The Xong language (Dut Xonb[tu53ɕõ35])[2] is the northernmost Hmongic language, spoken in south-central China by around 0.9 million people. It is called Xiangxi Miaoyu (湘西苗语, "Western Hunan Miao") in Chinese, as well as Eastern Miao (东部苗语). In Western sources, it has been called Meo, Red Miao, and North Hmongic.[3] An official alphabet was adopted in 1956.
Distribution
Xong is spoken mainly in Hunan province, but also in a few areas of Guizhou and Hubei provinces, Guangxi, and Chongqing municipality in China. Xong-speaking communities, by county, are:[4]
Western (Xong): 800,000 speakers (autonym qɔ35ɕoŋ35)
Luxi County, Xiangxi (e.g., in Dongtouzhai 洞头寨, with autonym tei53sou53)
Classification
Xong was classified in its own branch of the Hmongic family in Strecker (1987). Xiang (1999)[4] divided Xong into western and eastern dialects. Matisoff (2001) considered these to be two distinct languages, but Matisoff (2006) consolidated them into one. Yang (2004)[6] divides each of these dialects into three subdialects, as listed below. Speaker populations and locations are from Li and Li (2012).[7]
Western (includes standardized Xong)
Lect 1 (autonym: qo35ɕoŋ35): Jiwei 吉卫, Huayuan County; 769,000 speakers in the counties of Fenghuang (except Baren 叭仁乡), most of Huayuan, southern Jishou, Xinhuang, Mayang, Songtao, parts of Rongjiang, parts of Ziyun, Xiushan, parts of Nandan, parts of Hechi, and parts of Du'an.
Lect 2 (autonym: qo54ɕoŋ54): Yangmeng 阳孟, Jishou; 120,000 speakers in the counties of eastern Huayuan, western and northern Jishou, eastern Baojing, southwestern Guzhang, Fenghuang (in Baren 叭仁乡), and Xuan'en.