Wutunhua

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A language of China

ISO 639-3
wuh
Alternate Names
Ngandehua, Sanggaixiong, Wutong, Wutun
User Population

4,000 (2016 E. Sandman).

Location

Qinghai province: Huangnan Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Tongren county, Longwu township, Jiangchama and Upper and Lower Wutun villages.

Language Maps
Language Status

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

Classification
Mixed language, Chinese-Tibetan-Bonan Mongour
Typology

SOV; adjectives follow nouns; adverbials precede predicate; case and number marked on nouns; agglutinative language; prenasalized consonants; 38 consonants and 6 vowels; non-tonal; most words polysyllabic; 60% Chinese, 20% Tibetan vocabulary with the rest having mixed Chinese and Tibetan elements.

Language Use

Used by all. Positive attitudes. Most also use Amdo Tibetan [adx] (Sandman 2016). Many also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn], especially among young people (Sandman 2016).

Language Development

Grammar.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Wutunhua
Other Comments

A variety of Chinese heavily influenced by Tibetan or perhaps a Tibetan language undergoing relexification with Chinese forms. Also described as Chinese which converged to an agglutinative language, Tibetan or Mongolian, using only Chinese material. Known for their paintings of Buddha. Buddhist.