Complexity or simplicity of categories: Evidence from Qiang–Chinese bilinguals

Purpose: This study aimed to explore whether the choice of complex or simple categories depends on speakers’ behavioral and conceptual habits. Habits acquired when individuals speak their first language can influence their use of the second language, and vice versa. The system of bilingual speech is complex. Methodology: I employed a quantitative approach to the available natural data of Longxi Qiang and Wenchuan Chinese and conducted statistical counts of numerals and classifiers. Data and Analysis: The data consisted of 6 hours of recorded and transcribed natural conversations and monologues. Up to 433 numerals and 621 classifiers were found in the natural data. Findings: Results suggest that complex numerals and classifiers do not indicate complexity in language uses. Qiang–Chinese bilinguals prefer simpler Chinese loanwords to express large or complex numerals when they speak Longxi Qiang, although all numerals can be expressed in that language. Correspondingly, in natural corpora, the Qiang classifiers that combine with numerals are not as abundant as those presented in Longxi Qiang glossary. On the other hand, the complex verbal suffixes found in Longxi Qiang have been borrowed into Wenchuan Mandarin, which lacks verbal morphology. Originality: Previous studies on Qiang–Chinese bilinguals were based on vocabulary and a small number of sentences and only revealed language contact regarding loan words and phonemes or changes in word order. Chinese loan words in Qiang are borrowed when referents cannot be expressed. This study was the first to investigate the characteristics of Qiang–Chinese bilinguals based on numerous natural conversations. Originality: The findings indicate that linguistic complexity does not describe the complexity of a language as a whole; instead, its subsystems or categories may be simple. There are no natural boundaries between the speeches of Qiang–Chinese bilinguals. Furthermore, this study provides a new perspective for future studies of Tibeto-Burman languages and Chinese bilinguals.