Axi language
# Axi language

Axi (Chinese: 阿细 Axi; Ahi; autonym: ɑ21 ɕi55 pʰo21) is one of the Loloish languages spoken by the Yi people of China. The Axi are one of the main linguistic sub-branches of Yi, and the Axi tiaoyue is a dance of the Axi speaking Yi people accompanied by the sanhu.

Axi is spoken in Mile, Shilin, Kunming, Luxi, and Huaning counties by about 110,000 speakers.

## Dialects

Wu (2014) divides Axi into three dialects and also provides word lists for each of the three dialects.

* The Western dialect 西阿土语 (approximately 75,000 speakers) is spoken in Mile (in Xishan 西山, Dongshan 东山, Midong 弥东, Jiangbian 江边, Buqi 补七); Qiubei (some areas), Lunan, Luxi, Huaning counties, etc.
* The Yanshan dialect 砚阿土语 (approximately 72,000 speakers) is spoken in Yanshan, Qiubei (some areas), Wenshan counties, etc.
* The Kunming dialect 昆阿土语 (approximately 23,000 speakers) is spoken in Kunming (Xishan, in Shuangshao 双哨; Anning); Luquan, Wuding counties, etc.

## Phonology

Axi consonants :

| | | Labial | Alveolar | Alveolar | Alveolo- palatal | Retroflex | Retroflex | Velar |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | Labial | plain | sibilant | Alveolo- palatal | plain | sibilant | Velar |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | | | | | ŋ |
| Plosive/ Affricate | voiceless | p | t | t͡s | t͡ɕ | ʈ | t͡ʂ | k |
| Plosive/ Affricate | aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | t͡sʰ | t͡ɕʰ | ʈʰ | t͡ʂʰ | kʰ |
| Plosive/ Affricate | voiced | b | d | d͡z | d͡ʑ | ɖ | d͡ʐ | ɡ |
| Continuant | voiceless | f | ɬ | s | ɕ | | ʂ | x |
| Continuant | voiced | v | l | z | ʑ | | ʐ | ɣ |

Axi vowels :

| | Front | Central | Back | Back |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Front | Central | unrd. | rnd. |
| Close | i, ḭ | | ɯ, ɯ̰ | u, ṵ |
| Mid | e, ḛ | | | o, o̰ |
| Open-mid | ɛ, ɛ̰ | | | |
| Open | | a, a̰ | | |
| Syllabic consonant | ɹ̪̩, ɹ̪̰̩ | ɹ̪̩, ɹ̪̰̩ | ɹ̪̩, ɹ̪̰̩ | ɹ̪̩, ɹ̪̰̩ |
