A'ou (阿欧方言) or Red Gelao (红仡佬语) is an endangered Gelao language spoken by fewer than 100 people in Guizhou, China.[2] Only the Hongfeng (红丰) and Bigong (比贡) dialects are still spoken, each with only a few dozen speakers.
A'ou | |
---|---|
Native to | China |
Region | Guizhou |
Native speakers | 50 (2011)[1] |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | aou |
Glottolog | aoua1234 |
The main dialects of A'ou, which all have limited mutual intelligibility, are:
Only one elderly speaker of the Houzitian (猴子田) dialect was found in 2013, and it is likely now extinct.[6]
Mulao (木佬) is sometimes also included, in addition to Yi (羿), an extinct A'ou variety of Sichuan.[7]
Source:[8]
Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
m̥,m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
b,p | t,d | k,g | q | ʔ | |
v | s,z | ɕ,ʑ | x,ɣ | χ | h |
j | w | ||||
dz,ts | |||||
l | |||||
ɬ |
Front | Central | Back |
---|---|---|
i,y | u | |
ɪ | ||
e | o | |
ə | ||
ɛ | ||
a |