Nisu | |
---|---|
Southern Yi | |
Native to | China |
Ethnicity | Yi |
Native speakers | 300,000 apart from Northern (2004–2007)[1] 160,000 Northern (no date)[2] |
Yi logograms | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | Variously:nsd – Southernyiv – Northernnos – Easternnsv – Southwestern
(duplicate or spurious code)nsf – Northwestern |
Glottolog | nisu1237 Nisu–Nyisu |
Nisu (Southern Yi) is a language cluster spoken by half a million Yi people of China. It is one of six Yi languages recognized by the government of China. The Yi script was traditionally used, though few can still read it.[1] According to Lama (2012),[3] Nisu (Nishu) autonyms include ne̠33 su55, ne̠33 su55 pʰo21, and ɲe̠33 ʂu55.
The position of Nisu within Nisoish is debated. Nisu is classified as Southeastern Loloish by Pelkey (2011),[4] but is traditionally classified as a Northern Loloish language, including by Lama (2012).[3]