Qabiao language

Qabiao, Pu Peo or sometimes Laqua (autonym: qa0 biau33; Chinese: Pubiao 普标, Vietnamese: Pu Péo) is a Kra language spoken by the Qabiao people in northern Vietnam and Yunnan, China.^[2] Alternative names for Qabiao include Kabeo, Ka Beo, Ka Bao, Ka Biao, Laqua, Pubiao (Pupeo or Pu Péo) and Pen Ti Lolo (Bendi Lolo). The meaning of the name "Qabiao" is unknown.

Qabiao
Laqua
Region	Hà Giang, Vietnam; Wenshan, Yunnan, China
Ethnicity	Qabiao
Native speakers	710 (2009 census)[1]
Language family	Kra–Dai Kra Yang–Biao Qabiao
Writing system	Latin script in Vietnam
Language codes
ISO 639-3	laq
Glottolog	qabi1235
ELP	Laqua

Maza, a Lolo–Burmese language spoken near the Qabiao area, is notable for having a Qabiao substratum (Hsiu 2014:68-69).^[3]

Geographic distribution

In Vietnam, Qabiao is spoken in Đồng Văn District, Hà Giang Province in Phố Là and Sủng Chéng villages, and perhaps also in Yên Minh and Mèo Vạc Districts.^[2]

Tran (2011:15) reports that Qabiao is spoken in the following locations of Ha Giang Province.

• Phố Là, Sùng Chéng, Phó Bảng, Phó Cáo, and Má Lé communes of Đồng Văn District
• Cháng Lổ and Sùng Chéng of Phú Lũng commune, Yên Minh District
• Tiến Xuân, Yen Cường commune, Bắc Mê District
• Mèo Vạc District

The Pu Péo (Qabiao) of Vietnam claim that they had traditionally lived in the following villages in Vietnam and China (Tran 2011:16).

• Đồng Văn District, Vietnam
  • Phó Bảng (Mó Biêng)
  • Phó Cáo (Mó Cao)
  • Phó Là (Mó Nê)
  • Phó Lủng (Mó Căn)
• Malipo County, China
  • Phú Trú (Mó Nương)
  • Phú Trác (Mó Căn)
  • Phú Pliông (Mó Phuông)
  • Phú Trao (Mó Rào)

In China, Qabiao is spoken in Tiechang Township 铁厂镇 and Donggan Township 懂干镇 in Malipo County, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan (Liang, et al. 2007). Many Qabiao people have shifted to Southwestern Mandarin, although it is still spoken in villages such as Pufeng 普峰.^[4]

Phonology

The Qabiao language has the following tones: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D1, D2.^[2][5]

Like Paha (J.-F. Li and Y.-X. Luo 2010: 16–17), Long-haired Lachi (Kosaka 2000: 20–24) and Buyang, Qabiao (J.-R. Zhang 1990) have sesquisyllables, which are not present in most Kra-Dai languages.^[6]

References

Further reading

• Nguyen, Thu Quynh. 2019. Characteristics of Pu Peo: A language at risk of endangerment Archived 2019-03-29 at the Wayback Machine. Presentation at the Conference on Asian Linguistic Anthropology, the CALA 2019, Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia.
• Trần, Văn Ái. 2011. Văn hóa dân gian của dân tộc Pu Péo ở Việt Nam. Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản văn hóa thông tin. ISBN 978-604-50-0048-9
• Various. 2012. Dân ca các dân tộc Pu Péo, Sán Dìu, Dao, Lô Lô, Cao Lan. Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản văn hóa dân tộc. ISBN 978-604-70-0153-8