Handbook of the Lisu (Yawyin) Language (Classic Reprint) PDF Download

Author: James Outram Fraser
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781330562444
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 124

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Book Description
Excerpt from Handbook of the Lisu (Yawyin) Language The origin of the Lisu race, as is the case with so many races in this part of Asia, is uncertain. The uniform testimony of the people themselves, from widely separated districts, is that they come from the "head of the river," which they refer, very vaguely, to either the N'mai Hka, Salween, or Mekong Rivers. It is certain that Lisu are found in considerable numbers around the upper reaches of these three Rivers, and as it can be observed that even the present tendency of Lisu migration is in a southerly direction, it seems probable that their tradition is correct. Hence we may suppose that their original home is in or near Eastern Tibet. This would seem to be borne out by the strong resemblance between the Lisu language and the Burmese and Atsi Kachin languages, the latter races also being supposed to have migrated from the eastern part of Tibet. If these surmises are correct we may, perhaps, hazard the further supposition that the southern migration of the Lisu was a later one than that of the Burmans and Kachins, for whilst the latter seem to be thoroughly acclimatised in their lower altitudes, the Lisu are seldom found at altitudes of less than 5,000 feet above sea-level, and flourish best at altitudes of 6,000 and more feet. They are usually to be found, whether in Yunnan or Burma, in the higher and colder regions of the mountains. There are, however, many Lisu who have Chinese surnames and claim Chinese origin. Though all Lisu clan surnames have their Chinese equivalents, some have Chinese surnames without Lisu equivalents: these are usually descendants of Chinese adopted into Lisu families. But even Lisu with ordinary Lisu clan surnames will sometimes claim to be of Chinese extraction, averring that their ancestors originally came from Eastern China, usually from the province of Kiangsi - the ancestral home of most of the Chinese living near the Burma frontier. Such Lisu do not, however, boast of their Chinese origin. No Lisu is ashamed to own his race, whereas the aborigines of Eastern Yunnan, where Chinese influence is stronger, are often ashamed to admit that they are not Chinese, and indeed tend to become absorbed in the latter race. In the Tengyueh District there is a saying that the Chinese sometimes "turn into tribespeople" but that the tribespeople never "turn into Chinese." It is impossible to speak with any accuracy of the Lisu; for they are a widely scattered and comparatively little known race. In China there are probably very few Lisu to be found elsewhere than in the province of Yunnan. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.