Zhaba

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A language of China

ISO 639-3
zhb
Alternate Names
Bazi, Bozi, Draba, Zaba, Zha, nDrapa
User Population

7,800 (Gengxua and Hu 2008), decreasing. Many young monolingual speakers in Zhaba and Zhamai districts. Ethnic population: 9,000 (Gong 2007).

Location

Sichuan province: Ganzi (Garzê) Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Daofu (Dawu) county, Zhaba district; Yajiang (Nyagquka) county, Zhamai district.

Language Maps
Language Status

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

Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Northeastern Tibeto-Burman, Qiangic
Dialects

Drate (Northern nDrapa), Drame (Southern nDrapa, Zhami). Reportedly similar to Stau (Horpa [ero]) and Queyu [qvy], but no mutual intelligibility. Many loanwords from Tibetan and Chinese varieties.

Typology

Verb-final; agglutinating; suffixes and prefixes, case-marking employs postpositions, case system nominative-accusative; tonal.

Language Use

Most use Chinese or Tibetan varieties even when they speak with other Zhaba people. Personal communication among themselves. Some young people, all adults. Negative attitudes. Regarded as useless; users strongly desire to better learn Chinese varieties.

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: Low. Many in elder generation illiterate. Dictionary. Texts.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Zhaba
Writing

Unwritten [Qaax].

Other Comments

Different from Queyu [qvy]. Buddhist.