600 Phrases in the Liangshan Yi Dialect

The Yi Phonetic Alphabet

ꆃꎭꆈꉙꅇꂷꃘꉐꇬ


Background

The Yi people have used a unique syllabic script for writing their language for at least five hundred years, but the use of this script was restricted to a small minority of the population, and it never achieved widespread usage amongst ordinary people. Moreover, the script varied greatly from place to place, and thus could not be used for communication beyonds the confines of individual Yi communities.

In order to promote universal literacy, in 1956 the Chinese government promulgated a scheme for representing the Liangshan Yi dialect phonetically using the Latin alphabet. This phonetic alphabet was originally intended to replace the traditional Yi script, but in 1975 a standardised version of the traditional syllabic script was developed for use by the speakers of the Liangshan dialect, and this new Yi script is now used for writing Yi in books and newspapers. Nevertheless, the Yi Phonetic Alphabet is still used as a pedagogical aid and to represent the pronunciation of the Yi script in dictionaries.



Phonetic Values of the Yi Letters

The 43 Consonants

Yi Phonetic AlphabetIPA EquivalentNotes
bp 
pph 
bbb 
nbmb 
hm 
mm 
ff 
vv 
dt 
tth 
ddd 
ndnd 
hn 
nn 
hlɬ 
ll 
gk 
kkh 
ggg 
mgŋg 
hxh 
ngŋ 
hx 
wɣ 
zts 
ctsh 
zzdz 
nzndz 
ss 
ssz 
zh 
chtʂh 
rr 
nrndʐ 
shʂ 
rʐ 
j 
qtɕh 
jj 
njndʑ 
nyȵ"n with curl" (most fonts will not display this character as it was only introduced in Unicode 4.0)
xɕ 
yʑ 

These forty-three consonants are ordered phonetically in six parallel phonetic series, as indicated in the following table :

  Plosives & Affricates Nasals Fricatives & Laterals
  voiceless voiceless
aspirated
voiced nasal
voiced
voiceless voiced voiceless voiced
I. Labial Seriesb [p]p [ph]bb [b]nb [mb]hm [m̥]m [m]f [f]v [v]
II. Dental Seriesd [t]t [th]dd [d]nd [nd]hn [n̥]n [n]hl [ɬ]l [l]
III. Velar Seriesg [k]k [kh]gg [g]mg [ŋg]hx [h]ng [ŋ]h [x]w [ɣ]
IV. Dental Seriesz [ts]c [tsh]zz [dz]nz [ndz]  s [s]ss [z]
V. Retroflex Serieszh [tʂ]ch [tʂh]rr [dʐ]nr [ndʐ]  sh [ʂ]zh [ʐ]
VI. Palatal Seriesj [tɕ]q [tɕh]jj [dʑ]nj [ndʑ] ny [ȵ]x [ɕ]y [ʑ]


The 10 Vowels

Yi Phonetic AlphabetIPA EquivalentNotes
ii 
ieɛThis vowel is sometimes represented as [e], and sounds close to [ǐɛ].
aa 
uoɔ 
oo 
eɯUnrounded equivalent of [u].
uu 
urRetracted equivalent of [u].
yɿ 
yrɿ̠Retracted equivalent of [ɿ].


The 4 Tones

Yi Phonetic AlphabetDescriptionValueNotes
tHigh Level Tone55 
xSecondary High Tone34The value of this tone is given as "44" by some authorities.
 Mid Level Tone33This tone is implicit in syllables that do not end in t, x or p.
Cf. The Principles of the International Phonetic Association (London, 1949) §34 : "Mid level tones can generally be left unmarked."
pLow Falling Tone21 


The Syllable Iteration Symbol

w is used to represent the Syllable Iteration Symbol () , and indicates a repitition of the preceding syllable (sometimes with tone mutation).



Example Syllables

Consonant Examples



Vowel Examples



Tone Examples



Iteration Examples

wvatw ꃪꀕ "OK ?" [where vatw ꃪꀕ stands for vatvat ꃪꃪ]



The 1,164 Syllables

The Syllables Written in the Yi Phonetic Alphabet

 -bpbbnbhmmfvdtddndhnnhllgkggmghxnghwzczznzssszhchrrnrshrjqjjnjnyxy
ititbitpitbbitnbithmitmitfitvitdittitdditndithnitnithlitlitgitkitggit hxit hit zitcitzzitnzitsitssit      jitqitjjitnjitnyitxityit
ixixbixpixbbixnbixhmixmixfixvixdixtixddixndixhnixnixhlixlixgixkixggix hxix   zixcixzzixnzixsixssix      jixqixjjixnjixnyixxixyix
iibipibbinbihmimifividitiddindihninihliligikiggi hxi   zicizzinzisissi      jiqijjinjinyixiyi
ipipbippipbbipnbiphmipmipfipvipdiptipddipndiphnipniphliplipgipkip  hxip   zipcipzzipnzipsipssip      jipqipjjipnjipnyipxipyip
ietietbiet bbiet    viet    hniet  lietgiet   hxiet    cietzziet         jietqietjjietnjietnyietxietyiet
iexiexbiexpiexbbiexnbiexhmiexmiex viexdiextiexddiexndiexhniexniexhliexliexgiexkiexggiexmgiexhxiexngiexhiex ziexciexzziexnziexsiexssiex      jiexqiexjjiexnjiexnyiexxiexyiex
ieiebiepiebbienbiehmiemie viedietieddiendiehnieniehlieliegiekieggiemgiehxiengiehie zieciezzienziesiessie      jieqiejjienjienyiexieyie
iepiepbieppiepbbiepnbiephmiepmiep viepdieptiepddiep hniepniephliepliepgiepkiepggiep hxiepngiep  ziepciepzziepnziepsiepssiep      jiepqiepjjiepnjiepnyiepxiepyiep
atatbatpatbbatnbathmatmatfatvatdattatddatndathnat hlatlatgatkatggatmgathxatngathatwatzatcatzzatnzatsatssatzhapchap nrapshaprap       
axaxbaxpaxbbaxnbaxhmaxmaxfaxvaxdaxtaxddaxndaxhnaxnaxhlaxlaxgaxkaxggaxmgaxhxaxngaxhaxwaxzaxcaxzzaxnzaxsaxssaxzhaxchaxrraxnraxshaxrax       
aabapabbanbahmamafavadataddandahnanahlalagakaggamgahxangahawazacazzanzasassazhacharranrashara       
apapbappapbbapnbaphmapmapfapvapdaptapddapndaphnapnaphlaplapgapkapggapmgaphxapngaphapwapzapcapzzapnzapsapssapzhapchap nrapshaprap       
uot      muot   tuot     luotguot gguot hxuotnguothuot        chuop    juotquot    yuot
uoxuoxbuoxpuoxbbuox hmuoxmuox  duoxtuoxdduox hnuoxnuoxhluoxluoxguoxkuoxgguoxmguoxhxuoxnguoxhuoxwuoxzuoxcuox nzuoxsuox zhuoxchuoxrruox shuoxruoxjuoxquoxjjuoxnjuoxnyuoxxuoxyuox
uouobuopuobbuo hmuomuo  duotuodduo hnuonuohluoluoguokuogguomguohxuonguohuowuozuocuo nzuosuo zhuochuorruo shuoruojuoquojjuonjuonyuoxuoyuo
uopuopbuoppuopbbuop hmuopmuop   tuopdduop  nuophluopluopguopkuopgguopmguophxuop huopwuopzuopcuop  suop zhuopchuop  shuopruopjuopquopjjuop nyuop yuop
ototbotpotbbotnbothmotmot votdottotddotndothnotnot lotgotkotggotmgothxotngothot zotcot  sotssotzhopchoprrop shopropjotqotjjotnjotnyotxotyot
oxoxboxpoxbboxnboxhmoxmoxfoxvoxdoxtoxddoxndoxhnoxnoxhloxloxgoxkoxggoxmgoxhxoxngoxhoxwoxzoxcoxzzoxnzoxsoxssoxzhoxchoxrroxnroxshoxroxjoxqoxjjoxnjoxnyoxxoxyox
oobopobbonbohmomofovodotoddondo nohlologokoggomgohxongohowozocozzo sossozhochorronroshorojoqojjonjonyoxoyo
opopboppopbbopnbophmopmopfopvopdoptopddopndophnopnophloplopgopkopggopmgophxopngophopwopzopcopzzopnzopsopssopzhopchoprropnropshopropjopqopjjopnjopnyopxopyop
et                 getketgget           zhepcheprrepnrepshep        
exexbex bbex  mex vexdextexddexndexhnexnexhlexlexgexkexggexmgexhxexngexhexwexzexcexzzexnzexsexssexzhexchexrrexnrexshexrex       
eebe bbe  me  deteddendehnenehlelegekeggemgehxengehewezecezzenzesessezhecherrenreshere       
ep bep bbep    vepdeptepddepndephnepnephleplepgepkepggepmgephxepngephepwepzepcepzzep sepssepzhepcheprrepnrepsheprep       
ut butputbbutnbuthmutmutfutvutduttutddutnduthnutnuthlutlutgutkutggutmgut    zutcut  sutssutzhup rrupnrupshuprupjutqutjjut nyut yut
ux buxpuxbbuxnbuxhmuxmuxfuxvuxduxtuxdduxndux nuxhluxluxguxkuxgguxmgux    zuxcuxzzuxnzuxsuxssuxzhuxchuxrruxnruxshuxruxjuxquxjjuxnjuxnyux yux
u bupubbunbuhmumufuvudutuddundu nuhlulugukuggumgu    zucuzzunzusussuzhuchurrunrushurujuqujjunjunyu yu
up buppupbbupnbuphmupmupfupvupduptupddupndup nuphluplupgupkupggupmgup    zupcupzzupnzupsupssupzhupchuprrupnrupshuprupjupqupjjupnjupnyup yup
urx burxpurxbburxnburxhmurxmurxfurxvurxdurxturxddurxndurx nurxhlurxlurxgurxkurxggurxmgurx    zurxcurxzzurxnzurxsurx zhurxchurxrrurxnrurxshurxrurxjurxqurxjjurxnjurx  yurx
ur burpurbburnburhmurmurfurvurdurturddurndur nurhlurlurgurkurggurmgur    zurcurzzurnzursur zhurchurrrurnrurshurrurjurqurjjurnjur  yur
yt bytpytbbytnbyt mytfytvyt      hlytlyt        zytcytzzytnzytsytssytzhypchyprrypnrypshyprypjytqytjjytnjyt xytyyt
yx byxpyxbbyxnbyxhmyxmyxfyxvyx      hlyxlyx        zyxcyxzzyxnzyxsyxssyxzhyxchyxrryxnryxshyxryxjyxqyxjjyxnjyx xyxyyx
y bypybbynbyhmymyfyvy      hlyly        zycyzzynzysyssyzhychyrrynryshyryjyqyjjynjy xyyy
yp byppypbbypnbyphmypmypfypvyp      hlyplyp        zypcypzzypnzypsypssypzhypchyprrypnrypshyprypjypqypjjypnjyp xypyyp
yrx byrxpyrx nbyrxhmyrx  vyrx      hlyrxlyrx        zyrxcyrxzzyrxnzyrxsyrxssyrxzhyrxchyrxrryrxnryrxshyrxryrxjyrxqyrx njyrx xyrxyyrx
yr byrpyr nbyrhmyr  vyr      hlyrlyr        zyrcyrzzyrnzyrsyrssyrzhyrchyrrryrnryrshyrryrjyrqyr njyr xyryyr


The Syllables Written in the Yi Script

 -bpbbnbhmmfvdtddndhnnhllgkggmghxnghwzczznzssszhchrrnrshrjqjjnjnyxy
itꀀ         
ix          
i          
ip           
iet                           
iex        
ie        
iep           
at         
ax       
a       
ap        
uot                                
uox       
uo       
uop              
ot      
ox
o  
op
et                                    
ex           
e            
ep              
ut          
ux       
u       
up       
urx         
ur         
yt                 
yx                
y                
yp                
yrx                    
yr                    


Contents | Yi People & Language | Yi Script | Vocabulary | Lesson 1

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