Larong language

Larong or Zlarong (autonym: la˥ rɔ˥; Tibetan name: la˥ ruŋ˥) is a recently documented Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Zogang and Markam counties of southeastern Chamdo, Tibet. It was recently documented by Zhao (2018)^[1] and Suzuki & Nyima (2018).^[2] Zhao (2018) tentatively classifies Zlarong as a Qiangic language.

Larong is referred to by the Changdu Gazetteer (2005)^[3] as Rumei 如美话, as it is spoken in Rumei Township 如美乡, Markam County.

Zhao (2018) reports the autonym la˥rɔ˥ and the Tibetan exonym la˥ruŋ˥ for the speakers. Their language is referred to as mə˥kə˥ by speakers, and by Tibetans as ma˧˩ke˥˧ (Zhao 2018).

Nyina & Suzuki (2019) report the autonym m̥a55, which is identical to the Drag-yab autonym also reported by them (m̥a55 ~ ma55).^[4]

Jiang (2023) refers to the language as Laronghua (拉茸话).^[5]

• Renguo Township 仁果乡, Mdzo sgang County 左贡县 (Suzuki & Nyima 2018; Zhao 2018), including the village of Phagpa 坝巴村^[2]
• Cuowa Township 措瓦乡, Markam County 芒康县^[4]
• Rumei Township 如美镇, Markam County 芒康县 (Changdu Gazetteer 2005), including the village of Tangre Chaya 达日村^[2]
• Qudeng Township 曲登乡, Markam County 芒康县 (two villages)^[4]

Larong villages by township:^[4]

A computational phylogenetic analysis by Jiang (2022) shows that Rumei (如美话) to be the most divergent Chamdo, and is not closely related to the Larong dialect (拉茸话) of Zogang County (左贡县).^[5]

Larong is spoken in four townships in the Larong valley, along the Lancang River (also known as the Zla chu or Lachu River in Tibetan). The four townships are:^[4]

• Ringo (Chinese: Renguo)
• Tshonga (Chinese: Cuowa): Larong villages are Tshonga, Rushul, Thosa, Thaya, Drori, and Kuze
• Rongsmad (Chinese: Rumei): Larong speakers in entire town
• Choedan (Chinese: Qudeng): Dempa (Chinese: Dengba) and Choedan village clusters, both Larong-speaking

The dialect spoken in Ringo and Tshonga differs from that of the dialect spoken in Rongsmad and Choedan.^[4]

Suzuki & Nyima (2018)^[2] note that Zlarong (Larong) is closely related to two other recently documented Sino-Tibetan languages of Chamdo, eastern Tibet, namely Lamo and Drag-yab (spoken in southern Zhag'yab County).

Suzuki & Nyima (2018)^[2] report the following phonemes from the Tangre Chaya dialect of Larong.

Prenasalisation and preaspiration appear as a preinitial.

Suzuki & Nyima (2018) report that each vowel has a creaky and nasalized counterpart.

Syllable structure: ^cCGV

Tones are high and rising. The first two syllables of each word act as the tone bearing unit. The second syllable is occasionally out of the tone bearing unit.^[2]

Zhao (2018: 1-3) lists the following Zlarong words.

• Zhao, Haoliang. 2018. A brief introduction to Zlarong, a newly recognized language in Mdzo sgang, TAR. Proceedings of the 51st International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (2018). Kyoto: Kyoto University.