Pela

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A language of China

ISO 639-3
bxd
Alternate Names
Bela, Bola, Bula, Pala, Pola, Polo
User Population

400 (2000 D. Bradley). Ethnic population: 1,000 (2001 J. Edmondson).

Location

Yunnan province: Dehong prefecture, Luxi county, Santaishan township; Lianghe and Yingjiang counties.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b (Threatened). Language of recognized nationality: Jingpo.

Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Ngwi-Burmese, Burmish, Northern
Dialects

Reportedly similar to Zaiwa [atb]. Considered by some a Zaiwa dialect.

Typology

SOV; only voiceless affricates and stops; no consonant clusters; palatalized and nonpalatalized series of labials and velars; nasal and stop codas; tense-lax and nasal unnasalized vowels; Chinese, Jingpo, Dai, and Burmese loans; tonal, 4 tones, tone sandhi.

Language Use

Home. Some young people, all adults. Neutral attitudes. All are multilingual, speaking other languages from within the cluster natively, as well as some Chinese and a local Tai language (Bradley 2007a).

Language Development

Grammar. Texts.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Pela
Writing

Unwritten [Qaax].

Other Comments

Live among the Jingpo majority and wear Jingpo clothing. They regard themselves as different from Zaiwa and Jingpo and have different traditions. Traditional religion.