| Zhi-Yan dialect | |
|---|---|
| 志延片 | |
| Native to | China |
| Region | Shaanxi |
Sino-Tibetan
| |
| Chinese characters | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
 Distribution of the Zhi-Yan dialect within Jin Chinese (shown in purple) | |
TheZhi-Yan dialect (Chinese:志延片;pinyin:Zhìyán piàn;lit. 'Zhidan andYanchuan variety') is adialect ofJin Chinese spoken within much ofYan'an,Shaanxi,China. The dialect is spoken throughoutBaota District,[1]Zhidan County, andYanchuan County.
Located in a transition zone between the Jin Chinese ofnorthern Shaanxi andGuanzhong,[1] the Zhi-Yan dialect shows some transitional characteristics in bothtones andvocabulary. With the exception of thechecked tone, the tones between the Zhi-Yan dialect and the nearbyLüliang dialect [zh] are the same. Among ancient checked tone syllables, only fully voiced consonants still retain the checked tone, while clear and sub-voiced syllables are spoken with a high tone (Chinese:陰平;pinyin:yīnpíng). Most tones are similar to those spoken in Guanzhong.[1] The Zhi-Yan dialect retains checked tones found in northern Shaanxi Jin, but not the checked tones found inCentral Plains Mandarin.[1]
The Zhi-Yan dialect was heavily influences by a mass migration of people from nearbyYulin, who moved to Yan'an en masse in the 1930s after afamine struck Yulin.[1] As such, Zhi-Yan speakers descended from those who migrated from Yulin retain characteristics not found in other Zhi-Yan speakers, who share more characteristics with people from Guanzhong.[1]
The Zhi-Yan dialect is spoken inBaota District,[1]Zhidan County andYanchuan County.