Tibetan, Amdo

A language of China

Amdo, Anduo, Ngamdo, Panang

1,800,000 (2005 C. Lhungrub).

Gansu province: Tianzhu autonomous county; Sichuan province: Aba (Ngaba) and Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefectures; Xizang Autonomous Region: Guoluo (Golog), Haibei, Hainan, and Huangnan autonomous prefectures; Qinghai province: Gannan and Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous prefectures.

Language Status

6a (Vigorous). Language of recognized nationality: Tibetan.

Classification

Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Bodish, Central Bodish, Amdo

Dialects

Hbrogpa (Muqu), Rongba (Nongqu), Rongma-Hbrogpa (Bannong-Banmu), Rtahu (Daofu), Panang (Banag, Banang, Panags, Panakha, Pananag, Sbanag, Sbranag). Central Tibetan [bod] or Khams Tibetan [khg] varieties not intelligible. Lexical similarity: 75% with Central Tibetan [bod], 72% with Khams Tibetan [khg] (Shearer and Sun 2017).

Typology

SOV; many onset clusters.

Language Use

Used by all. Used as L2 by Baima [bqh], Bonan [peh], Choni [cda], Salar [slr], Wutunhua [wuh].

Language Development

Classroom teachers use it, but Modern Literary Tibetan [bod] is the language of literature. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Tibetan, Amdo

Writing

Tibetan script [Tibt].

Other Comments

Those in Golog are called Golog, Ngolok, Mgolog, Ggolo, or Gugoluo. Buddhist.