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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > China > Jiarong

Jiarong

A language of China

ISO 639-3: jya

Population  83,000 (1999 H. Sun). 25,000 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 151,197 including 139,000 in Situ Jiarong, 12,197 in Chabao and Sidaba (Lin 1993).
Region  North central Sichuan. Situ is in the traditional territory of 4 chieftaincies: Zhuokeji, Suomo, Songgang, Dangba. Chabao is in northeast corner of Maerkang County, Chabao District, Longerjia, Dazang, and Shaerzong townships. Sidaba is in Maerkang County, Sidaba District, Caodeng, Kangshan, and Ribu townships; north in southwest corner of Aba County, Kehe and Rongan townships; west along middle Duke River, Rangtang County, between Wuyi and Shili townships; and Seda County at the confluence of Seda and Duke rivers, a small town.
Language map  China
Alternate names   Chiarong, Gyarong, Gyarung, Jarong, Jyarung, Rgyarong
Dialects  Situ (Eastern Jiarong), Chabao (Dazang, Northeastern, Northern, Central Jiarong), Sidaba (Caodeng, Northwestern, Western Jiarong). Varieties of Situ are: Ma’erkang, Lixian, Jinchuan (Dajin), and Xiaojin; Varieties of Sidaba are Caodeng and Ribu. Western and Northern phonology are fairly similar but differ greatly from Eastern. Dialects are likely three separate mutually unintelligible languages. Lexical similarity: 75% between Eastern and Northern Jiarong (with significant phonological differences), 60% between Western and Northern, 13% between the Situ dialect and Horpa [ero].
Classification  Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Tangut-Qiang, rGyarong
Language use  Vigorous. All domains. All ages. Positive attitude, but intellectuals worry about diminishing use. 56,000 also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn], 950 also use Tibetan [bod], 50 also use Qiang [cng].
Language development  Radio programs. Dictionary.
Comments  Classified as Tibetan nationality. SOV; phonologically and lexically similar to Tibetan, grammatically more similar to Pumi and Qiang; complex consonant clusters; limited pitch contrast. Agriculturalists: apples, pears; lumbermen. Traditional religion, Buddhist (Lamaist).