Biao language


The Biao language is a Kra–Dai language spoken in southwestern Huaiji County and Fengkai County, Zhaoqing, Guangdong. Autonyms are ' and '.
Speakers of this language are classified as part of Han Chinese ethnic groups.

Classification

Like Lakkia, the genetic affiliation of the Biao language within the Kra–Dai family is uncertain, although it could be a sister of the Kam–Sui languages. Hsiu suggests that Biao could either subgroup with Lakkia, or form an independent branch of Kra–Dai on its own.

Phonology

The tone categories and contour-tone values for three dialects of Biao are :
Tone categoryShidongYongguDagang
1 55 55 54
2 214 31 31
3 54 54 35
4 132 213 132
5 35 22 34
6 22 42 22
7 55 55 55
9 35 33 34
8 12 21 22
10 22 42 42

Dialects

There are three dialects of Biao. The Shidong dialect is documented in detail by Liang. Additional data from the Yonggu and Dagang dialects are documented by Hsiu. A sketch of Yonggu Biao phonology is also documented in Lin.
Yang provides the following lexical comparisons for five dialects of Biao.
English glossChinese glossShidong 诗洞Hezhou 贺州Yonggu 永固Dagang 大岗Liangcun 梁村
bone骨头iɐk8iɐk8iɐk8iɐk8iɐk8
earth, soil土pʰiɐn1pʰɛn1pøn3piɛn1piɛn1
body hair, feather毛iɐŋ1iɐŋ6iaŋ2iɛŋ6iɛŋ6
table桌子tsøŋ4tsøŋ4tsoŋ2pɐt7tsoŋ6; tøy6pɐt7tsoŋ6
vegetable蔬（菜种得蔬）lɛu5; liau5liau5lɛu5ly5ly5
long 久（很久不见）si2si6tsi2tsɐi6tsɐi6
dog狗mu3mu3mɔ1mɔ1mɔ1
weave 编（编簸箕）hɔo1hɔo1hɔ1hɔ1hɔ1

Liang lists the following comparative data for three dialects of Biao.
English glossChinese glossShidong 诗洞Yonggu 永固Dagang 大岗Page number
shoe鞋haːi4aːi2aːi253
hand手hy2iə2iə253
enter进hɔ2ɔ4ɔ453
stand up站立ɲyn1ɲyn1nyn153
earring耳环ɲɛŋ6ɲɛŋ653
water水naːm4ɲaːm4nia454
urine尿ɲu6ɲiu6nɛu654
rain雨tsʰan1tsʰɛn1san154
year年pɛ1pʰui1pʰui154
bow弓kʰuŋ3kuŋ1kuŋ154
grapefruit柚子lak8pʰɔ3lak8pø154
scold骂ly5liə554
cross over过ty6tiə6liə654
thorn, spur刺儿ky3kiə3kiə354
leaf树叶my1miə1miə154
li 一“里”路ly1liə4liə454
chopsticks箸tsy6tsy6tsy654
book书sy3sy1sy154
moon月亮pʰyn1pʰyn1pun154
release 放（鸟）pyŋ5puŋ554
garlic蒜θyn5θun554
stand站ɲyn1ɲyn1nyn154
red红lyŋ5luŋ5luŋ554
sky, day天、日jan2wɛn2man255
snake蛇tsʰy1tʰo1tsʰo155
day天man1man161
wind风lam2lam261
frost霜mai1mui161
pond池塘tsam2tɛm261
paddy field水田jo6jo661
fire火pai1pai161
day日jan2wɛn261
foot脚puk7puk761
child儿liak8lɛk861
grandchild孙lɔn1lɔn161
sell卖pʰa1pʰa161
come来naŋ1nuŋ161
black黑muk7muk761
cattle黄牛mɔ2ŋau261
dragonfly蜻蜓tam1ɲɛu3kam5tsʰe361
grasshopper蚱蜢ha1ɲak7maːŋ361
tree树muk8mi461
banana芭蕉muk8juk8wai2θiəu161
sprout芽miu4ŋa261
tongue舌头tsʰu1pʰyə162
sit坐naŋ6pʰɔ362
will, future tense会suk8ui662
blood血jan2lyt1062
throw 扔（丢）san5fak762
use用sai1yuŋ662

Distribution

Variaties of Biao include the Shidong 诗洞, Yonggu 永固, Qiaotou 桥头, and Dagang 大岗 dialects. In Fengkai County, it is spoken in Chang'an 长安, Jinzhuang 金装, and Qixing 七星. The Fengshan County Almanac reports that in Fengkai County, is spoken by 7,217 people in 48 natural villages in Chang'an 长安, Baoshan 宝山, and Dongshan 东山 townships. Fengkai Biao is reported by the Fengshan County Almanac to be a distinct dialect from Biao of Huaiji County. Yang reports that Biao is also spoken in Liandu 莲都 and He'erkou 河儿口镇 in Fengkai County, and Shatian 沙田镇, Hezhou, Guangxi. Comparative lexical data for 4 varieties of Biao spoken in Shatian Town, Hezhou are provided in Chen & Yang.

Yang (2010)

According to Yang Biwan, there are more than 160,000 speakers of Biao.
Yang notes that toponyms in Yonggu 永固 Township with the name “Luo 罗”, and toponyms in Shidong 诗洞 Township with “Liu 六”, “Feng 凤”, and “Nan 南” are of Biao origin.