The lost voices of Guizhou

Abstract This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the languages formerly spoken by the Luren in Southwest China. During the 20th century, the speakers underwent language shift to Southwestern Mandarin and were subsequently misclassified as Manchus. The analysis of the available linguistic data in the form of six word lists reveals that the Luren formerly spoke two different languages. Neither of the languages has any connection to Manchu. Instead, one of them is shown to be related to the neighboring “Ta-Li” languages Longjia and Caijia that probably belong to the Sinitic branch of Trans-Himalayan (or Sino-Tibetan). The other language for the moment is not demonstrably related to any surrounding languages and could form a previously unknown stock of its own. If confirmed, this would be the first language isolate ever discovered in Guizhou. Both languages could therefore play a crucial role in our understanding of the linguistic evolution of East Asia.