View source for Northern Qiang language

{{Short description|Qiangic language spoken in Tibet and China}}
{{MOS|date=August 2021}}
{{cleanup lang|date=June 2021}}<!-- e.g. ᴾ-->
{{Infobox language
|name=Northern Qiang
|nativename=''Rrmearr''
|image=[[File:Qiang Rma.png|frameless|Rma Script from Qiang Language]]
|imagecaption=Rma Script used in Qiang Language
|pronunciation={{IPA|[ʐmeʐ]}}
|states=[[China]]
|region=[[Sichuan Province]]
|ethnicity=[[Qiang people]]
|speakers={{sigfig|57800|2}}
|date=1999
|ref=e18
|familycolor=Sino-Tibetan
|fam2=[[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman]]
|fam3=[[Qiangic languages|Qiangic]]
|fam4=[[Qiang language|Qiang]]
|script=[[Latin script|Latin]], [[Rma script|Rma]]
|iso3=cng
|glotto=nort2722
|glottoname=Northern Qiang
|glotto2=sout3257
|glottoname2=Southeast Maoxian Qiang
|notice=IPA
}}

'''Northern Qiang''' is a [[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan language]] of the [[Qiangic languages|Qiangic branch]], more specifically falling under the [[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman]] family. It is spoken by approximately 60,000 people in East [[Tibet]], and in north-central [[Sichuan Province]], [[China]].

Unlike its close relative [[Southern Qiang language|Southern Qiang]], Northern Qiang is not a [[tonal language]].

== Northern Qiang dialects ==

Northern Qiang is composed of several different dialects, many of which are easily mutually intelligible. [[Sun Hongkai]] in his book on Qiang in 1981 divides Northern Qiang into the following dialects: Luhua, Mawo, Zhimulin, Weigu, and Yadu. These dialects are located in [[Heishui County]] as well as the northern part of [[Mao County]]. The Luhua, Mawo, Zhimulin, and Weigu varieties of Northern Qiang are spoken by the Heishui Tibetans. The Mawo dialect is considered to be the prestige dialect by the Heishui Tibetans.

Names seen in the older literature for Northern Qiang dialects include ''Dzorgai (Sifan), Kortsè (Sifan), Krehchuh,'' and ''Thóchú/Thotcu/Thotśu.'' The last is a place name.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sun |first=Jackson T.-S. |date=1992 |title=Review of Zangmianyu Yuyin He Cihui "Tibeto-Burman Phonology and Lexicon" |url=http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/sun1992review.pdf |journal=Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area |language=en |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=76–77 |archive-date=2022-01-12 |access-date=2021-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220112200228/http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/sun1992review.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Sims (2016)<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sims |first=Nathaniel |date=2016 |title=Towards a More Comprehensive Understanding of Qiang Dialectology |url=http://www.ling.sinica.edu.tw/Files/LL/Docments/Journals/17.3/LLN17.3-Sims.pdf |journal=Language and Linguistics |language=en |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=351–381 |doi=10.1177/1606822X15586685 |archive-date=2021-04-01 |access-date=2018-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401104628/http://www.ling.sinica.edu.tw/Files/LL/Docments/Journals/17.3/LLN17.3-Sims.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> characterizes Northern (Upstream) Qiang as the *nu- innovation group. Individual dialects are highlighted in ''italics''.

;Northern Qiang
*NW [[Heishui County|Heishui]]: ''Luhua'' 芦花镇
*Central [[Heishui County|Heishui]]
**''Qinglang'' 晴朗乡
**''Zhawo'' 扎窝乡
**''Ciba'' 慈坝乡
**''Shuangliusuo'' 双溜索乡
**[[uvular]] V's innovation group: ''Zhimulin'' 知木林乡, ''Hongyan'' 红岩乡, ''Mawo'' 麻窝乡
*SE [[Heishui County|Heishui]]: ''Luoduo'' 洛多乡, ''Longba'' 龙坝乡, ''Musu'' 木苏乡, ''Shidiaolou'' 石碉楼乡
*North [[Mao County|Maoxian]]: ''Taiping'' 太平乡, ''Songpinggou'' 松坪沟乡
*South [[Songpan County|Songpan]]: ''Xiaoxing'' 小姓乡, ''Zhenjiangguan'' 镇江关乡, ''Zhenping'' 镇坪乡
*West [[Mao County|Maoxian]] / South [[Heishui County|Heishui]]: ''Weigu'' 维古乡, ''Waboliangzi'' 瓦钵乡梁子, ''Se'ergu'' 色尔古镇, ''Ekou'', ''Weicheng'' 维城乡, ''Ronghong'', ''Chibusu'', ''Qugu'' 曲谷乡, ''Wadi'' 洼底乡, ''Baixi'' 白溪乡, ''Huilong'' 回龙乡, ''Sanlong'' 三龙乡
*Central [[Mao County|Maoxian]]: ''Heihu'' 黑虎乡
*SE [[Mao County|Maoxian]] (reflexive marker innovation): ''Goukou'' 沟口乡, ''Yonghe'' 永和乡

== Phonology ==
The phonemic inventory of the Northern Qiang of Ronghong village consists of 37 consonants, and eight basic vowel qualities.<ref name=":04">{{harvp|LaPolla|2003}}</ref>{{Rp|22, 25}} The syllable structure of Northern Qiang allows up to six sounds.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|30}}

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |[[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" |[[Dental consonant|Dental]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Uvular consonant|Uvular]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!{{small|plain}}
!{{small|[[Sibilant consonant|sibilant]]}}
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|{{IPA link|m}}
|{{IPA link|n}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|ɲ}}
|{{IPA link|ŋ}}
|
|
|-
! rowspan="3" |[[Stop consonant|Stop]]/<br>[[Affricate]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|{{IPA link|p}}
|{{IPA link|t}}
|{{IPA link|ts}}
|{{IPA link|ʈʂ}}
|{{IPA link|tɕ}}
|{{IPA link|k}}
|{{IPA link|q}}
|
|-
!<small>aspirated</small>
|{{IPA link|pʰ}}
|{{IPA link|tʰ}}
|{{IPA link|tsʰ}}
|{{IPA link|ʈʂʰ}}
|{{IPA link|tɕʰ}}
|{{IPA link|kʰ}}
|{{IPA link|qʰ}}
|
|-
!<small>voiced</small>
|{{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA link|d}}
|{{IPA link|dz}}
|{{IPA link|ɖʐ}}
|{{IPA link|dʑ}}
|{{IPA link|ɡ}}
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Fricative]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|{{IPA link|ɸ}}
|{{IPA link|ɬ}}
|{{IPA link|s}}
|{{IPA link|ʂ}}
|{{IPA link|ɕ}}
|{{IPA link|x}}
|{{IPA link|χ}}
|{{IPA link|h}}
|-
!<small>voiced</small>
|
|
|{{IPA link|z}}
|{{IPA link|ʐ}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|ʁ}}
|{{IPA link|ɦ}}
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
|
|{{IPA link|l}}
|
|
|({{IPA link|j}})
|({{IPA link|w}})
|
|
|}
* A glottal stop [ʔ] may be heard in word-initial position when preceding vowels.
* /ɸ/ can also be heard as a labio-dental [f].
* /ʐ/ can also be heard as an alveolar [ɹ].
* /ɕ x/ can have voiced allophones of [ʑ ɣ].
* Approximants [w j] are not distinct from /i u/ but are transcribed in intervocalic position, and initially /i u/, to clarify syllable division.

=== Vowels ===
Northern Qiang distinguishes between unstressed and [[Vowel length|long vowels]] (signified by two small dots, "{{IPA|ː}}") for all of its vowels except for {{IPA|/ə/}}. In addition, there exist 15 diphthongs and one triphthong in the language of Northern Qiang.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|25–26}}
{| class="wikitable IPA"
|+Northern Qiang Vowel Inventory<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|25}}
!
!Front
!Mid
!Back
|-
!High
|i, iː y, yː
|
|u, uː
|-
!Mid
|e, eː
|ə
|o, oː
|-
!Low
|a, aː
|
|ɑ, ɑː
|}
There may not be a significant phonetic difference in sound between /i/ and /e/, and /u/ and /o/, respectively. In fact, they are often used in place of one another without changing the meaning.

==== [[Diphthong]]s and [[triphthong]]s ====
Diphthongs: {{IPA|ia, iɑ, ie, ye, eu, əu, ei, əi, oi, uɑ, ua, uə, ue, ui, ya}}

Triphthong: uəi<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|26}}

==== [[R-colored vowel|R-coloring]] ====
As the Northern Qiang language becomes more endangered, the use of r-coloring is not being passed down to younger generations of the Northern Qiang people. As a result, there is great variation in its use. R-coloring is not considered its own phoneme because it is a vowel feature and only used to produce [[vowel harmony]] (see below), most commonly signifying a first person plural marking.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|28}}

* Example: ''mi'''ʴ'''wu'' [person (<mi):all] 'all the people'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|28}}

=== Syllable structure ===
The following is the Northern Qiang Syllable prototype structure. All are optional apart from the central vowel (underlined):<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|30}}
:[[fricative|F]]C[[glide (linguistics)|G]]<u>V</u>GC[[affricate|ᴾF]].
(The final 'fricative' may be a fricative F, an affricate ᴾF, or /l/.)

All consonants occur as initials, though /ŋ/ only before /u/, and /ɦ/ only in a directional prefix and in a filler interjection. Almost all apart from the aspirated consonants occur as finals. These do not preserve [[Proto-Tibeto-Burman]] finals, which have all been lost, but are the result of the reduction of unstressed syllables (e.g. [səf] 'tree' from /sə/ 'wood' + /pʰə/ 'forest').

Initial FC clusters may be:
:/ʂ/ + /p t tɕ k q b d dʑ ɡ m/, 
:/x/ + /tɕ tʂ k s ʂ ɬ l dʑ dʐ z ʐ/,
:/χ/ + /tʂ q s ʂ ɬ l d dʑ dʐ z ʐ n/

The fricatives are voiced to [ʐ ɣ ʁ] before a voiced consonant. In addition, /ʂ/ > [s z] before /t d/ and > [ɕ ʑ] before /pi pe bi tɕ dʑ/.

In final CᴾF clusters, the C is a fricative. Clusters include /ɕtɕ xʂ xtʂ xɬ ɣz ɣl χs/.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Examples of syllables permitted in Northern Qiang<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|30}}
!Template
!Qiang Word
!Romanization
!Translation
|-
|V
|ɑ
|a
|'one'
|-
|VG
|ɑu
|au
|'one pile'
|-
|GV
|wə
|we
|'bird'
|-
|VC
|ɑs
|as
|'one day'
|-
|VCF
|əχʂ
|evsh
|'tight'
|-
|CV
|pə
|be
|'buy'
|-
|CGV
|kʰuə
|kue
|'dog'
|-
|CGVG
|kuɑi-tʰɑ
|guai-ta
|'strange'
|-
|CVC
|pɑq
|bagv
|'interest'
|-
|CVCF
|bəxʂ
|bbehsh
|'honey'
|-
|CGVC
|duɑp
|dduab
|'thigh'
|-
|FCV
|xtʂe
|hzhea
|'louse'
|-
|FCGV
|ʂkue
|shguea
|'roast'
|-
|FCGVG
|ʂkuəi
|shguei
|'mt. goat'
|-
|FCVC
|ʂpəl
|shbel
|'kidney'
|-
|FCVCF
|ʂpəχs
|shbevs
|'Chibusu'
|-
|FCGVC
|ʂquɑp
|shgvuab
|'quiet'
|-
|FCGVCF
|ɕpiexɬ
|xbieahlh
|'scar'
|}

=== Phonological processes ===

==== Initial weakening ====
When a compound or a directional prefix is added before an aspirated initial, the latter becomes the final of the preceding syllable in the new word. This typically causes it to lose its aspiration.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|31–32}}

* Example: ''tə-'' DIR + '''''b'''a'' 'big' > ''tə'''w'''a'' 'become big'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|32}}

==== [[Vowel harmony]] ====
Vowel harmony exists in the Mawo (麻窝) dialect. Typically, vowel harmony is used to match a preceding syllable's vowel with the succeeding vowel or its height. In some cases, however, the vowel of a succeeding syllable will harmonize in the opposite way, matching with the preceding vowel. This process occurs across syllables in compounds or in prefix + root combinations. Vowel harmony can also occur for r-coloring on the first syllable if the second syllable of a compound or prefix + root combination already has r-coloring.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|35–36}}

* Example: ''w'''ə''''' 'bird' + ''ʂp'''u''''' 'flock' > ''w'''u'''ʂpu'' '(wild) pigeon'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|35}}
* Example: Chinese ''zhàog'''ù''''' + Qiang ''p'''ə''''' 'to do' > ''tʂɑuk'''u'''-p'''u''''' 'take care of'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|36}}
* Example: ''m'''e''''' 'not' + ''w'''eʴ''''' 'reduce' > ''m'''eʴ'''-w'''eʴ''''' 'unceasingly'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|35}}
* Example: The realization of the word "one" (a) is influenced by the classifiers:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sun |first=Hongkai 孙宏开 |title=Qiāngyǔ jiǎnzhì |date=1981 |publisher=Minzu chubanshe |language=zh |script-title=zh:羌语简志}}</ref>
*{{IPA|e si}} (a day)
*{{IPA|a qep}} (a can)
*{{IPA|ɑ pɑu}} (a packet)
*{{IPA|o ʁu}} (a barrel)
*{{IPA|ɘ ʑu}} (a pile)
*{{IPA|ø dy}} (a mouth)

==== [[Epenthesis|Epenthetic vowel]] ====
The vowel /ə/ can be embedded within a collection of consonants that are restricted by the syllable canon. The epenthetic vowel is used to combine sounds that would typically be impermissible.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|36}}

* Example: ''bəl-'''ə'''s-je'' [do-NOM (< ''-s'')-good to eat] 'advantageous'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|36}}

==== [[Free variation]] ====
For some words, changing or adding consonants produces no phonological difference in meaning. The most common consonant interchange is between /ʂ/ and /χ/.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|37}}

* Example: '''''ʂ'''qu ~ '''χ'''qu'' 'mouth'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|37}}
* Example: '''''kɑp''' ~ kɑp'''ətʂ''' 'orphan'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|37}}''

== Orthography ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Northern Qiang Orthography
!Letter
|a
|ae
|b
|bb
|c
|ch
|d
|dd
|dh
|e
|ea
|f
|g
|gg
|gv
|h
|hh
|hv
|i
|iu
|j
|jj
|k
|kv
|l
|-
!IPA
|a
|{{IPA|æ}}
|{{IPA|p}}
|b
|{{IPA|t͡sʰ}}
|{{IPA|ʈ͡ʂʰ}}
|t
|d
|{{IPA|ɖ͡ʐ}}
|{{IPA|ə}}
|e
|f
|k
|g
|q
|x
|{{IPA|ɣ}}
|h
|i
|y
|{{IPA|t͡ɕ}}
|{{IPA|d͡ʑ}}
|{{IPA|kʰ}}
|{{IPA|qʰ}}
|l
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Letter
|lh
|m
|n
|ng
|ny
|o
|p
|ph
|q
|rr
|s
|sh
|ss
|t
|u
|v
|vh
|vv
|w
|x
|xx
|y
|z
|zh
|zz
|-
!IPA
|{{IPA|ɬ}}
|m
|n
|{{IPA|ŋ}}
|{{IPA|ȵ}}
|o
|{{IPA|pʰ}}
|{{IPA|ɸ}}
|{{IPA|t͡ɕʰ}}
|{{IPA|ʐ}}
|s
|{{IPA|ʂ}}
|z
|{{IPA|tʰ}}
|u
|{{IPA|χ}}
|{{IPA|ɦ}}
|{{IPA|ʁ}}
|{{IPA|w}}, {{IPA|u̥}}
|{{IPA|ɕ}}
|{{IPA|ʑ}}
|{{IPA|j}}
|{{IPA|t͡s}}
|{{IPA|ʈ͡ʂ}}
|{{IPA|d͡z}}
|}
[[Nasalization|Nasalized]] vowels are indicated with trailing ''nn'', [[R-colored vowel|rhotacized vowels]] are indicated with trailing ''r'', [[vowel length|long vowels]] are indicated by doubling the vowel letter.

== Morphology ==
Northern Qiang uses affixes in the form of prefixes and suffixes to describe or modify the meaning of nouns and verbs.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|39, 43, 120}} Other morphological processes that are affixed include gender marking, marking of genitive case, compounding, and nominalization. Northern Qiang also uses non-affixational processes such as reduplication.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|39}}

=== Noun phrase ===
In Northern Qiang, any combination of the following order is allowed as long as it follows this flow.{{Clarify|date=December 2021}} Some of the items found below, such as adjectives, may be used twice within the same noun phrase.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|39}}

==== Northern Qiang noun phrase structure ====
GEN phrase + Rel. clause + '''Noun''' + ADJ + DEM/DEF + (NUM + CL)/PL<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|39}}

==== Gender marking ====
Gender marking only occurs in animals. Typically, /mi/ is the suffix for females, while /zdu/ is the suffix for males.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|48}}

* ''wə-'''mi''''' 'mare'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|48}}
* ''puɲu-'''zdu''''' 'male cat'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|48}}

==== Pronouns ====
Northern Qiang pronouns can be represented from the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person, and can refer to one, two, or more than two people.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|50}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Northern Qiang Personal Pronouns<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|50}}
!
!Singular
!Dual
!Plural
|-
!1
|qɑ
|tɕi-zzi
|tɕi-le
|-
!2
|ʔũ
|ʔi-zzi
|ʔi-le
|-
!3
|theː / qupu
|thi-zzi
|them-le
|}

==== [[Genitive case]] ====
The genitive marker /-tɕ(ə)/ is placed on the modifying noun; this modifying noun will precede the noun it modifies.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|99–100}}

{{Interlinear|indent=3
|qɑ-tɕ ləɣz|1sg-GEN book|'my book'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|100}}}}

=== Verbal morphology ===
The meaning of verbs can be changed using prefixes and suffixes, or by using reduplication.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|120, 123}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Verbal Prefixes<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|120}}
!
!Marking in Qiang
!Purpose/Meaning
|-
|1
|
|intensifying adverb
|-
|2
|"various"
|direction/orientation, or 3rd person indirect directive
|-
|3
|/mə-/, or /tɕə-/
|simple negation, or prohibitive
|-
|4
|/tɕi/
|continuative aspect
|}
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+Verbal Suffixes<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|120}}
!
!Marking in Qiang
!Purpose/Meaning
|-
|5
|/-ʐ/
|causative
|-
|6
|/-ɑː/
|prospective aspect
|-
|7
|/kə/ or /lə/
|'(to) go', or '(to) come' (auxiliary directional verbs)
|-
|8
|/-jə/
|repetition
|-
|9
|/-ji/
|change of state
|-
|10
|/-l-/
|1st person indirect directive
|-
|11
|/-k/
|inferential evidential, mirative
|-
|12
|/-u/
|visual evidential
|-
|13
|/-ʂɑ/, /-sɑn/, /-ʂə'''''ʴ'''''/, /-sɑi/, [-wu/ ~ -u]
|non-actor person (1sg, 2sg, 1pl, 2pl, 3sg/pl)
|-
|14
|/-ɑ/, /-n/, /-ə'''''ʴ'''''/, /-i/, /-tɕi/
|actor person (1sg, 2sg, 1pl, 2pl, 3pl)
|-
|15
|/-i/
|hearsay evidential
|}

==== Reduplication ====
Repetition of the same root verb signifies a reciprocal action upon one actors, or an ongoing action.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|52, 123}}

* Example: '''''mɑ''''' 'plaster (a wall)' > ''m'''ə'''mɑ'' 'be plastering'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|123}}

=== Other morphological processes ===

==== [[Compound (linguistics)|Compounding]] ====
In Northern Qiang, the modifying noun of the compound must precede the modified noun.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|43}}

{{Interlinear|indent=3
|khuɑ-ʁl|dog-child|'puppy'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|48, 49}}}}

==== Nominalization ====
Nouns are created from adjectives or verbs using clitics /-s/, /-m/, or /-tɕ/, the indefinite markers /le/ or /te/, or the definite marker /ke/.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|59, 223}}

{{Interlinear|indent=3
|tɑwə-tɑ-m le-ze|hat-wear-NOM DEF-CL|'the person wearing a hat'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|224}}}}

== Syntax ==
The Northern Qiang language has quite a predictable syntax without many variations. The typical basic word order is [[subject–object–verb]] (SOV).<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|221}} Northern Qiang borrows some [[Mandarin Chinese]] words and phrases.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|222}}

=== Clause structure ===

==== Order ====
(TEMP) (LOC) (ACTOR) (GOAL/RECIPIENT) (ADV) (UG) VC (PART)<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|221}}

(TEMP = temporal phrase; UG = undergoer; VC = verb complex; PART = clause-final particle)

A sentence in Northern Qiang may be as short as a verb complex, which may just be a predicate noun.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|222}}

As shown from the order stated above, Northern Qiang is a language with a SOV sentence structure.

{{Interlinear|indent=3|italics=2|glossing3=yes
|S O V
|χumtʂi ʐətɕʰaq-e-ze ɦɑ-tʂ
|Xumtʂi rabbit-one-CL {{gcl|DIR|directional}}-pierce(kill)
|'Xumtʂi killed a rabbit.'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|77}}}}

==== Code mixing ====
Many loan words or loan phrases from Mandarin are borrowed, but the word order of these phrases is rearranged to fit the grammatical structure of Northern Qiang.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|222}}

{{Interlinear|indent=3
|pəs-ŋuəɳi ʐmətʂi-sətsim-leː tɕiutɕin ʂə mi-leː ŋuə-ŋuɑ?
|today-TOP emperor-wife-DEF:CL (after.all be) person-DEF:CL COP-Q
|'Today, is the emperor's wife a human?'<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|222}}}}

In this sentence, the words "'''tɕiutɕin'''" and "'''ʂə'''" are borrowed from Mandarin.

== Status ==
As with many [[Qiangic languages]], Northern Qiang is becoming increasingly threatened.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/qxs|title=Qiang, Southern|website=Ethnologue|language=en|access-date=2019-03-17|archive-date=2021-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219202702/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/qxs|url-status=live}}</ref> Because the education system largely uses [[Standard Chinese]] as a medium of instruction for the Qiang people, and as a result of the universal access to schooling and television, most Qiang children are fluent or even monolingual in Chinese while an increasing percentage cannot speak Qiang.<ref>{{harvp|LaPolla|2003|page=5}}</ref> Much of the population marry people from other parts of China who only speak Mandarin.<ref name=":04" />{{Rp|12}}

==See also==
* [[Qiangic languages]]
* [[Qiang people]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bradley |first=David |title=Papers in South East Asian Linguistics No. 14: Tibeto-Burman Languages of the Himalayas |date=1997 |publisher=Pacific Linguistics |isbn=0-85883-456-1 |editor-last=Bradley |editor-first=D. |location=Canberra |pages=1–72 |language=en |chapter=Tibeto-Burman Languages and Classification |chapter-url=http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/bradley1997tibeto-burman.pdf |archive-date=2017-10-11 |access-date=2021-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011142941/http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/bradley1997tibeto-burman.pdf |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=LaPolla |first=Randy |title=A Grammar of Qiang: With Annotated Texts and Glossary |date=2003 |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter |others=with Chenglong Huang |isbn=3-11-017829-X |location=Berlin |language=en}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Evans |first=Jonathan P. |date=2006 |title=Vowel Quality in Hongyan Qiang |url=http://www.ling.sinica.edu.tw/files/publication/j2006_4_01_2599.pdf |journal=Language and Linguistics |language=en |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=937–960 |archive-date=2021-08-21 |access-date=2021-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821065212/http://www.ling.sinica.edu.tw/files/publication/j2006_4_01_2599.pdf |url-status=live }}
{{refend}}
{{incubator|code=cng|lang=Northern Qiang}}

{{Sino-Tibetan languages}}
{{Na-Qiangic languages}}
{{Languages of China}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Northern Qiang Language}}
[[Category:Qiangic languages]]
[[Category:Qiang people]]
[[Category:Non-tonal languages in tonal families]]
[[Category:Endangered Sino-Tibetan languages]]