Qiang (also Qiangish languages or Rma languages), called Rma (尔玛) or Rme by its speakers, and formerly spelled Kʻiang, is a Sino-Tibetan language cluster of the Qiangic branch spoken by approximately 140,000 people in north-central Sichuan Province, China.
Qiang consists of: Northern Qiang language (a non-tonal language) Southern Qiang language (a tonal language)
Writing systems Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme There have been two phonetic writing systems for Qiang commissioned by PRC authorities, both based on the Latin-script alphabet. The first design was commissioned centrally in 1958 following early PRC work on distinguishing minority ethnic groups in China, but was never officially promoted. The second system, known as the Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme (羌族拼音文字方案; Qiāngzú Pīnyīn Wénzì Fāng'àn) was commissioned by the local government of Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture and the provincial Ethnic Affairs Commission (EAC) of Sichuan in 1989. The Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme uses the 26 standard English alphabet letters, and is a standardised form based on the Qugu Qiang dialect, which belongs to the Northern dialect area but roughly situated at the linguistic middle point between the two dialects.
The Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme was completed in late 1990 and was approved for trial operation by the Sichuan provincial government in 1991, in tandem with recommending the Scheme for official approval by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission (NEAC) in 1991. In 1993, the NEAC requested the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences to organise an academic review, which concluded favourably, but the NEAC only informed their approval of the scheme to the provincial EAC by telephone. The Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme never ended up being officially published by the NEAC or other national authorities thereafter, although the Scheme was acknowledged as legitimate in one written report from the NEAC to the central government in 1999.
In 2015, the Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County government commissioned a Qiang language graded reader for schools, which uses the Qiang Phonetic Alphabet Scheme.
In 2019, a local TV station at Mao County started a weekly news programme using the Qiang language and the Latin-based alphabet.
Rma script
In 2017, Wei Jiuqiao () finalised their design of the Rma script. There is no published information as to whether the script is compatible with both the Northern Qiang language and the Southern Qiang language or if it is only compatible with one of the languages. In 2022, preliminary proposal was made to encode this system in the Universal Character Set of Unicode.
Consonants b//p//bb//m//f//w//wf//d//t//dd//n//lh//l//lr//g//k//gg//ng//h//hh//j//q//jj//x//xx//y//gv//kv//v//vh//vv//z//c//zz//s//ss//zh//ch//dh//sh//rr//
Vowels a//ae//ea//u//e//nn//i//ü//o////r//
Classification Sims (2016) Sims (2016) gives the following classification for the "Qiangish" (or "Rma") languages, which include Northern Qiang and Southern Qiang. Individual dialects are highlighted in italics. Qiangish Northern Qiang ('upstream' *nu- innovation group) NW Heishui: Luhua 芦花镇 Central Heishui Qinglang 晴朗乡 Zhawo 扎窝乡 Ciba 慈坝乡 Shuangliusuo 双溜索乡 uvular V's innovation group: Zhimulin 知木林乡, Hongyan 红岩乡, Mawo 麻窝乡 SE Heishui: Luoduo 洛多乡, Longba 龙坝乡, Musu 木苏乡, Shidiaolou 石碉楼乡 North Maoxian: Taiping 太平乡, Songpinggou 松坪沟乡 South Songpan: Xiaoxing 小姓乡, Zhenjiangguan 镇江关乡, Zhenping 镇坪乡 West Maoxian / South Heishui: Weigu 维古乡, Waboliangzi 瓦钵乡梁子, Se'ergu 色尔古镇, Ekou, Weicheng 维城乡, Ronghong, Chibusu 赤不苏镇, Qugu 曲谷乡 [basis for written language], Wadi 洼底乡, Baixi 白溪乡, Huilong 回龙乡, Sanlong 三龙乡 Central Maoxian: Heihu 黑虎乡 SE Maoxian (reflexive marker innovation): Goukou 沟口乡, Yonghe 永和乡 Southern Qiang (perfective agreement suffixes innovation group) 'inward' *ji innovation subgroup North Wenchuan: Longxi 龙溪乡 South Wenchuan: Miansi 绵虒镇 'downward' *ɚ innovation subgroup Western Lixian: Puxi 蒲溪乡, Xuecheng 薛城镇, Muka 木卡乡, Jiuzi 九子村 Eastern Lixian: Taoping 桃坪乡, Tonghua 通化乡
Sun, Liu & Huang (2024) Sun, Liu & Huang (2024) list the following dialects of Southern Qiang and Northern Qiang.Sūn, Hóngkāi; Liú, Guāngkūn; Huáng, Chénglóng [孙宏开，刘光坤，黄成龙] (2024). Qiāngyǔ fāngyán yánjiū [羌语方言研究]. China Social Sciences Academy Press [中国社会科学出版社]. .
Region Dialect Distribution Population Southern Daqishan (大岐山) Li County (理县): Xuecheng (薛城), Shangmeng (上孟), Xiameng (下孟), Xinglong (兴龙), Ganbao (甘堡), Liedai (列歹), Jiuzi (九子), Muka (木卡), Putou (朴头), Puxi (蒲溪), etc. 7,400 Southern Taoping (桃坪) Li County (理县): Taoping (桃坪), Jiashan (佳山), Ganxi (甘溪), Sancha (三叉), Zengtou (曾头), Niushan (牛山), Xishang (西商), Tonghua (通化), Gucheng (古城), etc. 4,900 Southern Longxi (龙溪) Wenchuan County (汶川县): Longxi (龙溪), Bulan (布兰), Baduo (巴夺), Xiazhuang (下庄), Mushang (木上), etc. 3,300 Southern Miansi (绵虒) Wenchuan County (汶川县): areas within Wenchuan County (汶川县) other than where the Longxi dialect (龙溪土语) is spoken 15,700 Southern Goukou (沟口)–Weimen (渭门) Mao County (茂县): Heihu (黑虎), Sujiaping (苏加坪), Feihong (飞虹), Goukou (沟口), Weimen (渭门), Jiaoyuanping (椒园坪), etc. 16,000 Southern Sanlong (三龙) Mao County (茂县): Fengyi (凤仪), Sanlong (三龙), Shaba (沙坝), Huilong (回龙), Baixi (白溪), Wadi (洼底), Yazhuzhai (雅珠寨), etc. 15,000 Southern Zhenjiangguan (镇江关) Mao County (茂县): Jiaochang (较场), Shidaguan (石大关), Taiping (太平), Songpinggou (松坪沟), etc.; the area west of Zhenjiangguan (镇江关) in Songpan County (松潘县) and some areas in Beichuan County (北川县) 19,000 Northern Yadu (雅都) Mao County (茂县): Chibusu (赤不苏), Yadu (雅都), Qugu (曲谷), Weicheng (维城) 以及 Heishui County (黑水县): Waboliangzi (瓦钵梁子), Se'ergu (色尔古), etc. 23,000 Northern Weigu (维古) Heishui County (黑水县): Weigu (维古), Musu (木苏), Longba (龙坝), Luoduo (洛多), Shidiaolou (石碉楼), etc. 11,000 Northern Mawo (麻窝) Heishui County (黑水县): Mawo (麻窝), Zhawo (扎窝), Shuangliusuo (双溜索), Xi'er (西尔), Hongyan (红岩), E'en (俄恩), etc. 12,000 Northern Cimulin (茨木林) Heishui County (黑水县): Cimulin (茨木林), Gewo (格窝), Wumushu (乌木树), Rewo (热窝), Qinglanggou (晴朗沟), etc. 9,800 Northern Luhua (芦花) Heishui County (黑水县): Luhua (芦花), Shashiduo (沙石多), Yangrong (羊茸), Zegai (泽盖), Ergulu (二古鲁), Zhuogedu (卓格都), etc. 14,000
The following Qiang dialects are documented in the comparative vocabulary table section of Sun, Liu & Huang (2024).
Daqishan (大岐山) Taoping (桃坪); Zengtou (曾头) Longxi (龙溪) Miansi (绵虒); Suoqiao (索桥) Goukou (沟口); Heihu (黑虎); Longchi (龙池) Sanlong (三龙) Qugu (曲谷) Yadu (雅都) Weigu (维古); Longba (龙坝); Musu (木苏) Cimulin (茨木林) Zhawo (扎窝); Mawo (麻窝) Luhua (芦花); Yangrong (羊茸) Songpan (松潘)
Vocabulary Autonyms (自称) by Qiang dialect, as well as the word for 'person, human being' (人):
Dialect autonym (Qiang) person Dàqíshān (大岐山) ʁma⁵³ mə³¹tsɿ⁵³ Táopíng (桃坪) χma³³ mə³³ Zēngtóu (曾头) χmɑ⁵⁵ mə³³ Lóngxī (龙溪) mɑ⁵⁵ mu³¹ Miánchí (绵篪) mɑ³¹ ma⁵³ Suǒqiáo (索桥) ʐmi³¹ ɦmə³¹ Gōukǒu (沟口) mɤ⁵⁵ tʂe³³tʂy⁵⁵ Hēihǔ (黑虎) məʴ⁵⁵ ba³³fə⁵⁵ Lóngchí (龙池) ʐme⁵⁵ mi⁵⁵ Sānlóng (三龙) ʐme⁵⁵ mi⁵⁵ Qūgǔ (曲谷) ɹme mi Yǎdū (雅都) ʐme mi Wéigǔ (维古) rma mi Lóngbà (龙坝) rma mi Mùsū (木苏) rma mi Címùlín (茨木林) rme nə Zhāwō (扎窝) rma nə Máwō (麻窝) rma nə Lúhuā (芦花) rme na Yángróng (羊茸) rme ȵə Sōngpān (松潘) ɣmep ȵi
A few basic body part words:
Dialect eye nose ear hand Dàqíshān (大岐山) mi⁴² χmə³ ~χəm̩³³ pa⁵⁵qa³¹ n̥³³ke⁵⁵ i⁵⁵ Táopíng (桃坪) mi⁵⁵ xni³¹qo⁵⁵pə³³ ni³¹ke³³ i³³ Zēngtóu (曾头) mi⁵⁵ xni³¹qo⁵⁵pə³³ ni³¹kie⁵⁵ i⁵⁵ Lóngxī (龙溪) ni⁵⁵mɑ⁵⁵to³¹ ti³³pɑ⁵⁵pi³³ ni³³qɑ⁵⁵ li³³pɑ⁵⁵ Miánchí (绵篪) ma³³tie⁵⁵ n̩³³qo⁵⁵pə³³ nə³¹ka⁵⁵ i³³pɑ⁵⁵ Suǒqiáo (索桥) mi⁵⁵ ɕi³¹qə⁵⁵ niu³¹ku⁵⁵ li³¹ Gōukǒu (沟口) mi⁵⁵ tɑ³³kɑp⁵⁵ nɤʂ³³ke⁵⁵ ʐi⁵⁵pɑ⁵⁵ Hēihǔ (黑虎) mi⁵⁵mi⁵⁵ stə³³pɑʴq⁵⁵ nə⁵⁵ku̥ə̥⁵⁵ dʐɑ³³pɑ⁵⁵ Lóngchí (龙池) mi⁵⁵mi⁵⁵ ɕtiq⁵⁵ niuk⁵⁵ lɑ³³pɑ⁵⁵ Sānlóng (三龙) mi⁵⁵mi⁵⁵ stə⁵⁵pɑq⁵⁵ nə⁵⁵ku̥ə̥³¹ iɑ³³pɑ⁵⁵ Qūgǔ (曲谷) – stuətsqɑp nəku̥ə̥ iɑpɑ Yǎdū (雅都) mei ɕtɕyəs nə⁵⁵ku̥ə̥ ipɑ Wéigǔ (维古) meː ʂtʂəq ȵiku̥ə̥ iːpɑ Lóngbà (龙坝) mei ʂəq ȵi⁵⁵ku̥ə̥ ipɑ Mùsū (木苏) me ʂtʂəq nəku̥ə̥ ɿəpɑ Címùlín (茨木林) qən stəqə nəku̥ə̥ dʐipɑ Zhāwō (扎窝) qən stəq nəku‘ dʐapɑ Máwō (麻窝) qən stɤq nəku̥ə̥ dʒəpɑ Lúhuā (芦花) qən stəq nəku̥ dʒəpɑ Yángróng (羊茸) qəȵə stəndʐʉ ȵək uə dʒəpɑ Sōngpān (松潘) miȵi xtəq ȵuku̥ lapa
Reconstruction Sims (2017) reconstructs tones for Proto-Rma (alternatively called Proto-Qiangish), proposing that the lack of tones in Northern Qiang is due to Tibetan influence. High tones and low tones are reconstructed for Proto-Rma, as well as for Proto-Prinmi.
References
Bibliography
Huáng, Chénglóng; Wáng, Bǎofēng; Máo, Míngjūn; Zhāng, Xī [黄成龙，王保锋，毛明军，张曦] (2019). Sìchuān Sōngpān Qiāngyǔ [四川松潘羌语]. Beijing: Commercial Press [商务印书馆].
Further reading