xiab
xiab is an extinction-threatened language belonging to the Kra–Dai family, officially classified under the Southwestern branch. It is primarily spoken by the Xiab ethnic group, who reside in the remote valleys of southeastern Yunnan province. The language is distinguished by its tonal system, comprising four lexical tones, and its elaborate system of evidential particles that encode information about the source of knowledge.
The phonological inventory of xiab includes a set of voiceless and voiced stops, nasals, fricatives, as well
Historically, records of xiab date back to the early 20th century when Chinese linguists first documented its
The population of xiab speakers is estimated to be fewer than 1,000 individuals, most of whom are
A recent project by a coalition of linguists and local activists, funded by the National Endowment for