# Xiangxiang dialect

The Xiangxiang dialect (Chinese: 湘乡话; pinyin: Xiāngxiānghuà) is a dialect of Xiang Chinese, spoken in Xiangxiang, Hunan province, China. It is part of a group of dialects called the Central Xiang dialects.

## Geographic distribution

The linguistic maps below are derived from the Digital Language Atlas of China, which is derived from the Language Atlas of China, the first atlas to comprehensively catalog and chart the distribution of Chinese dialects. This atlas refers to the two main dialects in Xiangxiang City and its surroundings as Changyi (长益片 / 長益片) and Loushao (娄邵片 / 婁邵片).
The division of Xiang into New Xiang and Old Xiang was introduced by Yuan Jiahua, but has been superseded by the Language Atlas of China classifications.
* Dialect map of Hunan Province according to the Language Atlas of China
The Language Atlas of China serves as the starting point for many efforts to further detail, map and classify Xiang dialects, including the many studies of Bao Houxing and Chen Hui.
* Dialect map of Hunan Province according to Chen and Bao (2007)
* Linguistic map of Xianxiang City and surrounding counties
* Sample Locations of Xiangxiang Dialect Studies

## History and strategic value

The Xiang dialect group forms a transitional zone between northern and southern Chinese dialects.
Prehistorically, the main inhabitants were Ba, Nanman, Baiyue and other tribes whose languages cannot be studied. During the Warring States Period, large numbers of Chu migrated into Hunan. Their language blended with that of the original natives to produce a new dialect Nanchu (Southern Chu). The culture of Xiangxiang at the center of Hunan is considered to be mainly Chu. The language of Shaoshan, Loudi, Shuangfeng and Xiangxiang (Old Xiang) is considered as originating from a synthesis of Chu and the languages of original natives.
Migrations into Hunan can be divided into three periods . Before the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, migrants came mainly from the North. Between the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and the Ming dynasty, migrants came mainly from Jiangxi. In the early Ming dynasty, large numbers of migrants came from Jiangxi and settled in present day Yueyang, Changsha, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, and Hengyang districts. Migrants from Jiangxi concentrated mainly in southeastern Hunan and present day Shaoyang and Xinhua districts. They came for two reasons: the first is that Jiangxi became too crowded and its people sought expansion. The second is that Hunan suffered greatly during the Mongol conquest of the Song dynasty, when there was mass slaughter, and needed to replenish its population. After the middle of the Ming dynasty, migration gradually became more diverse and economically and commercially motivated. Migrants who came from the North settled mainly in northern Hunan followed by western Hunan. For this reason northern and western Hunan are Mandarin districts.

## Phonology
### Comparison with Standard Chinese

Comparison of Xiangxiang Area Loushao and Changyi Dialects with Standard Chinese :
| Feature | Standard Chinese | Standard Chinese | Xiangxiang Locations | Xiangxiang Locations | Xiangxiang Locations | Xiangxiang Locations | Ninxiang Location |
| Feature | Dictionary | Chao | Chengguan | Yueshan | Jinsou | Baitian | Huitang |
| Consonants and Initials | 21 | 23 | 29 | 28 | 24 | 26 | 24 |
| Vowels and Finals | 35 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 42 | 37 | 38 |
| Tones | 4 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |

### General

These phonetic charts use IPA phonetic symbols with the addition of curly-tail alveolo-palatal symbols and follow the format set forth by Chao.

#### Consonants

Consonants of the Xiangxiang dialect :
| | | bilabial | alveolar | denti-alveolar | alveolo-palatal | retroflex | velar |
| nasal | nasal | m | n | | ȵ | | ŋ |
| plosives | voiced | b | d | | | | ɡ |
| plosives | voiceless unaspirated | p | t | | | | k |
| plosives | voiceless aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | | | | kʰ |
| fricatives | voiced | | | | | | ɣ |
| fricatives | voiceless | | | s | ɕ | ʂ | x |
| affricates | voiced | | | dz | dʑ | dʐ | |
| affricates | voiceless unaspirated | | | ts | tɕ | tʂ | |
| affricates | voiceless aspirated | | | tsʰ | tɕʰ | tʂʰ | |
| lateral approximants | lateral approximants | | l | | | | |

#### Tones

Phonemically, Xiangxiang dialect has seven tones.
Tone chart of the Xiangxiang dialect :
| Tone number | Tone name | Tone contour | Description |
| 1 | yin ping (陰平) | ˥ (55) | high |
| 2 | yang ping (陽平) | ˩˧ (13) | extra low rising |
| 2' | ci yang ping (次陽平) | ˨˧ (23) | low rising |
| 3 | shang sheng (上聲) | ˨˩ (21) | low |
| 5 | yin qu (陰去) | ˦˥ (45) | high rising |
| 5' | ci yin qu (次陰去) | ˧˥ (35) | high rising |
| 6 | yang qu (陽去) | ˧ (33) | mid |

### Jinsou Town
#### Consonants

Consonants of the Xiangxiang dialect, Jinsou Town :
| | | bilabial | alveolar | denti-alveolar | alveolo-palatal | retroflex | velar | Laryngeal |
| nasal | nasal | m | n | | ȵ | | ŋ | |
| plosives | voiced | b | d | | | | ɡ | |
| plosives | voiceless unaspirated | p | t | | | | k | Ø 油 |
| plosives | voiceless aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | | | | kʰ | |
| fricatives | voiced | | | | | | ɣ | |
| fricatives | voiceless | | | s | ɕ | ʂ | | x |
| affricates | voiced | | | dz | dʑ | dʐ | | |
| affricates | voiceless unaspirated | | | ts | tɕ | tʂ | | |
| affricates | voiceless aspirated | | | tsʰ | tɕʰ | tʂʰ | |
| lateral approximants | lateral approximants | | l | | | | | |

### Yueshan Town
#### Tones

Tone chart of the Xiangxiang dialect, Yueshan Town :
| Tone number | Tone name | Tone contour | Description |
| 1 | yin ping (陰平) | ˥ (55) | high |
| 2 | yang ping (陽平) | ˩˧ (13) | low rising |
| 3 | shang sheng (上聲) | ˨˩ (21) | low |
| 4 | yin qu (陰去) | ˦˥ (45) | high rising |
| 5 | yang qu (陽去) | ˨ (22) | mid |