Mpi language

Mpi
Kaw
Native to	Thailand, perhaps China
Ethnicity	1,500 (2007)[1]
Native speakers	900 (2007)[1]
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman Lolo–Burmese Loloish Southern Loloish Bi-Ka Mpi
Language codes
ISO 639-3	mpz
Glottolog	mpii1239
ELP	Mpi

Mpi is a Loloish language of Thailand. The number of speakers is in decline. It is spoken in the following two villages in northern Thailand.

• Ban Dong, Tambon Suan Khuean สวนเขื่อน, Mueang Phrae District, Phrae Province (autonym: m̩˧pi˥˧ in Ban Dong)
• Ban Sakoeng, Tambon Yot ยอด, Song Khwae District, Nan Province (autonym: kɔ˥˧ in Ban Sakoeng)

Since the Mpi of Thailand migrated from Mengla, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China over 300 years ago, there could also possibly be Mpi speakers in China (Nahhas 2007).

Phonology

Mpi has six tones and two phonations in its vowels, modal voice and stiff voice:

Tone	Modal voice	Stiff voice
Low	sì 'blood'	sì̬ 'seven'
Low rising	si᷅ 'putrid'	si̬᷅ 'dried up'
Mid	sī (a color)	sī̬ (a classifier)
Mid rising	sǐ 'to roll'	sǐ̬ 'to smoke'
High	sí 'four'	sí̬ (a name)
High rising	si᷄ 'to die'	si̬᷄ (a name)

References

1. Mpi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

Further reading

• Ladefoged, Peter; Maddieson, Ian (1996). The Sounds of the World's Languages. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-19815-6.
• Nahhas, Ramzi W. (2007) Sociolinguistic Survey of Mpi in Thailand. SIL International
• Sittichai, Sah-iam (1984). Phrases and clauses in the Mpi language at Ban Dong, Phrae Province. Bangkok: Mahidol University MA thesis.