Guiqiong

Print

A language of China

ISO 639-3
gqi
Alternate Names
Guichong, Guiqiang, Yutong
Population

6,000 (2000 Sun Hong Kai). 1,000 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 7,000 (2000 D. Bradley).

Location

West central Sichuan Province, Ganzi (Garzê) Tibetan autonomous prefecture, 4 townships: Shiji, Maibeng, Qianqi, Shelian West; also Guza town; plateaus on both sides of north Dadu river.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Northeastern Tibeto-Burman, Qiangic
Dialects

Phonological dialect differences, but communication is possible. 2 or 3 varieties have difficult mutual intelligibility. Loanwords from Tibetan and Chinese.

Typology

SOV; adjectives and number-classifier constructions follow noun heads; tonal, 4 tones

Language Use

Vigorous. Only in the village with their own people. Children rarely use it. Negative attitudes. About 5,000 also use Mandarin [cmn]. About 1,000 ethnic Guiqiong reportedly understand Guiqiong, but do not speak it.

Language Development
Poetry. Dictionary.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Guiqiong
Other Comments

Officially classified within, and Guiqiong peoples consider themselves, Tibetan nationality. Buddhist (Lamaist).