Loloish

Loloish, also referred to as Ngwi, is a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, within the Tibeto-Burman subgroup. It comprises a collection of related languages spoken by ethnic groups mainly in southwestern China, especially Yunnan, with communities in neighboring Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The term Loloish comes from older classifications; many linguists today use Ngwi or group the languages under the broader Lolo-Burmese branch, with internal divisions into several subgroups.

Loloish languages are characterized by tonal systems and complex consonant inventories. They are generally analytic, with little inflection, and often use serial verbs and aspect markers. Vocabulary and phonology vary widely among the languages, making mutual intelligibility limited between varieties. The largest and best-documented Loloish language is Yi (Nuosu), spoken by the Yi people and written with the Yi script. Other Loloish languages exist in various locations, many with small speaker populations.

Geographic distribution and language vitality: Loloish languages are spoken primarily in Yunnan Province of China and border areas in Sichuan and Guangxi, with communities across the border in Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Many Loloish languages are endangered or shifting toward Mandarin or regional lingua francas; some have developed writing systems or standardized orthographies in local education or cultural contexts.

Classification: The Loloish grouping is part of the Lolo-Burmese branch of Tibeto-Burman. Within Loloish, classifications vary, with proposals dividing into Northern, Central, and Southern Loloish groups, among others. Modern work often emphasizes Ngwi as an umbrella for several related languages rather than a single homogenous unit.