In this article, we will take an in-depth look at Bru language and its impact on today's society. Since its appearance, Bru language has generated endless opinions and debates, becoming a recurring topic of conversation. In recent years, Bru language has acquired even greater relevance, influencing aspects as diverse as politics, economics, culture and technology. Throughout these pages, we will explore the different angles from which Bru language can be approached, examining its implications and challenges in the contemporary world. Without a doubt, Bru language continues to be a cause for reflection and analysis, and this article seeks to shed light on its importance and significance.
Bru | |
---|---|
Bruu | |
Native to | Laos, Vietnam, Thailand |
Ethnicity | Bru, Katang |
Native speakers | (300,000 cited 1991–2006) |
Latin, Lao, Thai | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | Variously:bru – Eastern Brubrv – Western Brusss – Sôxhv – Khuancq – Northern Katangsct – Southern Katang |
Glottolog | brou1236 |
ELP | Western Bru |
Bruu (also spelled Bru, B'ru, Baru, Brou) is a Mon–Khmer dialect continuum spoken by the Bru people of mainland Southeast Asia.
There are various local and dialect designations for Bru (Sidwell 2005:11).
The distribution of the Bru language spreads north and northeast from Salavan, Laos, through Savannakhet, Khammouane, and Bolikhamsai, and over into neighboring Thailand and Vietnam (Sidwell 2005:11). In Vietnam, Brâu (Braò) is spoken in Đắk Mế, Bờ Y commune, Đắk Tô District, Kon Tum Province.
Thailand has the following Western Bru dialects (Choo, et al. 2012).
The following Bru subgroups are found in Quảng Bình Province (Phan 1998).
Below is a comparative vocabulary of Vân Kiêu, Măng Coong, Tri, and Khùa from Phan (1998:479-480), with words transcribed in Vietnamese orthography.
Gloss | Vân Kiêu | Măng Coong | Tri | Khùa | Vietnamese |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
one | mui | muôi | một | ||
two | bar | hai | |||
three | pei | ba | |||
four | pon | bốn | |||
five | shăng | t'shăng | năm | ||
hair | sok | tóc | |||
eye | mat | mắt | |||
nose | lyu | mu | mũi | ||
sky | plang | giang | trời | ||
ground | kute | katek | k'tek | đất | |
water | dơ | do | nước | ||
fish | sia | cá | |||
bird | cham | chim | |||
water buffalo | trick | trâu | |||
cattle | ntro | tro | bò |
The consonant sounds in both East and West dialects consist of the following:
Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plosive/ Affricate |
voiceless | p | t | tɕ | k | ʔ |
aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | kʰ | |||
voiced | b | d | ||||
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
Liquid | rhotic | r | ||||
lateral | l | |||||
Fricative | w | s | h | |||
Approximant | j |
Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plosive | p | t | k | ʔ | ||
Nasal | m | n | ŋ | |||
Fricative | h | |||||
Rhotic | r | |||||
Approximant | plain | w | l | j | ||
aspirated | wʰ | jʰ | ||||
glottalized | wˀ | jˀ |
Front | Central | Back | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Close | i iː | ɨ ɨː | u uː | |
Close-mid | e eː | ə əː | o oː | |
Open-mid | ɛ ɛː | ɜ ɜː | ɔ ɔː | |
Open | a aː | ɒ̈ ɒ̈ː |
Front | Central | Back | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Close | i iː | ɯ ɯː | u uː | ||
Close-mid | e eː | ɤ ɤː | o oː | ||
Open-mid | ɛ ɛː | ʌ ʌː | ɔ ɔː | ||
Open | a aː | ɒ̈ ɒ̈ː |
Vowel sounds may also be distinguished using breathy voice:
Front | Central | Back | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Close | i̤ i̤ː | ɨ̤ ɨ̤ː | ṳ ṳː | |
Close-mid | e̤ e̤ː | ə̤ ə̤ː | o̤ o̤ː | |
Open-mid | ɛ̤ ɛ̤ː | ɜ̤ ɜ̤ː | ɔ̤ ɔ̤ː | |
Open | a̤ a̤ː | ɒ̤̈ ɒ̤̈ː |
Front | Central | Back | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Close | i̤ i̤ː | ɯ̤ ɯ̤ː | ṳ ṳː | ||
Close-mid | e̤ e̤ː | ɤ̤ ɤ̤ː | o̤ o̤ː | ||
Open-mid | ɛ̤ ɛ̤ː | ʌ̤ ʌ̤ː | ɔ̤ ɔ̤ː | ||
Open | a̤ a̤ː | ɒ̤̈ ɒ̤̈ː |
Nasal vowel sounds may occur in the Western Bru dialect:
Front | Central | Back | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Close | ĩː | ɯ̃ | ũ ũː | ||
Open-mid | ɛ̃ ɛ̃ː | ʌ̃ː | ɔ̃ ɔ̃ː | ||
Open | ã ãː | ɒ̈̃ ɒ̈̃ː |
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