Waxianghua
PrintA language of China
ISO 639-3
Alternate Names
Wogang, Xianghua
Population
300,000 (1995).
Location
West Hunan Province, a 6,000 square km area, Wuling mountains, including Yuanling, Chunxi, Jishou, Guzhang, and Dayong.
Language Maps
Language Status
6b (Threatened).
Classification
Dialects
Classified as Han nationality. It differs greatly from both Southwestern Mandarin (Xinan Guanhua) [cmn] and Xiang Chinese (Hunanese) [hsn], but is relatively uniform within itself. Neighboring Han Chinese, Miao, and Tujia people do not understand it. Some view it as a special variety of Chinese, others as a minority language, perhaps related to Miao.
Officially classified within the Han nationality.