Lolo-Burmese

Lolo-Burmese is a highly "bushy" branch containing many distinct individual languages. The term Burmic is used by David Bradley, but I consider "Lolo-Burmese" to be more neutral.

Lolo-Burmese is traditionally classified as containing the Burmish and Loloish branches, but Ziwo Lama (2012) shows that Loloish is not likely a coherent branch that contrasts directly with Burmish. Rather, various subgroups form complex linkages with each other within a Lolo-Burmese linguistic area.

Lolo-Burmese itself is part of the wider Burmo-Qiangic linkage, as demonstrated by Jacques & Michaud (2011).

David Bradley also uses the name "Ngwi" to refer to the Loloish languages, based on his reconstruction their autonym. However, I do not prefer to use this name, since:

• • The reconstruction of the autonym "Ngwi" itself is not secure.

  • The term "Lolo" is not inappropriate at all, and is actually used by many Loloish-speaking groups as their preferred autonym (e.g., Lolopo, Lalo, Lalu, etc.)

  • The name "Ngwi" is difficult to pronounce for non-specialists.

  • "Ngwi" is not used widely except by Bradley's students.

As Ziwo Lama (2012) has shown, Loloish consists of many more branches than just Bradley's Northern, Central, Southern, and Southeastern branches.

However, the comments above are by no means intended to downplay Bradley's contributions to Sino-Tibetan linguistics. Rather, I am only seeking to add a little bit more to the fruits of his many decades of excellent scholarship and the invaluable contributions that he has made to the field. My work on Lolo-Burmese linguistics would not have been possible without his tireless surveys and invaluable publications.

Map showing proposed dispersal of Lolo-Burmese

Sources

See metadata tabs in the spreadsheets attached below.