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Nisu (Southern Yi) is a language cluster spoken by half a million Yi people of China. It is one of six Yi languages recognized by the government of China. The Yi script was traditionally used, though few can still read it. According to Lama (2012), Nisu (Nishu) autonyms include ne̠33 su55, ne̠33 su55 pʰo21, and ɲe̠33 ʂu55.

The position of Nisu within Nisoish is debated. Nisu is classified as Southeastern Loloish by Pelkey (2011), but is traditionally classified as a Northern Loloish language, including by Lama (2012).

Internal classification

Chen et al. (1985)

Chen et al. (1985:114) recognizes three major varieties of Southern Yi (i.e., Nisu) spoken in Yunnan province: Shijian (石建; Shiping-Jianshui), Yuanjin (元金; Yuanjiang-Jinping), and Exin (峨新; Eshan-Xinping). Autonyms include na̠33 su55 and na̠33 su55 pho21 (alternatively ne̠33 su55 pho21). Chen (1985) reported a speaker population of nearly 1.6 million.

• Shijian 石建土语: spoken in Shiping, Jianshui, Tonghai, Gejiu, Kaiyuan, Mengzi, and Hekou counties
• Yuanjin 元金土语: spoken in Yuanyang, Jinping, Mojiang, Yuanjiang, Pu'er, Jiangcheng, and Honghe counties
• Exin 峨新土语: spoken in Eshan, Xinping, Jiangchuan, Yuxi, Yimen, and Kunming counties

Yang (2009)

Yang (2009) classifies the Nisu dialects as follows.

• Northern Nisu
  • North-central (Shijian 石建): spoken in Shiping, Xinping, Jiangcheng, Mojiang, and Lüchun counties
  • Northwestern (Exin 峨新): spoken in Eshan and Jinning counties
• Southern Nisu (Yuanjin 元金): spoken in Honghe, Yuanyang, Jinping, Yuanjiang, Shiping, and perhaps also Jianshui counties
• Far Northwestern Nisu: spoken in Beidou Township (北斗彝族乡), Yongping County (descendants of Nisu soldiers who migrated to Yongping during the early Ming Dynasty; most divergent Nisu variety)

The Jiangcheng, Mojiang, and Lüchun varieties were grouped by Chen (1985) to be southern varieties, but Yang (2009) found that they actually belonged to the Northern Nisu group.

Other varieties

Other Nisu or Southern Yi groups with similar autonyms or language varieties are:

• Ache 阿车: Autonym in Xinping County (population 100+ as of 1955) is nei˧su˧ pʰɯ˨˩.
• Luowu 罗武 (300+ people in Xinping County (1955); 100 households in Shuangbai County; also in Zhenyuan County): ni33 su33 pʰo33
• Achang 阿常 of Niukong 牛孔, Lüchun County
• Pulian 普连 of Qimaba 骑马坝, Daxing 大兴, and Gekui 戈奎, Lüchun County
• Alu 阿鲁 of Dashuigou 大水沟, Lüchun County

A variety of Southern Nisu (autonym: ɲe33 su55 pʰo21) spoken in Aka Luoduo (阿卡洛多) village (also called Taiping village; 太平村), Tianfang Village (田房村), Jiangcheng County is covered in Lu Yan (2008).

In Tonghai County, Southern Yi (Nisu) is spoken by all generations only in Xiangping (象平), Bajiao (芭蕉), Sizhai (四寨), Shikan (石坎), Pingba (平坝), Shangzhuangke (上庄科), and Xiazhuangke (下庄科) villages.

Lexicography

Pu (2021) is a Nisu-Chinese dictionary, with Nisu words transcribed in both IPA and Yi script. It is based on the Nisu dialect of Renhou Village 仁厚村 and Yongning Village 永宁村, both of which are located several kilometers north of Mengzi City, Yunnan.

Phonology

Consonants

Vowels

There is distinction between tight-throat vowels and lax-throat (plain) vowels.

• Diphthongs /iɛ, iɛ/ occur with alveolo-palatal consonants /t͡ɕ, t͡ɕʰ, d͡ʑ, ɕ, ʑ/ in complementary distribution, in the Laochang dialect.
• Open-mid sounds /ɛ, ɛ/ only occur in the Shaochong dialect.
• Rhotic vowels /ə˞, ə˞/ occur mainly in the Northwestern dialects.
• Sounds /i, i/ are heard as syllabic consonants when following alveolar sibilants or affricates, and as syllabic retroflex when following retroflex ones.

Tones

3 tones occur as follows:

Notes

1. ^ Southern at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
   Northern at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
   Eastern at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
   Southwestern (duplicate or spurious code) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
   Northwestern at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. Northern Nisu at Ethnologue (16th ed., 2009)
3. ^ Lama 2012.
4. Pelkey 2011.
5. Chen, Bian & Li 1985.
6. ^ Yang 2009.
7. Hammarström (2015) Ethnologue 16/17/18th editions: a comprehensive review: online appendices
8. Blackburn & Blackburn 2007.
9. ^ Yunnan sheng minzu shiwu weiyuanhui yanjiushi 1955, p. 40.
10. ^ Yunnan sheng Lüchun xianzhi bianzuan weiyuanhui 1992.
11. "Jiāngchéng Hānízú Yízú Zìzhìxiàn Guóqìng Xiāng Tiánfáng Cūnwěihuì Tàipíng Zìráncūn" 江城哈尼族彝族自治县国庆乡田房村委会太平自然村 [Taiping Natural Village, Tianfang Village Committee, Guoqing Township, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County]. ynszxc.gov.cn. Archived from the original on 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
12. Lu 2008.
13. Yunnan sheng Tonghai xian shizhi gongzuo weiyuanhui 1992, p. 600.
14. Pu Changshou 普长寿. 2021. Yiyu Nisuhua Hanyu changyong cihui duizhao 彝语尼苏话与汉语常用词汇对照. Kunming: Yunnan People's Publishing House 云南民族出版社. ISBN 9787536788206.
15. Li 1996.

References

• Blackburn, P. L.; Blackburn, Laura (2007). Yongping Nisu Wordlist. Dali: SIL East Asia Group.
• Chen, Shilin 陈士林; Bian, Shiming 边仕明; Li, Xiuqing 李秀清 (1985). Yíyǔ jiǎnzhì 彝语简志 [A Brief Description of the Yi Language] (in Chinese). Beijing: Minzu chubanshe.
• Lama, Ziwo Qiu-Fuyuan (2012). Subgrouping of Nisoic (Yi) Languages (Ph.D. thesis). University of Texas at Arlington. hdl:10106/11161.
• Li, Shengfu (1996). Yíyǔ nánbù fāngyán yánjiū 彜语南部方言研究 (in Chinese). Beijing: Minzu chubanshe.
• Lu, Yan 陆燕 (2008). "Jiāngchéng Tiánfáng Yíyǔ jiégòu zhùcí yánjiū" 江城田房彝语结构助词研究. Yúnnán Mínzú Dàxué xuébào (Zhéxué shèhuì kēxué bǎn) 云南民族大学学报(哲学社会科学版) (in Chinese). 25 (4).
• Yunnan sheng Lüchun xianzhi bianzuan weiyuanhui (1992). Lǜchūn xiànzhì 绿春县志 [Lüchun County Gazetteer] (in Chinese). Kunming: Yunnan renmin chubanshe.
• Pelkey, Jamin R. (2011). Dialectology as Dialectic: Interpreting Phula Variation. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
• Yang, Cathryn (2009). Nisu Dialect Geography. SIL Electronic Survey Report 2009-007. SIL International.
• Yunnan sheng minzu shiwu weiyuanhui yanjiushi (1955). Yúnnán mínzú shìbié cānkǎo zīliào 雲南民族識別參考資料 (in Chinese). : Yunnan sheng minzu shiwu weiyuanhui yanjiushi – via doc88.com.
• Yunnan sheng Tonghai xian shizhi gongzuo weiyuanhui (1992). Tōnghǎi xiànzhì 通海县志 [Tonghai County Gazetteer] (in Chinese). Kunming: Yunnan renmin chubanshe.
• 雲南彝語方言詞彙彙編3

v t e Sino-Tibetan branches
Western Himalayas (Himachal, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim)	West Himalayish Tamangic Newaric Newar Baram–Thangmi Kiranti Dhimalish Dhimal Toto Lhokpu Lepcha Greater Magaric Magaric Magar Kham Chepangic Chepang Bhujel Raji–Raute Dura–Tandrange
Eastern Himalayas (Tibet, Bhutan, Arunachal)	Bodish Tibetic East Bodish Tshangla Basum Nam? Gongduk ʼOle Tani Chamdo
Myanmar and Indo- Burmese border	Karbi Kuki-Chin Mruic Mru Hkongso Pyu Taman "Naga" Ao Angami–Pochuri Meitei Tangkhulic Zeme Sal Boro–Garo Konyak Jingpho–Luish
East and Southeast Asia	Sinitic Bai Tujia Nungish Karenic Gong Kathu Cai–Long Caijia Longjia Luren Burmo-Qiangic Qiangic Gyalrongic Ersuic Naic Lolo-Burmese Mondzish Burmish Loloish
Dubious (possible isolates) (Arunachal)	Hrusish Hruso Mijiic Kho-Bwa Puroik Miju–Meyor Songlin Greater Siangic Siangic Koro Milang Idu–Taraon
Proposed groupings	Central Tibeto-Burman Kuki-Chin–Naga Macro-Bai Mahakiranti Rung Tibeto-Burman Tibeto-Kanauri
Proto-languages	Proto-Sino-Tibetan Proto-Tibeto-Burman Proto-Loloish Proto-Karenic Proto-Min Proto-Hakka
Italics indicates single languages that are also considered to be separate branches.

• Loloish languages
• Languages of Yunnan