Sino-Tibetan language of Yunnan, southwestern China
Not to be confused with Bai language (South Sudan) or Enets language.
Bai
白语, Báiyǔ
Baip‧ngvp‧zix
Native to
Yunnan, China
Ethnicity
Bai, Hui[1]
Native speakers
1.3 million (2003)[2]
Language family
Sino-Tibetan
Sinitic?[3]
Macro-Bai?
Bai
Dialects
Jianchuan-Dali
Panyi–Lama
Writing system
Latin Bowen script
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Variously: bca – Central Bai, Jianchuan dialect bfs – Southern Bai, Dali dialect bfc – Panyi Bai lay – Lama Bai
ISO 639-6
bicr
Glottolog
baic1239
Bai (Bai: Baip‧ngvp‧zix; simplified Chinese: 白语; traditional Chinese: 白語; pinyin: Báiyǔ; lit. 'white language') is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in China, primarily in Yunnan Province, by the Bai people. The language has over a million speakers and is divided into three or four main dialects. Bai syllables are always open, with a rich set of vowels and eight tones. The tones are divided into two groups with modal and non-modal (tense, harsh or breathy) phonation. There is a small amount of traditional literature written with Chinese characters, Bowen (僰文), as well as a number of recent publications printed with a recently standardized system of romanisation using the Latin alphabet.
The origins of Bai have been obscured by intensive Chinese influence of an extended period. Different scholars have proposed that it is an early offshoot or sister language of Chinese, part of the Loloish branch or a separate group within the Sino-Tibetan family.
^Gladney, Dru C. (1996). Muslim Chinese: Ethnic Nationalism in the People's Republic (2 ed.). Harvard Univ Asia Center. p. 33. ISBN 0-674-59497-5. (1st edition appeared in 1991)
^Central Bai, Jianchuan dialect at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required) Southern Bai, Dali dialect at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required) Panyi Bai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required) Lama Bai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Bai (Bai: Baip‧ngvp‧zix; simplified Chinese: 白语; traditional Chinese: 白語; pinyin: Báiyǔ; lit. 'white language') is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in China...
researchers but has found phylogenetic support among others. The Macro-Bailanguages, whose classification is difficult, may be an offshoot of Old Chinese...
Look up Bai or bai in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. BAI or Bai may refer to: BAI Communications, telecommunications infrastructure company BAI (organization)...
The Bai, or Pai (Bai: Baipho, /pɛ̰˦˨xo̰˦/ (白和); Chinese: 白族; pinyin: Báizú; Wade–Giles: Pai²-tsu²; endonym pronounced [pɛ̀tsī]), are an East Asian ethnic...
Pandari Bai (1930 – 29 January 2003) was an Indian actress who worked in South Indian cinema, mostly in Kannada cinema during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s...
Lakshmibai. Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019), a Telugu language film starring Anushka Shetty as Rani Lakshmi Bai. Khoob Ladi Mardaani...Jhansi Ki Rani (2019),...
Tibetan, at least two dialects of the Bailanguage, the Papuan language Mapos Buang, and the Chamdo languages: Lamo (Kyilwa dialect), Larong sMar (Tangre...
Dumun is an endangered Madang language spoken in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea. Dumun is reported to go by the name Bai, but evidently this is a distinct...
Bai Lang or Bailang may refer to: Chang An-lo (born 1948), a.k.a. Bai Lang (White Wolf), a Taiwanese gangster Bai Lang Rebellion (1911–1914), rebellion...
Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture (Chinese: 大理白族自治州; pinyin: Dàlǐ Báizú Zìzhìzhōu; Bai: Darl•lit Baif•cuf zirl•zirl•zox) is an autonomous prefecture of northwestern...
(白話字), a romanization for Southern Min languageBailanguage (白語), the language in Yunnan, China, used by the Bai people 白話, meaning "idle talk, empty words...
Bai Ling (Chinese: 白灵, born October 10, 1966) is a Chinese American actress and musician. She is best known for her work in the films The Crow, Nixon...
Jiangxi appear to be related to Hakka. Most of the vocabulary of the Bailanguage of Yunnan appears to be related to Chinese words, though many are clearly...
Li Bai (Chinese: 李白; pinyin: Lǐ Bái, 701–762), formerly pronounced Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai (太白), was a Chinese poet acclaimed as one of the greatest...
(also called Yi), a Northern Loloish language. Scriptures unearthed from Nanzhao were written in the Bailanguage. The Cuanman people came to power in...
The Third Month Fair (Bailanguage: salwa zix) is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Bai people of southwest China. It includes a street...
Dali City (Chinese: 大理市, Bai: Dallit sil) is the county-level seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Yunnan. Dali City is administered...
the Rajput kingdom and the Mughal Empire. Other stories state that Mira Bai left the kingdom of Mewar and went on pilgrimages. In her last years, Meera...
Jau Bai Gavat (transl. Go to the Village Lady) is an Indian Marathi language television reality game show which airing on Zee Marathi. It is hosted by...
Daya Bai (born Mercy Mathew) is an Indian social activist from Kerala, working among the tribals of central India. She lives in Barul village of Chhindwara...
Bai Chali Sasariye is a 1988 Rajasthani language film. The movie ran for 100 days and thus created a history in Rajasthan cinema. It was reported in 2004...
The Chinese pronunciation of 500 points is Wu Bai. Wu is one of the biggest rock stars in Mandarin-language music markets, including Taiwan, China, Hong...
Global Information