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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > China > Dong, Southern

Dong, Southern

A language of China

ISO 639-3kmc

Population  1,000,000. 68% of 1,463,000 speak Southern Dong.
Region  Area where west Hunan and north Guangxi provinces meet, southeast Guizhou (Yuping Autonomous County); Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. 20 contiguous counties.
Language map  Southern China, reference number 37
Alternate names   Gam, Kam, Tong, Tung, Tung-Chia
Dialects  Similar to Mulam [mlm]. Lexical similarity: 93% with Southern Dong dialects, 71% with Northern Dong [doc], 46% with Lakkia [lbc], 29% with Qabiao [laq], 26% with Hlai [lic], 24% with Gelao [gio], 22% with Lachi [lbt], 6% with Hmong Djua [hnj], 4% with Iu Mien [ium].
Classification  Tai-Kadai, Kam-Tai, Kam-Sui
Language use  Northern Dong [doc] users are more bilingual than Southern Dong. Use Mandarin [cmn] for literature. All domains. All ages. Neutral attitude. Northern Dong [doc] users are more bilingual than Southern Dong. Use Mandarin for literature.
Language development  Magazines. Dictionary.
Comments  Part of Dong nationality. ‘Kam’ is their own name, ‘Dong’ is Chinese name. Traditional way of life is relatively undisturbed. Tonal, 9 tones. Agriculturalists: wet rice, rape, wheat, maize, tung oil, tea oil; forestry. Polytheist.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

COBBEY, Heidi, author. 2007. "Challenges and prospects of minority bilingual education in China—an analysis of four projects."

EDMONDSON, Jerold A.; YANG Quan, authors. 1988. "Word initial preconsonants and the history of Kam-Sui resonant initials and tones."

GEARY, D. Norman; GEARY, Ruth B.; JIANG Daren; LONG Yaohong; OU Chaoquan; WANG Jiying, authors. 2003. The Kam people of China: turning nineteen.

GEARY, D. Norman; GEARY, Ruth B.; LONG Yaohong, authors. 2000. "Kam singing."

GEARY, D. Norman; LONG Yaohong, authors. 2000. "The Kam orthography."

GEARY, D. Norman; PAN, Yongrong, authors. 2003. "A bilingual education pilot project among the Kam people in Guizhou Province, China."  Available online

JIANG Daqian; OU Chaoquan, authors; GEARY, D. Norman; GEARY, Ruth B., translators. 2002. Dongzu wenhua cidian (The Kam people cultural dictionary).

LONG Yaohong; ZHENG, Guoqiao, authors; GEARY, D. Norman, translator. 1998. The Dong Language in Guizhou Province, China.  Available for purchase

QUAM, Yang; ZHENG, Guoqiao, authors. 1988. "The sounds of Rongjiang Kam."

SOMSONGE Burusphat, author. 1996. "Surface indicators of storyline in the Kam origin myth."  Available online

STRECKER, David, author. 1988. "Gedney’s puzzle in Kam-Sui."

THURGOOD, Graham, author. 1988. "Notes on the reconstruction of Proto-Kam-Sui."

WANG, Dewen, author. 1988. "A comparative study of Kam and Sui initial consonants."

YANG Quan, author. 1988. "Developmental tendencies in Kam phonology."

Vernacular Publications

Al gaeml. 2001.

Al gaeml: yic nyeenc jic. 2002.

Dos xap leec gaem: cenc dul 2:1-2. 2001.

Dos xap leec gaeml: Cenc dul 1:1-2. 2000.

Nuv tuc dos leec gaeml: cenc dul 2: 1-4. 2001.

Nuv tuc dos leec gaeml:cenc dul 1: 1-4. 2000.

Nyenc gaeml; Dos leec gaeml. 2005.

Nyonc bux kuagp; Liix mienc cenh xup daengv; zongh senh hox wak tuc. 2005.

Nyonc wail gueec: bens jih 1. 2005.

Nyonc wail gueec: bens jih 2. 2005.

Sih pienx daengh seep feip. 2007.

Sih pienx daengh seep feip: luc nyeenc jic bens jih edl. 2007.

Sih pienx daengh seep feip: luc nyeenc jic bens jih nyih. 2008.

Sih pienx seep feip: sil nyeenc jic bens jih edl. 2005.

Sih Pienx: eel nyeenc jic 2:1-2. 2003.

Sih pienx: sanh nyeenc jic benh jih nyih. 2005.

Sih pienx: yic nyeenc jic 1:1-2. 2002.

Sungp gaeml lix jiuc. 2003.

Sup xoc: eel nyeenc jic. 2003.

Xoc wah sungp xoc wak xeenl: xoc qeenc banh uns. 2003.

Yeih yeih sonk sonk: cenc dul 2:1-2. 2003.

Yeih yeih sonk sonk: cenk dul 1:1-2. 2000.

Yeih Yeih sonk sonk: yic nyeenc jic 1:1-2. 2002.

Yix wenc. 2007.

Yix wenc: eel nyeenc jic 2:1-2. 2003.

Yix wenc: luc nyeec jic bens jih edl. 2007.

Yix wenc: luc nyeenc jic bens jih nyih. 2008.

Yix wenc: sanh nyeenc bens jih nyih. 2005.

Yix wenc: sil nyeenc jic bens jih edl. 2005.

Yix Wenc: yic nyeenc jic 1:1-2. 2001.

Zil ranc: yic nyeenc jic 1:1. 2002.