Regular Phonetic (mainly vowel) Correspondences reflected in Orthographic Variation between Chinese Wa (Wa-CN) and Myanmar Wa (Wa-MM)

(or within either regional standard)

 

 

 

x-wa-CN

Examples

x-wa-MM

Examples

x-wa-uni (tentative)

 /aɯh/

bāeh 'kill'

(rom) laeh 'sweat'

lāeh 'hit'

ndāeh/si ndāeh 'place'

njāeh 'start'

rāeh 'straight'

/ah/

pah[1] 'kill'

(rom) lah 'sweat'[2]

lah 'hit'

dah/sidah[3] 'place'

jah 'start'

rah 'straight'[4]

 áeh (/aɯh/)

/ɯih/

bēeih 'juice, sap'

bēeih 'carry with headstrap'

brēeih 'variegated'

meei/mee 'border'

mēeih 'nose'

nbēeih 'burden'

nbleeih 'pass through'

ndēeih 'go back'

ngēeih/ngēeh 'nod (head)'

njeeih 'rub'

(si) nqeeng 'often'

nqeeih 'mouth'

rēeih 'turtle'

vēeih 'face, turn toward'

/ɯh/

peeh 'juice, sap'

peeh 'carry with headstrap'

preeh, preeih 'variegated'

mee 'border'

meeih, meeh 'nose'

beeh ' burden'

bleeh 'pass through'

deeh 'go back'

ngeeh? 'nod (head)'

jeeh 'rub'

jheeng jheeng / jheeing jheeing[5]

jheeh 'mouth'

reeh 'turtle'

veeh 'face, turn toward[6]

eeh[7] (/ɯh/) ?

/oih/

bouih 'muntjac'

blouih 'puff up'

jouih 'support'

jōuih 'sell'

mgōuih 'fall down'

nblouih 'body? waist?; bigger'

njouih (joih, jouih, joih) 'support' (and njōuh 'support'?)

/oh/

poh 'muntjac'

ploh 'puff up'

coh 'support'

coh 'sell'

goh 'fall down'

bloh 'body? waist?; bigger'

joh (joh jhan:) (coh) 'support'

óuih (/oih/) ?

/uih/

muih 'love'

ruih '(fig tree)'

/oh, uh/

moh 'love'

ruh '(fig tree)'

 

/ɔ/  or /u/

dom (& dum?) 'then'

nbun 'woman'

ndum mox ndum an 'immediately'

rub 'burning brightly'

piag, piog, pioug 'tether, tie up'

/o/

(or /u/?)

tom (& tum?) 'then'

bun:, bon:, bon 'woman'

dom mawx dom an: 'immediately'

rop 'burning brightly'

phyawk (or phiok?) 'tether, tie up'

o (/ɔ/) ?

(or /u/?)

/uah/

mgūah (mgūieh) 'divide'

mguax 'left (hand)'

ngūah 'price, expensive'

/uɛh/ or /ɔh/

gwieh 'divide'

gwiex 'left (hand)'

ngawh 'price, expensive'

 

/ɯ,ɤ/

dēh 'touch'

gee 'gale' (etc.)

geeng 'worth, fit, deserve

hlee, nīe hlee 'extra, more'

hngeed 'sniff, kiss'

hreeng 'long time'

jēe, jē 'thing'

kee 'for, because, final part.'

lēn 'bald, odd-looking'

mgee 'endure'

nyēe 'aim, extend hand etc.'

/ɤ,ɯ/

teeh 'touch'

keu: 'gale' (etc.)

keung: 'worth, fit, deserve'

lheu:, nie lheu: 'extra, more'

ngheut 'kiss'

rheung (rheung:) 'long time'

ceu 'thing'

kheu 'for, because'

leen 'bald, odd-looking'

geu: 'endure'

nyee/nyeu 'aim, extend, hand etc.'

e (/ɤ/) ?

/ɤi,ɤ̤i/

vēui 'before'

/oi,o̤i/

voe 'before'

eui (/ɤi,ɤ̤i/) ?

(si + voiced / unvoiced initial)

 

si nbaox 'take, bring, send'

si nbāox 'pangolin'

si bāox 'pangolin' (SR)

si nbao '果子狸... ' (SR)

si bao '果子狸... ' (SR)

si nbēem 'garden'

 

(si + voiced / unvoiced initial)

 

sipaox 'take, bring, send'

sibaox ? sipaox ? 'pangolin'

 

sibao ? sipao? '果子狸... '

 

sipeem 'garden'

 

 

rev. RK 2006-05-23


[1] STB-OT 2004 writes as 'pauh'

[2] STB-OT 2004 writes some instances as 'lauh'

[3] STB-OT 2004 writes as 'sidauh'

[4] STB-OT 2004 and NT-2004 writes as 'rauh' in 'rauh see', but as 'rah' everywhere else (e.g., 'pa rah pa see')

[5] STB writes 'jheeng jheeng', LVPLG-GKJ-2000 writes 'jheeing jheeing'

[6] STB-OT 2004 uses both 'veeh' 'face, turn toward' and 'veh' 'turn away from' in similar situations, while WHJMCD has just veei as an alternate to vai (and vēih), and LGV has  vēeih and vēih -- needs study

[7] x-wa-MM vowel 'ee(h)' is often equivalent to x-wa-CN 'eei(h)' and x-wa-MM 'eu' is equivalent to x-wa-CN 'ee' (see more examples below under /ɯ,ɤ/).