Dialects: Dali, Xiangyun.
Status Notes: Language of recognized nationality: Bai.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 400,000 (2003).
Language Use: All ages.
Typology: SVO; attributives precede noun heads; number classifier constructions follow noun heads; tense-lax vowel distinction; tonal, 5 to 8 tones.
Writing System: Han (Hanzi), Han (Kanji), Han (Hanja), Latin (Pinyin-based)
Nation of Origin: China
Other Comments: Classification difficult due to heavy borrowing (60%–70%) from Chinese. Considered genetically related to Chinese, or a mixed language with Chinese, or related to Yi, or an independent branch of Tibeto-Burman. Traditional religion, Buddhist, Daoist.