Mpi language

Mpi
Kaw
Native to	Thailand, perhaps China
Ethnicity	1,500 (2007)[1]
Native speakers	900 (2007)[1]
Language family	Sino-Tibetan (Tibeto-Burman) Lolo–Burmese Loloish Hanoish Bi-Ka Mpi
Language codes
ISO 639-3	mpz
Glottolog	mpii1239[2]

Mpi is a Loloish language of Thailand. The number of speakers is in decline. It is spoken in the following two villages in northern Thailand.

• Ban Dong, Tambon Suan Khuean, Amphoe Mueang, Phrae Province
• Ban Sakoeng, Tambon Yot, Amphoe Song Khwae, Nan Province

Since the Mpi of Thailand had migrated from Mengla, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China over 300 years ago, there could also possibly be Mpi speakers in China (Nahhas 2007). A related language called Muda is spoken in Nanlianshan District, Jinghong County.

Phonology

Mpi has six tones and two phonations in its vowels, modal voice and stiff voice:

Tone	Modal voice	Stiff voice
Low	sì 'blood'	sì̬ 'seven'
Low rising	si᷅ 'putrid'	si̬᷅ 'dried up'
Mid	sī (a color)	sī̬ (a classifier)
Mid rising	sǐ 'to roll'	sǐ̬ 'to smoke'
High	sí 'four'	sí̬ (a name)
High rising	si᷄ 'to die'	si̬᷄ (a name)

Further Reading

• Nahhas, Ramzi W. 2007. Sociolinguistic Survey of Mpi in Thailand. SIL International.

References

1. Mpi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
2. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2016). "Mpi". Glottolog 2.7. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.

Ladefoged, Peter; Maddieson, Ian (1996). The Sounds of the World's Languages. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-19814-8.

• Sittichai, Sah-iam (1984). Phrases and clauses in the Mpi language at Ban Dong, Phrae Province. Bangkok: Mahidol University MA thesis.