| Kathu | |
|---|---|
| Thou | |
| Native to | China |
| Region | Guangnan County |
| Ethnicity | Yi |
Native speakers | 5,000 (2007)[1] |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ykt |
| Glottolog | kath1251 |
| ELP | Kathu |
Kathu (Chinese:嘎苏话) is aLolo-Burmese language of Balong (坝聋), Nanping Township (南屏镇),Guangnan County,Yunnan,China.[2] The Kathu are locally known as the White Yi (白彝). Wu Zili (2004) estimates that Kathu has a total of more than 7,000 speakers inGuangnan County (including in Dayashao 大牙少[3]), as well as inJinping County, Yunnan.Ethnologue mentions a possible presence inXilin County,Guangxi Province.
A related variety is known asThou.
Kathu-Thou is notable for having initial consonant clusters, which within the Lolo-Burmese branch are also found inWritten Burmese (Old Burmese) andJinuo (Hsiu 2014:66).[4] Wu (2004) lists the onset clusters pl, pʰl, bl, ml, kl, kʰl, gl, ql, qʰl, ɢl, ŋl.
Hsiu (2014:65)[4] identifies two varieties, both spoken in Nanping Township (南屏镇).
Kathu vocabulary is largely similar to those of otherMondzish languages. However, there are various words that do not appear to be ofLolo-Burmese origin, and are derived from an unknownTibeto-Burman branch (Hsiu 2014).[4] Hsiu (2014) suggests that Kathu could be added toGeorge van Driem's list of Trans-Himalayan "fallen leaves."
Bradley (1997)[5] classified Kathu as aNorthern Loloish language, while Bradley (2007)[6] classified it as aSoutheastern Loloish language. However, Pelkey (2011:458)[7] notes that Kathu andMo'ang are not Southeastern Loloish languages.
Sino-Tibetan branches | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WesternHimalayas (Himachal, Uttarakhand,Nepal,Sikkim) |
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| EasternHimalayas (Tibet,Bhutan,Arunachal) | |||||
| Myanmar and Indo- Burmese border |
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| East andSoutheast Asia |
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| Dubious (possible isolates,Arunachal) |
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| Proposed groupings | |||||
| Proto-languages | |||||
Italics indicates single languages that are also considered to be separate branches. | |||||