The dialect reported here is spoken in Lunglin
County Guangxi Province, China and described by Liang
(1984 a,b). Ouyang and Zheng (1985) describe the variety
of Lai spoken in southern Yunnan. It is sometimes unclear
if the differences in reported consonant and vowel systems
reflect different interpretations or real differences
between the dialects. Liang's "?j, ?v, hj, hv" have been
interpreted as laryngealized and voiceless approximants
but these could indicate secondary features accompanying
glottal stop and h. Liang's palatalized forms contrast
before front vowels. All vowels can be long or short
including in cases where there is an [i] or [u] offglide.
These glides are interpreted as final allophones of
initial (laryngealized) /j, w/, and the vowels are
interpreted as geminate when long, i.e. [o:u] = /oow/,
[a:i} = /aaj/. However [a] in closed syllables appears in
three lengths, hence is assumed to have underlying length
contrast. The three lengths are therefore single /a/ long
/a:/and geminate /aa/, Liang reports 6 tones - 3 levels,
high falling, low falling, low rising.

Liang, Min. 1984a. Laiyu gaikuang (A Brief Description of
the Lai Language). Minzu Yuwen 1984/4:64-79.

Liang, Min. 1984b. Laihua yuanyinde duanchang (Long and
Short Vowels in the Lai Dialect). Yuyan Yanjiu 1984/2:
57-62.

Ouyang, Jueya and Zheng, Yiqing, eds. 1980. Liyu Jianzhi
(A Brief Guide to the Li Language). National Institute of
Minorities, Beijing.

Ouyang, Jueya and Zheng, Yiqing. 1963. Laiyu Gaikuang (A
Brief Description of Lai). Zhongkuo Yuwen 1963/5:432-433.