Drung

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A language of China

ISO 639-3
duu
Population

14,000 in China (2000 census). 95% monolingual. 8,500 in Nu River dialect, 5,500 in Dulong River dialect. Total population all countries: 14,000. Population total all countries: 14,225.

Location

Dulong River dialect (5,500): Far northwest Yunnan Province, Gongshan Dulong-Nu autonomous county, both sides of Dulong river. Nu River dialect (8,500): From Gongshan Dulong-Nu autonomous county west to Chayu (Zayü) county in Tibet Autonomous Region; Bingzhongluo of Gongshang county and the Chawalong district of Chayu county in Tibet. Also in Myanmar.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Central Tibeto-Burman, Nungish
Dialects

Dulong River (Central Dulongjiang, Derung River, Northern Dulongjiang, Southern Dulongjiang), Nu River (Nujiang Dulong). Dialects reportedly inherently intelligible (Thurgood and LaPolla 2003). Nu River Drung is not the same as Tibeto-Burman Anong [nun], which is also in Myanmar. Different from Rawang [raw] in Myanmar. Other possible dialect names are Melam, Metu, Tamalu, and Tukiumu. Lexical similarity: 74% with Matwang dialect of Rawang [raw].

Typology

SOV; 2 tones

Language Use

Vigorous. Other speakers living among them use Drung as L2. All domains. All ages. Positive attitudes. Also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn], Burmese [mya], or Lisu [lis].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 68%–73% (2000 census, Nu nationality). 68%–73%.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Drung
Writing
Latin script, Pinyin-based, used between 1984 and 1990s.
Other Comments

Some officially classified as Dulong nationality; others as Nu nationality. Ethnonym: Qiuzu is an old term for the people. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also spoken in:

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