Presenting the Pumi

The Pumis are one of the most interesting minorities, and simultaneously more known of the south-west of China dispersed in remote regions of the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan mixed often with the Naxi, Lisu, Moso and Tibetan.

They are named of different form according to the regions that they inhabit. Puyingmi, Peimi or Purimi, which mean all "the white people". Formerly some other names were called Xifang, as well as.

His population is concerning 55.000 persons. In Yunnan approximately 30.000 Pumi lives, and other 25.000 do it in Sichuan. They are named those of Sichuan "zang zu" or Tibetan, but they speak a language related to the Pumi and not to the Tibetan one, are named of form similar to other Pumi, and share a few cultural characteristics with them.

In the Yunnan province, the Pumi concentrate principalemente on the districts of Lanping and Ninglang. There are significant differences between the Pumi that live in each of these districts.

In the Sichuan province they are in the south part of the Prefecture of Liangshan, in the districts of Yanyuan and Muli. Also there exist important differences between those who live in each of these districts.

His language pertence to the family tibeto-birmana, branch qiang.

It splits into two dialects, called of the north and that of the south, between that there are so much differences that make the communication impossible between his respective speakers. In turn these dialects, they have a series of quite differentiated local, some speech. The last studies propose the existence of seven languages or dialects (according to the terminology) initeligibles between themselves spoken for called Pumi.

In some areas there exist a few pictographs used only by the priests. Also the Tibetan writing and the small stone is used.

Copyright © 2004 www.wuhancom.net