Miao-Yao languages - Miao-Yao (English spelling)

Japanese: ミヤオ･ヤオ諸語 - ミヤオヤオしょご（英語表記）Miao‐Yao

A general term for the languages of the Miao and Yao peoples scattered across southwestern China and the northern Indochina Peninsula. The linguistic relationship between Miao and Yao is still unclear, and even if the two languages were combined, it is not certain which language family they belong to. It is usually classified as a Sino-Tibetan language, but the Mon-Khmer theory cannot be ignored. Phonologically, Miao has complex initial consonants, while Yao has simple ones, and Miao only has final consonants (rarely n).

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中国西南部やインドシナ半島北部に散在するミヤオ(苗)族とヤオ(瑶)族の言語の総称。ミヤオ語Miaoとヤオ語Yaoの言語的関係はまだ不明の点があり，そのうえ両語をまとめるにしてもそれがどの言語系統に属するかも確かでない。普通シナ･チベット語族に入れるが，モン･クメール語族説も無視できない。音韻的特徴はミヤオ語が語頭子音が複雑であるのに対し，ヤオ語は簡単であり，逆に語末子音はミヤオ語には(まれにn)しかない。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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