Alternate Names: Huo Nte
Dialects: Lianhua (Western She), Luofu (Eastern She). Major linguistic differences with Iu Mien ,. Reportedly most similar to Jiongnai Bunu ,. Dialects inherently intelligible. Classification within Hmong-Mien is in dispute (McConnell 1995:1320).
Status Notes: Language of recognized nationality: She.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 910 (1999 Mao Zongwu). 580 Luofu, 390 Lianhua (McConnell 1995). 200 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 710,000 (2000 census). 375,000 (Fujian Province), 171,000 (Zhejiang Province), 78,000 (Jiangxi Province), 45,000 (Guizhou Province), 28,000 (Guangdong).
Language Use: Most ethnic She use Hakka Chinese [hak] as L1 and other Chinese as well (Bradley 2007). All domains. Mainly adults. Neutral attitudes. Also use Hakka Chinese [hak], Mandarin Chinese [cmn], Min Nan Chinese [nan].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 88% in any language for She nationality (2000 census). Grammar.
Typology: SVO; modifiers precede noun heads; mainly monosyllabic roots, but mainly compound words; loans from Hakka and Cantonese Chinese; tonal, 8 tones.
Nation of Origin: China
Other Comments: Shehua refers to Hakka , variety spoken by the She. Daoist.