Gepo (Köpu; autonym: ko˧pʰo˥[2] or ko˥pʰu˨˩[3]) is a Loloish language of Yunnan, China spoken by 100,000 people. The speakers' autonym is kɔ˨˩, while the "-po" of "Gepo" means 'people'.[4] It is spoken in 6 villages of Fumin County, eastern Luquan County, and other adjacent counties to the northeast.

Gepo
Native to	China
Ethnicity	Yi
Native speakers	100,000 (2007)[1]
Language family	Sino-Tibetan (Tibeto-Burman) Lolo–Burmese Loloish Nisoish Northern Loloish Nasoid Gepo
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either: ygp – Gupo yyz – Ayizi
Glottolog	gepo1234
ELP	Ayizi

Gao (2017)[5] classifies Geipo (autonym: ke˥pʰo˨˩) as a Central Ngwi language. In Wuding County, it is spoken by 250 people in Gubai Village, Shishan Township and by 30 people in Yaoying Village, Shishan Township in Micha-majority villages.

Distribution and varieties

Gupo 古泼 (autonym: ko˥pʰo˨˩) is spoken in Mile, Songming, Xundian, Zhanyi, Luoping, Shizong, Luxi, Shilin, Luliang, Yiliang, Fuyuan, Qiubei, Luquan, Huize, and Yiliang counties by about 100,000 speakers.[6] Gupo speakers are also referred as the White Yi 白彝, Gan Yi 甘彝, and Little White Yi 小白彝.[6]

The Ayizi 阿夷子 of Aimailong Village 爱买龙,[7] Shilin County refer to themselves as Ge, and may thus speak a language related to Gepo (Bradley 2007).[8] It is also spoken in Banqiao Township 板桥乡, and other parts of Beidacun 北大村乡.[9]

Epo 峨颇 (autonyms: ŋo˧phu˨˩, ŋo˧) is an Eastern Yi language variety spoken by about 8,000 people in the following villages of Longlin, Napo, and Xilin counties in western Guangxi.[10]

• Longlin County (5,000+ people)
  • De'e Township 德峨乡: Agao 阿稿 (main datapoint), Nadi 那地, Zhebang 者帮, Nongbao 弄保, Tangshi 塘石, etc., in 10 villages total
  • scattered in the townships of Zhelang 者浪, Zhuchang 猪场, Changfa 场发, Kechang 克场, and Yancha 岩茶
• Napo County (2,000+ people): Dala 达腊, Zhexiang 者祥, Nianbi 念毕, Powu 坡五, etc.
• Xilin County (about 1,000 people): Bada Town 八达镇 (Yanla 岩腊 village, etc.)

A similar dialect called Wopu 窝普 is reported in Xingyi, Guizhou and Luoping County, Yunnan.[11] The Luoping County Gazetteer (1995:601) reports that Wopu 窝普 (also called Large Black Yi 大黑彝) is spoken in:

• Majie township 马街镇: Dayiben 大以本, Jiudaogou 九道沟, Jigu 吉古
• Agang township 阿岗乡: Satuge 洒土格

Guopu 果铺 is reported in Weining County, Guizhou.[12]

References

Gepo language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator