Biao Min, or Biao-Jiao Mien, is a Hmong–Mien language of China. The two varieties, Biao Min and Jiaogong Mian, are evidently not mutually intelligible.
Distribution
Ethnologue reports the Biao Min language to be spoken in the following counties in China.
Dialects of Biao Min are as follows, according to Mao Zongwu (2004). Only the Biao Min varieties of Dongshan Yao Ethnic Township, Quanzhou County (全州县东山瑶族乡) and Sanjiang Township, Gongcheng County (恭城县三江乡) have been described in any detail.
Dongshan 东山 dialect: 35,000 speakers in Shuanglong, Huanglong village, Dongshan township, Quanzhou County (全州县东山乡黄龙村双龙屯); autonym: bjau31min31.
Shikou 石口 dialect: 8,000 speakers in Shikou village, Sanjiang township, Gongcheng County (恭城县三江乡石口村); autonym: mɔu31jɔu55. Also known as Chao Kong Meng (Chinese: 交公勉语)[2] or Moruo (Chinese: 莫若) (Mao 2004:306).
Niuweizhai 牛尾寨 dialect: 2,000 speakers in Niuwei village, Sanjiang township, Gongcheng County (恭城县三江乡牛尾村); autonym: mɔ433ɕi53. Also known as Moxi (Chinese: 莫西瑶语).[3] Yoshihisa Taguchi (2005)[4] gives the autonym mo2 xi2 mũ2, and points out the contact relationships between it and Jiaogong Mien 交公勉 (Shikou). Taguchi (2005) reports that within Sanjiang Township 三江乡, it is spoken in the villages of Dalitian 大栗田村, Xiaolitian 小栗田村, and Niuwei 牛尾村.[4]
Strecker (1987) uses "Chao Kong Meng" for Shikou, and "Moxi" for Niuweizhai.[5]
Word lists for Biao Min dialects can be found in Mao Zongwu (2004).
Quanzhou County
Biao Min of Quanzhou County, Guangxi consists of the following five dialect areas (Quanzhou County Gazetteer 全州县志).[6][7]
Xieshui 斜水 is the most divergent dialect, and is unintelligible with the other four dialects. The Xieshui dialect also has more Chinese influence than the other Biao Min dialects do.[6]
Guanyang County
Biao Min of Guanyang County, Guangxi consists of the following two dialect areas (Guanyang County Gazetteer 灌阳县志).[8]
^Strecker, David (1987). "The Hmong-Mien Languages"(PDF). Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area. 10 (2): 1–11. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-06-16.