Alternate Names: Ava, Awa Wa, Va
Dialects: Awalei (’A vo’ loi, Awalai), Dawangnuo (Damangnuo, Mangnuo, Vo’, Wangnuo), Masan (’A Vo’, La via’, Ro via’, Vo’), Xiyun (Shixi, Va’). Closely related languages: Vo ,, Parauk ,, and Blang ,.
Status Notes: Language of recognized nationality: Wa.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 98,000 (Zhou Zhizhi, Qixiang Yan, and Guoqing Chen 2004). Masan Dialect: 33,000 in Ximeng County; Xiyun Dialect: 2,200 in Lancang and Menglian counties; Dawangnuo Dialect: 30,000 in Menglian and Ximeng counties; Awalei Dialect: 2,200 in Ximeng County; Awa proper: 30,600 In Lancan County.
Language Use: Also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 76% (2000 census).
Nation of Origin: China
Other Comments: Possibly also spoken in Myanmar.