Zhaba
[dʐa35 ʂka55]
Native to	China
Native speakers	7,800 (2008)[1]
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman Qiangic Zhaba–Queyu Zhaba
Language codes
ISO 639-3	zhb
Glottolog	zhab1238
ELP	Zhaba
Zhaba is classified as Vulnerable by theUNESCOAtlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Zhaba, also known asBazi, Bozi, Draba, nDrapa, Zaba, Zha (Chinese: 扎坝语 or 扎巴语), is aQiangic language ofSichuan, China spoken by about 8,000 people inDaofu County andYajiang County. The Zhaba, who are officially classified by the Chinese government as ethnicTibetan people, refer to themselves as[ndʐa55pɪ31] and to the Zhaba language as[ndʐa35ʂka55].^[2] NeighboringKhams Tibetan speakers refer to the Zhaba people as[ndʐa55pa55]. Zhaba speakers live primarily in the Xianshui River 鲜水河 valley.^[2]

Descriptions of Zhaba include Huang (1991)^[3] and Gong (2007).^[2] Huang & Dai (1992)^[4] document the Queyu dialect spoken in Zhatuo Village 扎拖村, Zhatuo Township 扎拖乡,Daofu County,Sichuan.

• /f/ is found only inChinese loans.
• /l/ and /ɬ/ contrast only inTibetan loans.
• /ʐ/ and /r/ may interchange word-initially; but they are contrastive when occurring in the second syllable of words.

Additionally, the following diphthongs and triphthongs have been observed: /ui/, /ue/, /uɛ/, /uɛ̃/, /yɛ/, /uɐ/, /ua/, /ei/, /ɛi/, /əu/, /ai/, /au/, /uei/, /iau/.

Zhaba also has fourtones:^[5]

• [ ˥ ] - high, level
• [ ˥˧ ] - high-falling
• [ ˧˥ ] - high-rising
• [ ˧ ] - mid, level

Ethnologue (21st edition) lists two dialects of Zhaba:

• Drate (Northern nDrapa)
• Drame (Southern nDrapa, Zhami)

A total of 8,319 Zhaba people are distributed in the following townships of Zhaba District 扎坝区 ofDaofu County (Upper Zha 上扎 area), and Zhamai District 扎麦区 ofYajiang County (Lower Zha 下扎 area) (Gong 2007:2-3).^[2] Zhaba people from the two districts speak the same mutually intelligible language.

• Zhaba District 扎坝区,Daofu County (Upper Zha 上扎 area)
  • Yazhuo 亚卓乡 (Zhaba name:vʑa55ʂtsʰu31): 1,501 Zhaba people
  • Hongding 红顶乡 (Zhaba name:ŋui31dɪ55): 752 Zhaba people
  • Zhongni 仲尼乡 (Zhaba name:tʂyi55ȵi55): 970 Zhaba people
  • Zhatuo 扎拖乡 (Zhaba name:ndʐa31gʊ55): 1,114 Zhaba people
  • Xiatuo 下拖乡 (Zhaba name:ptse55tʰʊ31): 899 Zhaba people
• Zhamai District 扎麦区,Yajiang County (Lower Zha 下扎 area)
  • Waduo 瓦多乡 (Zhaba name:ve55tʊ55): 1,536 Zhaba people
  • Murong 木绒乡 (Zhaba name:mə55vzu31): 1,547 Zhaba people

• Qiangic languages
• Languages of Sichuan

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