Many speak Bao’an in their homes and perhaps on the road with others whom they know are Bao’an speakers, but otherwise most of their business and religious life is conducted in Amdo Tibetan.

The Bao’an speakers living in Tongren County do not have an ethnonym for themselves or their language. Many I spoke with have a vague idea that they have Mongolian heritage, but almost all self-identify as Tibetans—in spite of their official classification as members of the Tu nationality.

Tibetan is viewed by Bao’an Tu speakers as having higher status than Bao’an for many reasons: it has a long literary tradition while Bao’an has no writing system; it is the language of high religion; it has official status with the government (which among other things means jobs as translators); it is the language of educational opportunity; and it is the language of the more powerful majority in the area.

Age structure of speakers: all generations, but decreasing from below

Widespread adult bilingualism in local Amdo Tibetan; Languages of education: Tibetan and Chinese. Reasons of endangerment: small number of speakers, bilingualism, immigration, nearby urbanization