Abstract
This article presents information regarding newly recognised
non-Tibetic Tibeto-Burman languages spoken in three counties, Dzogang, Markham,
and Drag-yab, of Chamdo Municipality and the adjacent Dzayul County in the Tibet
Autonomous Region. First, we introduce four languages – Lamo, Larong sMar,
Drag-yab sMar, and gSerkhu – identifying the location of each language on the
Chinese administrative map as well as the numbers of speakers of the languages.
Second, we provide a brief historical background on these languages, which
suggests a relationship between them and Qiangic groups. Third, we display
lexical evidence that shows not only their non-Tibetic features but also their
closeness to Qiangic languages. Finally, the article focuses on Lamo, an endangered language spoken in
Dzogang County, and provides a linguistic analysis of an annotated Lamo
historical narrative in the Appendix.