Nakhi Tiger myth in its context

Oral Tradition, 16/2 (2001): 240-263.The Nakhi, also known as the Naxi, are a minority group in China with a population of 309,500. Most Nakhi live in the mountainous region of Yunnan Province and in Lijiang.Tigers are known as [la33]3 in Nakhi, a term similar or close to the words for tiger in related languages: [lo31] in Achang, [lo42] in Bai, [la55] in Nu, [lo35] in Pumi, [la55] in Yi, [lo55mo33] in Jinuo, [xa311a31] in Hani, and [la53 qa53 pM31] in Lahu (Tibeto-Burmese 1991:124). This shows that the Nakhi and many other Tibeto-Burmese groups, who believe in the tiger, share the same linguistic stock.