Bisu (บีซู)

Bisu is a member of the Loloish branch of the Lolo-Burmese language family spoken by about 10,000 people. About half of the Bisu speakers are found in Yunnan Province in the south west of China, particularly in Lancang, Menghai, Ximeng and Menglian counties in Pu'er Prefecture, and in nearby parts of Xishuangbanna Prefecture. There are also speakers of Bisu in the Phan District of Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand, in Phongsali District in Phongsaly Province in northern Laos, and in Shan State in northeastern Myanmar.

Bisu is known as Mbisu, Misu, Mibisu, Mbi or Lao-Phai. It is written with the Thai script in Thailand, using an orthography developed by Kirk Roger Person, a linguist at Payap University and SIL International, his wife Liz, and Bisu-speaking people in northern Thailand starting in 1997. The Thai script for Bisu was revised in the early 2000s, and several hundred publications were published in the language. The Latin alphabet is used in Laos and Myanmar to write Bisu using a spelling system based on Lahu.

Bisu alphabet and pronunciation

Bisu alphabet and pronunciation

Sample text (The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4)

  1. ยาว พระเยซู มือ ม่าย ชี นี้แม้แน “นอง อธิษฐาน ฮา เมอ, นี้แม้แน จี่ โว!”
    “พาจาว กงู อางโบ้ง มาง เวอ, นางนา ชฺ้าง อือนา สรรเสริญ ฮา แล ปี่ โว.”
    “กงู นางนา ป้า ชฺ้างอางเมิง นู้เวอ อางไว่ แน ก่าซ้าด เพล่อ ปี่ ล่าแง.”
  2. “มี้นืง กงูนา จฺ่าเกิ่ง จฺ่าเซฺ่อ ก้อ แน ปี่ ล่า ปาว.”
  3. “กงู อางบล่าบ ฮา ชี แฮ้งนา อางซี บ่ายู ล่าโจ. ฮาก กงูนา อางบล่าบ ฮา ล่า เมอ กงู ยองนา อางซี บ่ายู แฮ้งแม้แน.”
    “กงูนา ปล่อง เจิ้นเจ้อ อางซี บ่าปี่ ฮา ล่าโจ” แน.

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1705/LUK.11.BZI

Translation

  1. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
  2. Give us day by day our daily bread.
  3. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Source: Bible.com

Some information compiled by Michael Peter Füstumum

Links

Information about Bisu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisu_language
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/毕苏语
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisu
http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/person2001writing.pdf
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/bzi
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249930368_Language_revitalization_or_dying_gasp_
Language_preservation_efforts_among_the_Bisu_of_Northern_Thailand

Lolo-Burmese languages

Achang, Akha, Bisu, Burmese/Myanmar, Hani, Lahu, Lashi, Lipo, Lisu, Lolopo, Marma, Nisu, Nusu, Nuosu, Sani, Zaiwa

Languages written with the Thai script

Akha, Bisu, Isan, Kuy, Northern Khmer, Northern Pwo, Nyah Kur, Pāli, Sanskrit, Tai Yo, Thai, Thai Song, Urak Lawoi’

Page last modified: 13.03.25

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