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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Myanmar > Palaung, Rumai

Palaung, Rumai

A language of Myanmar

ISO 639-3: rbb

Population  137,000 in Myanmar. Population total all countries: 139,000.
Region  Northern Shan state, around Lashio and the road north to the border, Nam Kham, North Hsenwi, Tawngpeng (the ancient Palaung state), and some east of Lashio and east of the Salween. Also in China.
Alternate names   Rumai, Humai, Rumai Humai, Ta’ang Rumai, Silver Palaung, Ngwe Palong, Ta’ang, Shan Rumai, Tai Rumai
Dialects  Nam Kham Rumai may be a different dialect from Lashio Rumai. Possible wide-spread variation.
Classification  Austro-Asiatic, Mon-Khmer, Northern Mon-Khmer, Palaungic, Western Palaungic, Palaung
Language use  Vigorous. Home, village, market. All ages. Positive language attitude. Also use Shan [shn], Rulai Palaung, Ruching Palaung [pce], Nepali [nep], Burmese [mya], Kachin Jingphaw [kac], Chinese.
Language development  Dictionary. Grammar.
Writing system  Myanmar (Burmese) script.
Comments  SVO.

Also spoken in:

China

Language name   Palaung, Rumai
Population  2,000 in China (1995).
Region  Far western Yunnan, Dehong Prefecture, Longchuan, and Ruili counties, on Myanmar border.
Language map  Southwestern China
Alternate names  Gemai, Guangjia, Guangka, Hemai, Humai, Na’ang, Romai, Rumai, Ruomai
Language use  20% of the De’ang speak Rumai.
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 79%.
Comments  Classified as Deang nationality.
 

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

DAI, Qingxia; YAN, Liu, authors. 1997. "Analysis of the tones in the Guangka subdialect of Deʼang."  Available online