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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > China > Blang

Blang

A language of China

ISO 639-3: blr

Population	42,000 in China (2000 census). Population total all countries: 55,200.
Region	Southwest Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Menghai County, Bulangshan, Bada, Xiding, Daluo districts; Jinghong County, Damengnong District. Also in Myanmar, Thailand.
Language map	Southwestern China
Alternate names	Bulang, K’ala, Kawa, Kontoi, Plang, Pula, Pulang
Dialects	Phang, Kem Degne. In Thailand, the group from Mae Sai came from Sipsongpanna, Yunnan, China, stayed in Myanmar for a while, and have been in Thailand since 1974. 6 to 10 dialects represented in one refugee village in Thailand. Samtao [stu] of Myanmar and China is not intelligible with Blang, but is closely related to Blang and Wa [wbm].
Classification	Austro-Asiatic, Mon-Khmer, Northern Mon-Khmer, Palaungic, Eastern Palaungic, Waic, Bulang
Language use	Vigorous. All domains. All ages. Positive attitude. Also use Lu [khb], Wa [wbm], or Chinese [cmn].
Language development	Literacy rate in L2: 77%. Grammar.
Writing system	Latin script. Myanmar (Burmese) script. Thai script.
Comments	Classified as Blang nationality. The nationality includes Blang speakers, U, Parauk, Samtao [stu] and Kon Keu [kkn] languages. SVO; modifiers follow noun heads; voiceless nasal initials; singular-dual-plural pronoun distinction; rich in morphophonemic processes; tonal, 4 tones. Agriculturalists. Buddhist (Hinayana), Christian.

Also spoken in:

Myanmar

Language name	Blang
Population	12,000 in Myanmar (1994).
Region	East Shan state, Mong Yang area, and Kengtung.
Alternate names	Bulang, K’ala, Kawa, Kontoi, Plang, Pula, Pulang
Comments	Some urbanized in Myanmar, Thailand, and China. An official nationality in China. Agriculturalists. Buddhist (Hinayana), Christian.

Thailand

Language name	Blang
Population	1,200 in Thailand (1998 SIL).
Region	Chiangrai; north border area, Mae Sai; Mae Chan area; some west of Bangkok who work in gardens.
Language map	Northern Thailand, reference number 4
Alternate names	Bulang, Hkawa, K’ala, K’wa, Kawa, Khon Doi, Kontoi, Plang, Pula, Pulang, Sen Chun, Wa
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Literacy rate in L2: Below 10%.
Comments	Horticulturalists. Buddhist (Hinayana), Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

BLOCK, Karen L., author. 1994. Discourse grammar of first person narrative in Plang.

BLOCK, Karen L., author. 1996. "What makes a story a story in Plang?."  

PAULSEN, Debbie, author. 1989. A phonological reconstruction of proto-Plang.

PAULSEN, Debbie, author. 1992. "A phonological reconstruction of Proto-Plang."  

PAULSEN, Debbie, author. 1996. Phonology in Plang.

PAULSEN, Debbie, author. 1996. Tone and intonation in Plang.

PHANINTRA Teeranon, author. 2007. "The intrinsic pitch and intrinsic length of high and low vowels in Mon-Khmer language."