The Dong Language in Guizhow Province, China

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The Dong people are renowned within China for their beautiful singing and their architectural prowess. Their gifts have grown and flourished in the valleys and mountains of Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangxi Provinces of Southwestern China. In relative obscurity before the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the 2.5 million Dong people are fast gaining an international reputation. The Dong language is distinctive for its many tones. It is often referred to outside China as Kam and occupies a significant position in the Kam-Tai family of the Sino-Tibetan phylum. Long Yaohong and Zheng Guoqiao are recognized authorities on Dong language research. Mr. Long is a native speaker of Dong. He provides an introduction, touching on many aspects of Dong history, culture, and language, and a discussion of the grammar. Mr. Zheng supplies sections on phonology, lexicon, and orthography. The two authors jointly present a chapter on Dong dialects. The book as a whole represents the first comprehensive description of the Dong language available in English.