Kháng language

Kháng, also known as Mang U’, is an Austroasiatic language of Vietnam. It is closely related to the Bumang language of southern Yunnan, China.

Classification
Paul Sidwell (2014) classifies Khang as Palaungic, although Jerold Edmondson (2010) suggests it is Khmuic.

Kháng is most closely related to Bumang (Edmondson 2010).

Distribution
Kháng speakers are an officially recognized ethnic group in Vietnam, and officially numbered 10,272 in 1999.

The Kháng are distributed in the following districts of northwest Vietnam in Sơn La Province and Lai Châu Province:


 * Sơn La Province (along the Black River)
 * Thuận Châu (including Bản Ná Lai village)
 * Quỳnh Nhai
 * Mường La
 * Lai Châu Province
 * Phong Thổ
 * Mường Tè
 * Than Uyên
 * Điện Biên Province
 * Mường Lay (alternatively Mường Chà)
 * Tuần Giáo

Tạ (2021) contains a phonology and word list of the Kháng dialect of Nậm Mu village, Phình Sáng commune, Tuần Giáo district, Điện Biên province.

Phonology
Additionally, the following diphthongs can be found: /iɤ/, /ɯɤ/, /uɤ/.

Kháng also has eight tones in total, six of which appear on "live syllables" - open syllables or syllables ending with sonorants, and the other two are limited to "dead syllables" - syllables ending in the oral stops /p t k/. Each tone also carries with it a specific register affecting the phonation of the syllable.

The live syllable tones are as follows:
 * [ ˥ ] - high, level, modal voice
 * [ ˩ˀ] - low, level, ending in a glottal stop
 * [ ˧˥ˀ] - high-rising, ending in a glottal stop
 * [ ˧˩ˀ] - low-falling, ending in a glottal stop
 * [ ˧˨˧ ] - mid-dipping, modal voice
 * [ ˨˩˨ ] - low-dipping, creaky voice

The dead syllable tones are as follows:
 * [ ˦˧ ] - high-falling
 * [ ˩˨ ] - low-rising