Zhuang Languages - Varieties

Varieties

The Zhuang language (or language group) has been divided by Chinese linguists into northern and southern "dialects" (fangyan 方言 in Chinese) each of which has been divided into a number of vernacular varieties (known as Tǔyǔ 土语 in Chinese) by Chinese linguists (Zhang & Wei 1997; Zhang 1999:29-30). The Wuming dialect of Yongbei Zhuang, classified within the "Northern Zhuang dialect," is considered to be the "standard" or prestige dialect of Zhuang, developed by the government for certain official usages. While Southern Zhuang varieties have aspirated stops, Northern Zhuang varieties lack them. There are over 60 distinct tonal systems with 5–11 tones depending on the variety.

Northern Zhuang (8,572,200 speakers; dialects north of the Yongjiang River. ISO 639 ccx prior to 2007)

• 1. Guibei 桂北 - 1,290,000 speakers : Luocheng, Huanjiang, Rongshui, Rong'an, Sanjiang, Yongfu, Longsheng, Hechi, Nandan, Tian'e, Donglan (ISO 639 zgb)
• 2. Liujiang 柳江 - 1,297,000 speakers : Liujiang, Laibin North, Yishan, Liucheng, Xincheng (ISO 639 zlj)
• 3. Hongshui He 红水河 - 2,823,000 speakers : Laibin South, Du'an, Mashan, Shilong, Guixian, Luzhai, Lipu, Yangshuo
• 4. Yongbei 邕北 - 1,448,000 speakers : Yongning North, Wuming (prestige dialect), Binyang, Hengxian, Pingguo (ISO 639 zyb)
• 5. Youjiang 右江 - 732,000 speakers : Tiandong, Tianyang, Baise; Youjiang River basin area (ISO 639 zyj)
• 6. Guibian 桂边 (Yei) - 827,000 speakers : Fengshan, Lingyun, Tianlin, Longlin, Yunnan Guangnan North (ISO 639 zgn)
• 7. Qiubei 丘北 (Yei) - 122,000 speakers : Yunnan Qiubei area (ISO 639 zqe)
• 8. Lianshan 连山 - 33,200 speakers : Lianshan, Huaiji North (ISO 639 zln)

Southern Zhuang (4,232,000 speakers; dialects south of the Yongjiang River. ISO 639 ccy prior to 2007)

• 9. Yongnan 邕南 - 1,466,000 speakers : Yongning South, Fusui Central and North, Long'an, Jinzhou, Shangse, Chongzuo areas
• 10. Zuojiang 左江 - 1,384,000 speakers : Longzhou (Longjin), Daxin, Tiandeng, Ningming; Zuojiang River basin area
• 11. Dejing 得靖 - 979,000 speakers : Jingxi, Debao, Mubian, Napo
• 12. Yanguang 砚广 (Nong) - 308,000 speakers : Yunnan Guangnan South, Yanshan area
• 13. Wenma 文马 (Dai) - 95,000 speakers : Yunnan Wenshan, Malipo, Guibian

Zhāng Jūnrú's (张均如) Zhuàngyǔ Fāngyán Yánjiù (壮语方言研究 ) is the most detailed study of Zhuang dialectology ever published to date. It includes a 1465-word list covering 36 varieties of Zhuang. For the list of the 36 Zhuang variants below from Zhang (1999), the region (usually county) is given first, with the name of the specific village listed after the hyphen. The phylogenetic position of each variant follows that of Pittayaporn (2009) (see Tai languages#Pittayaporn (2009)).

1. Wǔmíng 武鸣 - Shuāngqiáo 双桥 - Subgroup M
2. Héngxiàn 横县 - Nàxù 那旭 - Subgroup N
3. Yōngběi 邕北 (邕宁北部) - Wǔtáng 五塘 - Subgroup N
4. Píngguǒ 平果 - Xīnyú 新于 - Subgroup N
5. Tiándōng 田东 - Héxuān 合愃 - Subgroup N
6. Tiánlín 田林 - Lìzhōu 利周 - Subgroup N
7. Língyuè 凌乐 - Sìchéng 泗城 - Subgroup N
8. Guǎngnán 广南 (Shā people 沙族) - Zhěméng Township 者孟乡 - Subgroup N
9. Qiūběi 丘北 - Gēhán Township 戈寒乡 - Subgroup N
10. Liǔjiāng 柳江 - Bǎipéng 百朋 - Subgroup N
11. Yíshān 宜山 - Luòdōng 洛东 - Subgroup N
12. Huánjiāng 环江 - Chéngguǎn 城管 - Subgroup N
13. Róng'ān 融安 - Ānzì 安治 - Subgroup N
14. Lóngshèng 龙胜 - Rìxīn 日新 - Subgroup N
15. Héchí 河池 - Sānqū 三区 - Subgroup N
16. Nándān 南丹 - Mémá 么麻 - Subgroup N
17. Dōnglán 东兰 - Chéngxiāng 城厢 - Subgroup N
18. Dū'ān 都安 - Liùlǐ 六里 - Subgroup N
19. Shànglín 上林 - Dàfēng 大丰 - Subgroup N
20. Láibīn 来宾 - Sìjiǎo 寺脚 - Subgroup N
21. Guìgǎng 贵港 - Shānběi 山北 - Subgroup N
22. Liánshān 连山 - Xiǎosānjiāng 小三江 - Subgroup N
23. Qīnzhōu 钦州 - Nàhé Township 那河乡 - Subgroup I
24. Yōngnán 邕南 - Xiàfāng Township 下枋乡 - Subgroup M
25. Lóng'ān 隆安 - Xiǎolín Township 小林乡 - Subgroup M
26. Fúsuí (Central) 扶绥中部 - Dàtáng Township 大塘乡 - Subgroup M
27. Shàngsī 上思 - Jiàodīng Township 叫丁乡 - Subgroup C
28. Chóngzuǒ 崇左 - Fùlù Township 福鹿乡 - Subgroup C
29. Níngmíng 宁明 - Fēnghuáng Township 凤璜乡 - Subgroup B
30. Lóngzhōu 龙州 - Bīnqiáo Township 彬桥乡 - Subgroup F
31. Dàxīn 大新 - Hòuyì Township 后益乡 - Subgroup H
32. Débǎo 德保 - Yuándì'èrqū 原第二区 - Subgroup L
33. Jìngxī 靖西 - Xīnhé Township 新和乡 - Subgroup L
34. Guǎngnán 广南 (Nóng people 侬族) - Xiǎoguǎngnán Township 小广南乡 - Subgroup L
35. Yánshān 砚山 (Nóng people 侬族) - Kuāxī Township 夸西乡 - Subgroup L
36. Wénmǎ 文马 (Tǔ people 土族) - Dàzhài, Hēimò Township 黑末乡大寨 - Subgroup P

Johnson (2011) distinguishes four distinct Zhuang languages in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan, China: Nong Zhuang, Yei Zhuang, Dai Zhuang, and Min Zhuang. Min Zhuang is a recently discovered variety that has never been described previous to Johnson (2011). (See also Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture#Ethnic groups)