Phukha is a Loloish language spoken by the Phula people of Vietnam and Southern China.

Distribution

Phukha is spoken near Lao Cai town; Xin Mun District of Ha Giang Province and Lai Chau and Son La Provinces in Vietnam and villages in Maguan, Malipo and Hekou Counties in China. Phula people in Yen Bai Province do not speak Phukha but speak Laghuu.

Phonology

Consonants

Phukha has the following consonants.

LabialCoronalRetroflexPalatalVelarUvular
PlainLateralSibilant
Plosive/ AffricateAspiratedtɬʰtsʰtʂʰtʃʰ
Voicelesspttsk
Voicedbdɡ
FricativeVoicelessfsɬʂʃχ
Voicedvzɮʐʒʁ
Laryngealizedʒ̰
Nasalmnŋ
Approximantwlj

Vowels

Phukha has the following vowels.

frontcentralback
unroundedrounded
Highiɨɯu
High-mideəo
Low-midɛʌɔ
Lowa

Tones

Phukha has five tones: high /˥/ (/55/), mid /˧/ (/33/), low /˨/ (/22/), low-rising /˨˦/ (/24/), and low-falling /˨˩/ (/21/).

Notes

  • Robert Wayne Fried. 2000. "A Preliminary Phonological Sketch of Phu-kha, a Tibeto-Burman Language Spoken in Northern Vietnam," University of Texas at Arlington MA thesis.
  • Jamin R. Pelkey. 2005. "," Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 28/2:41-78.