Zhuang language resources – Language Links Database

The Zhuang languages are any of more than a dozen Tai languages spoken by the Zhuang people of Southern China in the province of Guangxi and adjacent parts of Yunnan and Guangdong. The Zhuang languages do not form a monophyletic linguistic unit, as northern and southern Zhuang languages are more closely related to other Tai languages than to each other. Northern Zhuang languages form a dialect continuum with Northern Tai varieties across the provincial border in Guizhou, which are designated as Bouyei, whereas Southern Zhuang languages form another dialect continuum with Central Tai varieties such as Nung, Tay and Caolan in Vietnam. Standard Zhuang is based on the Northern Zhuang dialect of Wuming.

More information: Wikipedia

Native speakers: 16 million, all Northern Zhuang languages (2007)

Native to: China

Zhuang Grammar and Pronunciation


  • Linguistics.hku.hk - The Grammatical Structure of Zhuang - “This book is a descriptive grammar of the Zhuang language spoken mainly in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwestern China.”
  • Omniglot.com - Language & alphabet
  • Persee.fr - The Chinese-based writing system of the Zhuang language
  • Academickids.com - Writing systems

Zhuang Reading Materials


  • Everyculture.com - Introduction to Zhuang language
  • Routledgehandbooks.com - The Tai-Kadai languages - To Download
  • Brill.com - Zhuang Traditional Texts - “This series presents critical editions of traditional Zhuang texts, written in a character script based on Chinese but modified to represent the Zhuang language. Each volume will present a single text or a number of texts from the same locality or region, including ritual texts, song texts, play scripts, and other genres.” - PDF
  • Schmitztimo.wordpress.com - Some basic phrases in Zhuang

Zhuang Dictionaries


Zhuang Listening and Video Resources


TV / Video / Movies


Radio




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