贡语

贡语，或称'Ugong，Ugong，拉瓦（Lawa）或Ugawng（其中的U的意思是人），是泰国西部一种濒临灭绝的藏缅语，在乌泰他尼府和素攀武里府几个孤立的方言岛还有人会说。

历史
1920年代，西方人第一次了解到贡人，那时这种语言就被认为处于严重衰退的状态（Kerr 1927）。1970年代， David Bradley 开始研究这门语言，当时仅仅只有几个地方还有人会说这种语言了，甚至比大约50年前发现的时候还要少2个。由于要在和上上建设大坝，贡人被迫从两个村庄离开，。本来会说种语言的人就在不断减少，语言学家们认为这种语言已经脆弱到即将灭绝了。1970年代，还有会说这种语言的儿童，但现在孩子们已经把泰语作为第一语言。

分类
贡语在藏缅语内部的分类还没有确定，虽然布拉德利（1989）认为它在缅彝语群中非常独特，既不适合放在缅语支，也不适合放在彝语支。

方言
贡语有两种方言（根据Ethnologue的说法）。
Khok Khwai village, Uthai Thani Province (moribund); documented by Rujjanavet (1986)
Kok Chiang village, Suphan Buri Province (endangered and now dispersed); documented by Thawornpat (2006) and David Bradley
曾经在北碧府也有人会说贡语，但现在已经灭绝了。两种贡语方言（namely Lawa of Kwê Yai and Lawa of Kwê Noi）的词汇表是由A. F. G Kerr（1927）在北碧府收集的。

分布
贡人现在居住在下面三个村庄。
Lawa Wang Khwai village, Wang Yao Subdistrict (วังยาว), Dan Chang District, Suphanburi Province （3户）。
Kok Chiang village, Huai Khamin Subdistrict (ห้วยขมิ้น), Dan Chang District, Suphanburi Province （36户）。
Khok Khwai village (คอกควาย), Thong Lang Subdistrict (ทองหลาง), Huai Khot District, Uthai Thani Province （15户）。reported as Baan Lawa village 3 in Wright, et al. (1991).[5]
有大约500个贡人和50个还会说贡语。在他们生活的区域也有很多Lao Krang人。

以前生活的地方
贡人以前分布的更加广阔，在Khwae Noi River, Khwae Yai River和Bo Phloi River流域都能找到 It was reportedly spoken in locations including:。
据报告包括以下这些地方：
Kanchanaburi Province
Lat Ya (northwest of Kanchanaburi town)
 (located along the )
Ban Lawa (located several kilometres downriver along the , from the former location of  near the )
Sao Hong, 10 kilometres south of 

, Nong Pling, Lam Iso, Nong Li (หนองรี), and 
Khlot Khoi
Suphanburi Province
Tumakok, , Suphanburi Province (now an ethnic Karen township; originally settled by Gong people from Talao/Hin Hak during the 1800's)
Sanakphai, Suphanburi Province
Wang Khwai (known in Ugong as Kabe and in Lao as Kapheun), Suphanburi Province
Uthai Thani Province
Ban Bung (บ้านบึง),  (near district headquarters)
Thong Lang, 
Iphung, Cawat, and Huai Haeng (exact locations uncertain)

在北碧府，很多贡人和克伦人和孟人通婚。由于大坝的建设，Sisawat and Sangkhlaburi已经被水淹没，会说这种语言的人也四散到其他地方。到1991年，北碧府已经二三十年没有会说贡语的人了，大部分的贡人改说泰语或克伦语。

语法
贡语是SOV语序。

参见
贡语词汇表 （维基词典）

注释和参考资料

Daniel Nettle and . Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Page 10.
Thawornpat, Mayuree. 2006. Gong: An endangered language of Thailand. Doctoral dissertation, Mahidol University.
Thawornpat, Mayuree. 2007. Gong phonological characteristics. The Mon-Khmer Studies Journal 37. 197-216.

延伸阅读
 Bradley, David. 1993. Body Parts Questionnaire (Ugong) . (unpublished ms. contributed to STEDT). 

Bradley, David (1989). Dying to be Thai: Ugong in western Thailand. La Trobe Working Papers in Linguistics 2:19-28
 Kerr, A. F. G. 1927. "Two 'Lawā' vocabularies: the Lawā of the Baw Lūang plateau; Lawā of Kanburi Province." Journal of the Siam Society 21: 53-63.
 Rujjanavet, Pusit. (1986). The Phonology of Ugong in Uthaithani Province. M.A. Thesis in Linguistics, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol University.
 Thawornpat, Mayuree. "Gong phonological characteristics", in Mon-Khmer studies: a journal of Southeast Asian languages and cultures, Thailand: Mon-Khmer Studies, 2007.

外部链接
Proto-Gong reconstruction  (Sino-Tibetan Branches Project)

泰国语言
濒危汉藏语
缅彝语群