Kuki-Chin languages
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The Kuki-Chin languages (also called Kukish[1] or South-Central Tibeto-Burman languages) are a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Most notable Kuki-Chin-speaking ethnic groups are referred to collectively as the Zo people which includes the Mizo, Kuki, Chin and Zomi people.
Kuki-Chin is alternatively called South-Central Trans-Himalayan (or South Central Tibeto-Burman) by Konnerth (2018), because of negative connotations of the term "Kuki-Chin" for many speakers of languages in this group.[2]
Kuki-Chin is sometimes placed under Kuki-Chin–Naga, a geographical rather than linguistic grouping.
Geographical distribution
- Northwestern ("Old Kuki"): Chandel district of Manipur, India; Tamu Township of Sagaing Region, Myanmar.
- Northeastern ("Kuki-Zo"): Chandel district, Churachandpur district, Kangpokpi district, Noney district, Tamenglong district, and Tengnoupal districts of Manipur, India; Tedim Township of Chin State, Myanmar; Tamu Township of Sagaing Region, Myanmar.
- Central: whole state of Mizoram, India; Pherzawl district of Manipur, India; parts of Cachar district and parts of Karbi Anglong district of Assam, India; parts of East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, India; Falam Township, Hakha Township, and Thantlang Townships of Chin State, Myanmar; Kalay Township and Khampat area of Sagaing Region, Myanmar, parts of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
- Maraic: majority of Siaha district of Mizoram, India; parts of Matupi Township of Chin State, Myanmar.
- Southern: Kanpetlet Township, Matupi Township, Mindat Township, Paletwa Townships of Chin State, Myanmar; parts of the Arakan Range of Rakhine State, Myanmar; parts of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
- Khomic: Paletwa Township of Chin State, Myanmar; parts of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
Internal classification
The Karbi languages may be closely related to Kuki-Chin, but Thurgood (2003) and van Driem (2011) leave Karbi unclassified within Sino-Tibetan.[3][4]
The Kuki-Chin branches listed below are from VanBik (2009), with the Northwestern branch added from Scott DeLancey, et al. (2015),[5] and the Khomic branch (which has been split off from the Southern branch) from Peterson (2017).[6]
- Kuki-Chin
- Central: Mizo (Duhlian), Bawm (Sunthla and Panghawi), Falam (Hallam, Ranglong, Darlong, Hauhulh, Simpi, Hualngo, Chorei), Thor (Tawr), Hmar, Hrangkhol, Biate (Biete), Hakha (Lai/Pawi, Mi-E, Zokhua), Pangkhua, Saihriem, Laizo/Tlaisun, Khualsim, Zanniat, Zahau, Sim
- Maraic: Mara (Tlosai {Siaha and Saikao}, Hawthai {Lyvaw, Sizo, and Lochei}, Hlaipao {Zyhno, Heima, and Lialai}), Zophei, Senthang, Zotung (Lungngo, Calthawn, Innmai), Lautu
- Northeastern (Northern): Suantak-Vaiphei, Zo (Zou), Paite, Tedim, Thado (Kuki), Gangte, Simte, Vaiphei, Sizang, Ralte, Ngawn
- Southern: Shö (Asho/Khyang, Chinbon), Thaiphum, Daai (Nitu), Mün, Yindu, Matu, Welaung (Rawngtu), Kaang, Laitu, Rungtu, Songlai, Sumtu
- Khomic: Khumi (Khumi proper and Khumi Awa), Mro, Rengmitca, etc.
- Northwestern ("Old Kuki"): Monsang, Moyon, Lamkang, Aimol, Anal, Tarao, Koireng (Kolhreng), Chiru, Kom, Chothe, Purum,[6] Kharam,[6]
Darlong and Ranglong are unclassified Kuki-Chin language.
The recently discovered Sorbung language may be mixed language that could classify as either a Kuki-Chin or Tangkhul language (Mortenson & Keogh 2011).[7]
Anu-Hkongso speakers self-identify as ethnic Chin people, although their language is closely related to Mru rather than to Kuki-Chin languages. The Mruic languages constitute a separate Tibeto-Burman branch, and are not part of Kuki-Chin.[6]
VanBik (2009)
Kenneth VanBik's (2009:23) classified the Kuki-Chin languages based on shared sound changes (phonological innovations) from Proto-Kuki-Chin as follows.
- Kuki-Chin
- Central: *k(ʰ)r-, *p(ʰ)r- > *t(ʰ)r-; *k(ʰ)l-, *p(ʰ)l- > *t(ʰ)l-; *y- > *z-
- Maraic: *kr- > *ts-; *-ʔ, *-r, *-l > -Ø; *-p, *-t, *-k > *-ʔ; *θ- > *s-
- Mara
- Tlosai
- Saikao
- Siaha
- Hlaipao
- Heima
- Lialai
- Vahapi/Zyhno
- HawThai
- Sizo
- Ngaphepi
- Sabyu
- Chapi
- Lyvaw
- Lochei
- Tisih
- Phybyu
- Sizo
- Tlosai
- Lautu
- Hnaro
- Chawngthia
- Zophei
- Vytu
- Sate/Awsa
- Senthang
- Khuapi
- Surkhua
- Zotung *h- > *f-; *kr- > *r-; *khl- > *kh-, *l-; *c(h)- > *t(h)-/*s-; *y- > *z-/*z(h)-; *w- > *v-
- Calthawng
- Innmai
- Lungngo/Tinpa
- Mara
- Peripheral: *r- > *g-
Peterson (2017)
David A. Peterson's (2017:206)[6] internal classification of the Kuki-Chin languages is as follows.
- Kuki-Chin
- Northwestern ("Old Kuki"): Purum, Koireng, Monsang, etc.
- Central
- Peripheral
Peterson's Northeastern branch corresponds to VanBik's Northern branch, while Peterson's Northwestern corresponds to the Old Kuki branch of earlier classifications.
See also
- Lai languages
- Pau Cin Hau script
- Kuki-Chin Swadesh lists (Wiktionary)
References
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- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Konnerth, Linda. 2018. The historical phonology of Monsang (Northwestern South-Central/"Kuki-Chin"): A case of reduction in phonological complexity. Himalayan Linguistics, Vol. 17(1): 19-49, note [2]: "...many language activists among the speakers of languages of the South-Central branch has made it clear to me that using the "Kuki-Chin" label is very insensitive."
- ↑ Thurgood, Graham (2003) "A subgrouping of the Sino-Tibetan languages: The interaction between language contact, change, and inheritance." In G. Thurgood and R. LaPolla, eds., The Sino-Tibetan languages, pp. 13–14. London: Routledge, Template:ISBN.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ DeLancey, Scott; Krishna Boro; Linda Konnerth1; Amos Teo. 2015. Tibeto-Burman Languages of the Indo-Myanmar borderland. 31st South Asian Languages Analysis Roundtable, 14 May 2015.
- ↑ a b c d e Peterson, David. 2017. "On Kuki-Chin subgrouping." In Picus Sizhi Ding and Jamin Pelkey, eds. Sociohistorical linguistics in Southeast Asia: New horizons for Tibeto-Burman studies in honor of David Bradley, 189-209. Leiden: Brill.
- ↑ David Mortenson and Jennifer Keogh. 2011. "Sorbung, an Undocumented Language of Manipur: its Phonology and Place in Tibeto-Burman", in JEALS 4, vol 1.
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Bibliography
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- George van Driem (2001) Languages of the Himalayas: An Ethnolinguistic Handbook of the Greater Himalayan Region. Brill, Template:ISBN.
- VanBik, Kenneth. 2009. Proto-Kuki-Chin: A Reconstructed Ancestor of the Kuki-Chin Languages. STEDT Monograph 8. Template:ISBN.
Further reading
- Button, Christopher. 2011. Proto Northern Chin. STEDT Monograph 10. Template:ISBN. http://stedt.berkeley.edu/pubs_and_prods/STEDT_Monograph10_Proto-Northern-Chin.pdf
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- Mann, Noel, and Wendy Smith. 2008. Chin bibliography Template:Webarchive. Chiang Mai: Payap University.
- S. Dal Sian Pau. 2014. The comparative study of Proto-Zomi (Kuki-Chin) languages. Lamka, Manipur, India: Zomi Language & Literature Society (ZOLLS). [Comparative word list of Paite, Simte, Thangkhal, Zou, Kom, Paite or Tedim, and Vaiphei]
- Smith, Wendy and Noel Mann. 2009. Chin bibliography with selected annotations Template:Webarchive. Chiang Mai: Payap University.
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External links
- Tlângsam: Latest News in Hmar language – Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, NE India
- Recent Advances in Kuki-Chin Linguistics
Template:Sino-Tibetan languages Template:Kuki-Chin–Naga languages Template:Languages of Myanmar Template:Languages of Northeast India