Kyirong language
Kyirong is a language from the subgroup of Tibetic languages spoken in the Kyirung district of the Shigatse prefecture, of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Language structure
Kyirong has lexical tone, with a three-tone system.
Relationship to other languages
There is a varying degree of mutual intelligibility between Kyirong and other Kyirong-Yolmo varieties. It is most closely related to the Nubri and Gyalsomdo languages, and more distantly related to other languages in the family.Phonology
Consonants
There are 36 consonants in Kyirong, which are summarized in the table below.| Bilabial | Apico-Dental | Retroflex | Lamino-post-alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
| Voiceless stop | p | t | ʈ | c | k | ||
| Aspirated stop | ʈʰ | cʰ | |||||
| Voiced stop | b | d | ɖ | ɟ | ɡ | ||
| Voiceless fricative | s | ɕ | h | ||||
| Voiced fricative | z | ʑ | ɦ | ||||
| Voiceless affricate | ts | tɕ | |||||
| Aspirative affricate | tsʰ | tɕʰ | |||||
| Voiced affricate | dz | dʑ | |||||
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ||||
| Voice liquid | r | ||||||
| voiced lateral approximant | l | ||||||
| unvoiced lateral fricative | ɬ | ||||||
| Semivowel | w | j |
Vowels
There are eight places of articulation for vowels. There is a length distinction at each place of articulation, as well as a long nasalised vowel.| Front I | Front II | Central | Back | |
| Close | i iː iː | y yː yː | u uː uː | |
| Half-close | e eː eː | ø øː øː | ɔ ɔː ɔː | |
| Half-open | ɛ ɛː ɛː | |||
| Open | a aː aː | - |