Akeu language

Akeu is a Loloish language mainly spoken in Jinghong and Mengla County, China, with smaller populations of speakers in Burma, Laos, and Thailand. Gokhy may be related.

Akeu
Ake
Native to	China, Myanmar, Laos
Native speakers	(12,000 cited 1996–2006)[1]
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman Lolo–Burmese Loloish Southern Loloish Siloid Akeu
Language codes
ISO 639-3	aeu
Glottolog	akeu1235  Akeu
ELP	Akeu

Luma is also closely related to Akeu according to Lew (2023).^[2]

Distribution

Akeu (Ake 阿克; autonym: Gouke 勾克) is spoken in the following locations of Yunnan (You 2013:172).^[3] The Akeu migrated from Mojiang County to the Xishuangbanna (西双版纳, Sipsongpanna) area 8 generations ago (about 300 years ago).

• Ganlanba 橄榄坝, Menghan Township 勐罕镇, Jinghong City 景洪市;
• Menglong Township 勐龙镇, Jinghong City 景洪市;
• Sanda Mountain 三达山, Jinghong City 景洪市;
• Menglun Township 勐仑镇, Mengla County 勐腊县;
• Yiwu District 易武乡, Mengla County 勐腊县.

Dialects

The Akeu dialects of Kyaingtong, Myanmar and Menglun 勐仑镇, Mengla County, China are similar. The following words from these two Akeu dialects are from Hayashi (2015).^[4]

Gloss	Kyaingtong Akeu	Menglun Akeu
tea	lɔ⁵⁵bo²¹	lɔ⁵⁵bɔ²¹
pig	wa̱²¹	wa̱²¹
bird	kɛ²¹a²¹	kja̱²¹
salt	tsa̱²¹dɤ̱²¹	tsa̱²¹dɤ̱²¹
buffalo	u³³na⁵⁵	mo²¹na³³
four	li²¹	li²¹
to fly	bɛ³³	bɛ³³

Vocabulary

The Akeu numerals are:^[5]

1. tɯʔ˨
2. ɲ̩ʔ˨
3. hɛ˦
4. li˨
5. ŋa˨
6. koʔ˨
7. siʔ˨
8. eʔ˨
9. ɡy˨
10. tsʰə˦