Xong language

For the Western Pearic language of Cambodia and Thailand, see Chong language. For the Limbu of Nepal, who are also called Xong, see Limbu people.
Xong
Xiangxi Miao
Xonb
Pronunciation[ɕõ˧˥]
Native toChina
RegionHunan, Guizhou, Hubei, Guangxi and Chongqing
EthnicityQo Xiong
Native speakers
~900,000 (2005)[1]
Hmong–Mien
Dialects
  • Western (Xong proper)
  • Eastern (Suang)
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
mmr – Western Xiangxi Miao
muq – Eastern Xiangxi Miao
Glottolognort2748

The Xong language (Dut Xonb [tu53 ɕõ35])[2] is the northernmost Hmongic language, spoken in south-central China by around 0.9 million people. It is called Xiangxi Miaoyu (湘西苗语, "Western Hunan Miao") in Chinese, as well as Eastern Miao (东部苗语). In Western sources, it has been called Meo, Red Miao, and North Hmongic.[3] An official alphabet was adopted in 1956.

  1. ^ Western Xiangxi Miao at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Eastern Xiangxi Miao at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Sposato, Adam (2015). A Grammar of Xong (PDF) (PhD thesis). University at Buffalo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-08-10.
  3. ^ Ratliff, Martha (2010). Hmong–Mien language history. Canberra, Australia: Pacific Linguistics. hdl:1885/146760. ISBN 978-0-85883-615-0.