth hau˧ 舌头 tongue iɛ˨liɛ˧ 牙齿 tooth ŋa˨tɬʰl̩˧ 脖子 neck tɕiɛ˧kuai˧ 肩 shoulder kai˥dau˨ 脊背 back pei˦ 手 hand ɕiu˧ 脚 leg, foot tɕiɔ˨ 心 heart ɬiŋ˥ 肉 meat, flesh nai˦ 皮 skin bi˨ 骨头 bone gy˧ 左 left (side) tɬɔ˧ 右 right (side) iu˦
References
He Danpeng [何丹鵬]. 2009. 廣西龍勝伶話語音的歷史層次研究 [Study of the Longsheng (Guangxi) Linghua phonology and its historical strata]. Ph.D. dissertation. City University of Hong Kong. Ming studies, 34–35:55, University of Minnesota, 1990