Central Tibetan

Most spoken and standard of the Tibetic languages

Central Tibetan

Ü-Tsang
དབུས་སྐད་, Dbus skad / Ükä
དབུས་གཙང་སྐད་, Dbus-gtsang skad / Ü-tsang kä

The name of the language written in the Tibetan script

Pronunciation| [wýkɛʔ, wýʔtsáŋ kɛʔ]
Native to| India, Nepal, China (Tibet Autonomous Region)
Region| Tibet Autonomous Region

Native speakers

| (1.2 million cited 1990–2014)[1]

Language family

Sino-Tibetan

* Tibeto-Burman
* Tibeto-Kanauri (?)
* Bodish
* Tibetic
* Central Tibetan

Standard forms

* Lasetian
* Standard Tibetan

Writing system

| Tibetan script
Language codes
ISO 639-3| Variously:
`bod` – Lhasa Tibetan
`dre` – Dolpo
`hut` – Humla, Limi
`lhm` – Lhomi (Shing Saapa)
`muk` – Mugom (Mugu)
`kte` – Nubri
`ola` – Walungge (Gola)
`loy` – Lowa/Loke (Mustang)
`tcn` – Tichurong
Glottolog| `tibe1272` Tibetan
`sout3216` South-Western Tibetic (partial match)
`basu1243` Basum
ELP| Walungge
| Dolpo[2]
| Lhomi[3]

Shingsaba is classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Central Tibetan, also known as Dbus, Ü or Ü-Tsang, is the most widely spoken Tibetic language and the basis of Standard Tibetan.

Dbus and Ü are forms of the same name. Dbus is a transliteration of the name in Tibetan script, དབུས་, whereas Ü is the pronunciation of the same in Lhasa dialect, [wy˧˥˧ʔ] (or [y˧˥˧ʔ]). That is, in Tibetan, the name is spelled Dbus and pronounced Ü. All of these names are frequently applied specifically to the prestige dialect of Lhasa.

## Varieties

[edit]

Dbus and Gtsang

There are many mutually intelligible Central Tibetan languages besides that of Lhasa, with particular diversity along the border and in Nepal:

Limi (Limirong), Mugum, Dolpo (Dolkha), Mustang (Lowa, Lokä), Humla, Nubri, Lhomi, Dhrogpai Gola, Walungchung Gola (Walungge/Halungge), Tseku
Basum (most divergent, possibly a separate language)

Ethnologue reports that Walungge is highly intelligible with Thudam.

Glottolog reports these South-Western Tibetic languages as forming a separate subgroup of languages within Central Tibetan languages, but that Thudam is not a distinct variety. On the opposite, Glottolog does not classify Basum within Central Tibetan but leaves it unclassified within Tibetic languages.

Tournadre (2013) classifies Tseku with Khams.[4]

Central Tibetan has 70% lexical similarity with Amdo Tibetan and 80% lexical similarity with Khams Tibetan.[5]

Qu & Jing (2017), a comparative survey of Central Tibetan lects, documents the Lhasa, Shigatse, Gar, Sherpa, Basum, Gertse, and Nagqu varieties.[6]

### Ngari Tibetan

[edit]

Ngari Tibetan, more specifically Stöd Ngari (as opposed to the language of pre-1842 Lower Ngari that is now an independent language), is the endonym for a topolect spoken around Ngari Prefecture, T.A.R. Traditionally, it's considered a divergent variety of Dbusgtsang but not Dbusgtsang proper, however, some Western Khams Tibetan varieties such as Gêrzê Tibetan and Nagqu Tibetan are now considered part of the Ngari Tibetan areal group as well.[7] In Indian-administrated Tibet since the 1846 British invasion of Spiti, a related topolect is now known under exonym "Lahuli and Spiti".

## Consonants

[edit]

| IPA | Tibetan writing | Wade–Giles | Tibetan Pinyin

|
|
|

[k] | ཀ་ | k  | g
[kʰ] | ཁ་ ག་ | kh, g  | k
[ŋ] | ང་ | ng  | ng
[tɕ] | ཅ་ | c  | j
[tɕʰ] | ཆ་ ཇ་ | ch, j  | q
[ɲ] | ཉ་ | ny  | ny
[t] | ཏ་ | t  | d
[tʰ] | ཐ་ ད་ | th, d  | t
[n] | ན་ | n  | n
[p] | པ་ | p  | b
[pʰ] | ཕ་ བ་ | ph, b  | p
[m] | མ་ | m  | m
[ts] | ཙ་ | ts  | z
[tsʰ] | ཚ་ ཛ་ | tsh, dz  | c
[w] | ཝ་ | w  | w
| IPA | Tibetan writing | Wade–Giles | Tibetan Pinyin

|
|
|

[ɕ] | ཞ་ ཤ་ | zh, sh  | x
[s] | ཟ་ ས་ | z, s  | s
[j] | ཡ་ | y  | y
[ɹ] | ར་ | r  | r
[l] | ལ་ | l  | l
[h] | ཧ་ | h  | h
[c] | ཀྱ་ | gy  | gy
[cʰ] | ཁྱ་ གྱ་ | ky  | ky
[tʂ] | ཀྲ་ | kr  | zh
[tʂʰ] | ཁྲ་ གྲ་ | khr, gr  | ch
[ʂ] | ཧྲ་ | hr  | sh
[ɬ] | ལྷ་ | lh  | lh

* འ isn't commonly transliterated to Roman, in the Wade–Giles system ' is used.

## Vowels

[edit]

ཨ（◌）

ཨ། | ཨའུ། | ཨག།
ཨགས། | ཨང༌།
ཨངས། | ཨབ།
ཨབས། | ཨམ།
ཨམས། | ཨར། | ཨལ།
ཨའི། | ཨད།
ཨས། | ཨན།

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

a | au | ag  | aŋ | ab | am | ar  | ai/ä | ai/ä | ain/än
ཨི།
ཨིལ།
ཨའི། | ཨིའུ།
ཨེའུ། | ཨིག།
ཨིགས། | ཨིང༌།
ཨིངས། | ཨིབ།
ཨིབས། | ཨིམ།
ཨིམས། | ཨིར། |  | ཨིད།
ཨིས། | ཨིན།
i | iu | ig  | iŋ | ib | im | ir  |  | i | in
ཨུ། |  | ཨུག།
ཨུགས། | ཨུང༌།
ཨུངས། | ཨུབ།
ཨུབས། | ཨུམ།
ཨུམས། | ཨུར། | ཨུལ།
ཨུའི།[VOW 1] | ཨུད།
ཨུས། | ཨུན།
u |  | ug  | uŋ | ub | um | ur  | ü | ü | ün
ཨེ།
ཨེལ།
ཨེའི། |  | ཨེག།
ཨེགས། | ཨེང༌།
ཨེངས། | ཨེབ།
ཨེབས། | ཨེམ།
ཨེམས། | ཨེར། |  | ཨེད།
ཨེས། | ཨེན།
ê |  | êg  | êŋ | êb | êm | êr  |  | ê | ên
ཨོ། |  | ཨོག།
ཨོགས། | ཨོང༌།
ཨོངས། | ཨོབ།
ཨོབས། | ཨོམ།
ཨོམས། | ཨོར། | ཨོལ།
ཨོའི། | ཨོད།
ཨོས། | ཨོན།
o |  | og  | oŋ | ob | om | or  | oi/ö | oi/ö | oin/ön

1. ^ 特殊

### Pronunciation

[edit]

IPA | Wade–Giles | Tibetan Pinyin | IPA | Wade–Giles | Tibetan Pinyin

|
|
|
|
|

[a] | a | a  |
[ɛ] | al, a'i | ai/ä | [ɛ̃] | an | ain/än
[i] | i, il, i'i | i | [ĩ] | in | in
[u] | u | u  |
[y] | ul, u'i | ü | [ỹ] | un | ün
[e] | e, el, e'i | ê | [ẽ] | en | ên
[o] | o | o  |
[ø] | ol, o'i | oi/ö | [ø̃] | on | oin/ön

一"ai, ain, oi, oin" is also written to "ä, än, ö, ön".

#### Conjunct vowels

[edit]

IPA | Wade–Giles | Tibetan Pinyin

|
|

[au] | a'u | au
[iu] | i'u, e'u | iu

### Last consonant

[edit]

IPA | Wade–Giles | Tibetan Pinyin

|
|

[ʔ] | d, s | none
[n] |  | n
[k/ʔ] | g, gs | g
[ŋ] | ng, ngs | ng
[p] | b, bs | b
[m] | m, ms | m
[r] | r | r

## See also

[edit]

* Lhasa Tibetan
* Amdo Tibetan
* Ladakhi language
* Balti language
* Ü-Tsang

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Lhasa Tibetan at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)
Dolpo at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)
Humla, Limi at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)
Lhomi (Shing Saapa) at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)
Mugom (Mugu) at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)
Nubri at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)
2. ^ Endangered Languages Project data for Dolpo.
3. ^ Endangered Languages Project data for Lhomi.
4. ^ N. Tournadre (2005) "L'aire linguistique tibétaine et ses divers dialectes." Lalies, 2005, n°25, p. 7–56 [1]
5. ^ "China". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth Edition. 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-09-09.
6. ^ Qu, Aitang 瞿霭堂; Jing, Song 劲松. 2017. Zangyu Weizang fangyan yanjiu 藏语卫藏方言研究. Beijing: Zhongguo Zangxue chubanshe 中国藏学出版社. ISBN 9787802534230.
7. ^ 江荻. "西藏的语言多样性及其分类". 中国藏学 (Jun 2022).

Central Tibetan edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

* v
* t
* e

Sino-Tibetan branches

Western Himalayas (Himachal,
Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim)|

* West Himalayish
* Tamangic
* Newaric
* Newar
* Baram–Thangmi
* Kiranti
* Dhimalish
* Dhimal
* Toto
* Lhokpu
* Lepcha

| Greater Magaric|

* Magaric
* Magar
* Kham
* Chepangic
* Chepang
* Bhujel
* Raji–Raute
* Dura–Tandrange

|

Eastern Himalayas
(Tibet, Bhutan, Arunachal)|

* Bodish
* Tibetic
* East Bodish
* Tshangla
* Basum
* Nam?
* Gongduk
* ʼOle
* Tani
* Chamdo

Myanmar and Indo-
Burmese border|

* Karbi
* Kuki-Chin
* Mruic
* Mru
* Hkongso
* Pyu
* Taman

| "Naga"|

* Ao
* Angami–Pochuri
* Meitei
* Tangkhulic
* Zeme

|

Sal|

* Boro–Garo
* Konyak
* Jingpho–Luish

East and Southeast Asia|

* Sinitic
* Bai
* Tujia
* Nungish
* Karenic
* Gong
* Kathu
* Cai–Long
* Caijia
* Longjia
* Luren

| Burmo-Qiangic|

* Qiangic
* Gyalrongic
* Ersuic
* Naic
* Lolo-Burmese
* Mondzish
* Burmish
* Loloish

|

Dubious (possible
isolates) (Arunachal)|

* Hrusish
* Hruso
* Mijiic
* Kho-Bwa
* Puroik
* Miju–Meyor
* Songlin

| Greater Siangic|

* Siangic
* Koro
* Milang
* Idu–Taraon

|

Proposed groupings|

* Central Tibeto-Burman
* Kuki-Chin–Naga
* Macro-Bai
* Mahakiranti
* Rung
* Tibeto-Burman
* Tibeto-Kanauri

Proto-languages|

* Proto-Sino-Tibetan
* Proto-Tibeto-Burman
* Proto-Loloish
* Proto-Karenic
* Proto-Min
* Proto-Hakka

Italics indicates single languages that are also considered to be separate branches.

* v
* t
* e

Bodic (Tibeto-Kanauri) languages

West Himalayish
(Kanauric)|

| Western|

| Kinnauric|

* Kinnauri
* Chitkuli Kinnauri
* Sunam

|

Lahaulic|

* Pattani
* Tinani

Eastern|

| Central|

* Bunan
* Rongpo
* Sunam
* Zhangzhung

|

Almora|

* Rangas
* Darmiya
* Byangsi
* Dhuleli
* Chaudangsi

Bodish|

| Tibetic|

| Central Tibetan|

* Central Tibetan (Ü-Tsang)
* Standard Tibetan
* Mugom

|

Amdo|

* Amdo Tibetan
* Gserpa
* Khalong
* mDungnag

Kham (Eastern)|

* Khams Tibetan
* Tseku
* Baima
* Choni
* Zhongu
* Dongwang
* Drugchu
* Zitsadegu

Southern|

* Sikkimese
* Dzongkha (Bhutanese)
* Khamba
* Laya
* Lunana
* Groma
* Brokkat
* Brokpa
* Chochangachakha
* Lakha
* Naapa

Western|

| Ladakhi–Balti (Western Archaic)|

* Ladakhi
* Zangskari
* Changthang
* Purgi
* Balti

|

Lahuli–Spiti (Western Innovative)|

* Lahuli (Stod Bhoti)
* Spiti Bhoti
* Nyamkat
* Bhoti Kinnauri
* Tukpa

Sherpa-Jirel|

* Sherpa
* Jirel

Kyirong–Kagate|

* Kyirong
* Kagate
* Tsum
* Yolmo
* Nubri
* Gyalsumdo

Tshangla-East Bodish|

| Tshangla|

* Tshangla

|

East Bodish|

* Takpa
* Dzala
* Nyen
* Chali
* Bumthang
* Kheng
* Kurtöp
* Nupbi
* ʼOle

Basum|

* Basum

Tamangic|

| TGTM|

* Tamang
* Gurung
* Thakali
* Manang
* Chantyal

|

Ghale|

* Ghale
* Kutang

Kaike|

* Kaike

* v
* t
* e

Languages of China

Official|

* Standard Chinese

Regional|

| ARs / SARs|

* CantoneseHK/MC
* EnglishHK
* MongolianNM
* PortugueseMC
* TibetanXZ
* UyghurXJ
* ZhuangGX

|

Prefecture|

* Hmong
* Kam
* Bouyei
* Tujia
* Korean
* Qiang
* Yi
* Kyrgyz
* Kazakh
* Tai Nüa
* Tai Lü
* Zaiwa
* Lisu
* Bai
* Hani
* Zhuang

Counties/Banners|

numerous

Indigenous|

Sino-Tibetan languages

| Lolo-
Burmese|

| Mondzish|

* Kathu
* Maang
* Manga
* Mango
* Maza
* Mondzi
* Muangphe

|

Burmish|

* Achang
* Xiandao
* Pela
* Lashi
* Chashan
* Lhao Vo
* Zaiwa

Loloish|

| Hanoish|

* Akeu
* Akha
* Amu
* Angluo
* Asuo
* Baihong
* Bisu
* Budu
* Bukong
* Cosao
* Duoni
* Duota
* Enu
* Habei
* Hani
* Honi
* Jino
* Kabie
* Kaduo
* Lami
* Laomian
* Laopin
* Mpi
* Muda
* Nuobi
* Nuomei
* Phana’
* Piyo
* Qidi
* Sadu
* Sangkong
* Suobi
* Tsukong
* Woni
* Yiche

|

Lisoish|

* Eka
* Hlersu
* Kua-nsi
* Kuamasi
* Laizisi
* Lalo
* Lamu
* Lavu
* Lawu
* Limi
* Lipo
* Lisu
* Lolopo
* Mangdi
* Micha
* Mili
* Sonaga
* Toloza
* Xuzhang
* Yangliu
* Zibusi

Nisoish|

* Alingpo
* Alugu
* Aluo
* Axi
* Azha
* Azhe
* Bokha
* Gepo
* Khlula
* Lope
* Moji
* Muji
* Muzi
* Nasu
* Nisu
* Nuosu
* Phala
* Phola
* Phowa
* Phukha
* Phuma
* Phupa
* Phupha
* Phuza
* Samei
* Sani
* Thopho
* Zokhuo

Other|

* Gokhy
* Katso
* Kucong
* Lahu
* Naruo
* Namuyi
* Naxi
* Nusu
* Samu
* Sanie
* Zauzou

Qiangic|

* Baima
* Choyo
* Ersu
* Guiqiong
* Horpa
* Japhug
* Khroskyabs
* Laze
* Lizu
* Na
* Muya
* Namuyi
* Naxi
* Pumi
* Northern Qiang
* Southern Qiang
* Shixing
* Situ
* Tshobdun
* Zbu
* Zhaba

Tibetic|

* Amdo
* Baima
* Basum
* Central Tibetan
* Choni
* Dao
* Dongwang
* Drugchu
* Groma
* Gserpa
* Khalong
* Khams
* Kyirong
* Ladakhi
* Tseku
* Zhongu
* Zitsadegu

Other|

* Bai
* Caijia
* Derung
* Jingpo
* Longjia
* Nung
* Tujia
* Waxianghua

Other languages

| Austroasiatic|

* Bit
* Blang
* Bolyu
* Bugan
* Bumang
* Hu
* Kuan
* Mang
* Man Met
* Muak Sa-aak
* Palaung
* Riang
* U
* Va
* Wa

|

Hmong-Mien|

| Hmongic|

* A-Hmao
* Bu-Nao
* Gejia
* Guiyang
* Hm Nai
* Hmong
* Hmu
* Huishui
* Kiong Nai
* Luobohe
* Mashan
* Pa-Hng
* Pa Na
* Pingtang
* Qo Xiong
* Raojia
* She
* Small Flowery
* Xixiu
* Younuo

|

Mienic|

* Biao Min
* Dzao Min
* Iu Mien
* Kim Mun

Mongolic|

* Bonan
* Buryat
* Daur
* Eastern Yugur
* Kangjia
* Khamnigan
* Monguor
* Oirat
* Ordos
* Santa
* Torgut

Kra-Dai|

| Zhuang|

* Bouyei
* Dai
* Min
* Ningming
* Nong
* Tai Dam
* Tai Dón
* Tai Hongjin
* Tai Lü
* Tai Nüa
* Tai Ya
* Yang
* Yei

|

Other|

* Ai-Cham
* Biao
* Buyang
* Cao Miao
* Chadong
* Cun
* Gelao
* Hlai
* Jiamao
* Kam
* Lakkja
* Mak
* Maonan
* Mulam
* Naxi Yao
* Ong Be
* Paha
* Qabiao
* Sui
* Then

Tungusic|

* Evenki
* Manchu
* Nanai
* Oroqen
* Xibe

Turkic|

* Äynu
* Fuyu Kyrgyz
* Ili Turki
* Lop
* Salar
* Western Yugur

Other|

* Sarikoli (Indo-European)
* Tsat (Austronesian)
* Formosan languages (Austronesian)

Minority|

* Kazakh
* Korean
* Kyrgyz
* Russian
* Esperanto
* Tatar
* Tuvan
* Uzbek
* Vietnamese (Kinh)
* Wakhi

Varieties of
Chinese|

* Mandarin
* Northeastern
* Beijing
* Ji-Lu
* Jiao-Liao
* Zhongyuan
* Lan-Yin
* Jin
* Southwestern
* Sichuanese
* Southeastern
* Gan
* Hakka
* Hui
* Min
* Southern
* Hokkien
* Teoswa
* Hainanese
* Eastern
* Puxian
* Central
* Northern
* Shaojiang
* Wu
* Northern
* Auish
* Xiang
* New
* Old
* Yue
* Cantonese
* Ping

Creole/Mixed|

* E
* Hezhou
* Lingling
* Macanese
* Maojia
* Qoqmončaq
* Sanqiao
* Tangwang
* Wutun

Extinct|

* Ba–Shu
* Jie
* Khitan
* Old Yue
* Rouran
* Saka
* Tangut
* Tocharian
* Tuoba
* Tuyuhun
* Xianbei
* Zhangzhung

Sign|

* Chinese Sign
* Northern (Beijing) Sign
* Southern (Shanghai) Sign
* Hong Kong SignHK/MC
* Tibetan SignXZ

* GX = Guangxi
* HK = Hong Kong
* MC = Macau
* NM = Inner Mongolia
* XJ = Xinjiang
* XZ = Tibet

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