Documentation of two Gelao varieties: Zou Lei and A Hou, Southwest China

The Endangered Language Documentation Programme (ELDP) provides grants worldwide to for the linguistic documentation of endangered language and knowledge. Grantees create multimedia collection of endangered languages. These collections are preserved and made freely available through the Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR) housed at the library of SOAS University of London.

The project will document Zou Lei and A Hou, two varieties of Gelao,a member of the Tai-Kadai family in South West China. One of the most endangered languages in China, Gelao is now used by only 15-20 elderly people in Zhenning and Dafang counties of Guizhou Province.The project will devote special attention to documenting the cultural and ethnographical aspects of the languages in question. Proposed outcomes are: a grammar, a lexicon, and annotated texts for each of the languages. Audio-visual files are incorporated in printed works. A website will be constructed to provide access to project materials. Primary investigator: Jinfang Li

Project Details


Location: China, China, Mexico, China, Central America, Eastern Asia, Asia, Americas Organiser(s): Endangered Languages Documentation Programme Project partner(s): Minzu University of China Funder(s): Arcadia Funding received: £88,906.00 Commencement Date: 01/2002
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