Axi language

Axi (Chinese: 阿细 Axi; Ahi; autonym: ɑ21 ɕi55 pʰo21) is one of the Loloish languages spoken by the Yi people of China. The Axi are one of the main linguistic sub-branches of Yi, and the Axi tiaoyue is a dance of the Axi speaking Yi people accompanied by the sanhu.

Axi
Axipo
Native to	China
Ethnicity	Yi
Native speakers	100,000 (2007)
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman Lolo-Burmese Loloish Southeastern Sani–Azha Axi
Language codes
ISO 639-3	yix
Glottolog	axiy1235

Axi is spoken in Mile, Shilin, Kunming, Luxi, and Huaning counties by about 110,000 speakers.

Dialects

Wu (2014) divides Axi into three dialects and also provides word lists for each of the three dialects.

• The Western dialect 西阿土语 (approximately 75,000 speakers) is spoken in Mile (in Xishan 西山, Dongshan 东山, Midong 弥东, Jiangbian 江边, Buqi 补七); Qiubei (some areas), Lunan, Luxi, Huaning counties, etc.
• The Yanshan dialect 砚阿土语 (approximately 72,000 speakers) is spoken in Yanshan, Qiubei (some areas), Wenshan counties, etc.
• The Kunming dialect 昆阿土语 (approximately 23,000 speakers) is spoken in Kunming (Xishan, in Shuangshao 双哨; Anning); Luquan, Wuding counties, etc.

Phonology

Axi consonants

		Labial	Alveolar		Alveolo- palatal	Retroflex		Velar
			plain	sibilant		plain	sibilant
Nasal		m	n					ŋ
Plosive/ Affricate	voiceless	p	t	t͡s	t͡ɕ	ʈ	t͡ʂ	k
	aspirated	pʰ	tʰ	t͡sʰ	t͡ɕʰ	ʈʰ	t͡ʂʰ	kʰ
	voiced	b	d	d͡z	d͡ʑ	ɖ	d͡ʐ	ɡ
Continuant	voiceless	f	ɬ	s	ɕ		ʂ	x
	voiced	v	l	z	ʑ		ʐ	ɣ

Axi vowels

	Front	Central	Back
			unrd.	rnd.
Close	i, ḭ		ɯ, ɯ̰	u, ṵ
Mid	e, ḛ			o, o̰
Open-mid	ɛ, ɛ̰
Open		a, a̰
Syllabic consonant	ɹ̪̩, ɹ̪̰̩

See also

• Axi word list (Wiktionary)