Kuki-Chin languages explained

Kuki-Chin
Also Known As:Kuki-Chin-Mizo, Kukish
Region:India, Myanmar, Bangladesh
Ethnicity:Zo
Familycolor:Sino-Tibetan
Fam2:Tibeto-Burman
Fam3:Central Tibeto-Burman
Fam4:Kuki-Chin–Naga
Child1:Northwestern
Child2:Northern
Child3:Central
Child4:Maraic
Child5:Southern
Child6:Khomic
Glotto:kuki1246
Glottoname:Kuki-Chin
Ancestor:Proto-Kuki-Chin[1]

The Kuki-Chin languages (also called Kuki-Chin-Mizo,[2] Kukish 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 of Mizoram, the Kuki of Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Bangladesh and the Chin of Chin State, Myanmar.

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.[3]

Kuki-Chin is sometimes placed under Kuki-Chin–Naga, a geographical rather than linguistic grouping.

Geographical distribution

Chandel district of Manipur, India; Tamu Township of Sagaing Region, Myanmar.

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.

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 Townships of Sagaing Region, Myanmar, parts of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.

majority of Siaha district of Mizoram, India; parts of Matupi Township of Chin State, Myanmar.

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.

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.[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).

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

Mara (Tlosai, Hawthai, Hlaipao), Zophei, Senthang, Zotung (Lungngo, Calthawn, Innmai), Lautu

Suantak-Vaiphei, Zo (Zou), Paite, Tedim, Thado (Kuki), Gangte, Simte, Vaiphei, Sizang, Ralte, Ngawn

Shö (Asho/Khyang, Chinbon), Thaiphum, Daai (Nitu), Mün, Yindu, Matu, Welaung (Rawngtu), Kaang, Laitu, Rungtu, Songlai, Sumtu

Khumi (Khumi proper and Khumi Awa), Mro, Rengmitca, etc.

Monsang, Moyon, Lamkang, Aimol, Anal, Tarao, Koireng (Kolhreng), Chiru, Kom, Chothe, Purum, Kharam,

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).[6]

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.

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.

*k(ʰ)r-, *p(ʰ)r- > *t(ʰ)r-; *k(ʰ)l-, *p(ʰ)l- > *t(ʰ)l-; *y- > *z-

Lamtuk, Ruavan

Hakha, Thantlang, Zokhua

Bawm, Bualkhaw, Laizo, Lente, Khualsim, Khuangli, Sim, Tlaisun, Zanniat

Fanai, Hualngo, Lushai, Khiangte

Khosak, Thiek, Lawitlang, Khawbung, Darngawn, Lungtau, Leiri

*kr- > *ts-; *-ʔ, *-r, *-l > -Ø; *-p, *-t, *-k > *-ʔ; *θ- > *s-

*θ- > *ts-; *kl- > *tl-; *-r > *-k

Khomi, Wakung

Peterson (2017)

David A. Peterson's (2017:206)[7] internal classification of the Kuki-Chin languages is as follows.

Purum (Naga), Koireng, Monsang (Naga), etc.

Khami/Khumi, Mro-Khimi, Lemi, Rengmitca, etc.

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

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: VanBik . Kenneth . Proto-Kuki-Chin: a reconstructed ancestor of the Kuki-Chin languages . 2009 . Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus Project, Dept. of Linguistics research unit in Univ. of California, Berkeley . 0-944613-47-0.
  2. Book: Burling, Robbins . 2003 . The Tibeto-Burman languages of Northeastern India . Graham Thurgood . Randy J. LaPolla . The Sino-Tibetan Languages . 169–191.
  3. 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."
  4. 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, .
  5. 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.
  6. David Mortenson and Jennifer Keogh. 2011. "Sorbung, an Undocumented Language of Manipur: its Phonology and Place in Tibeto-Burman", in JEALS 4, vol 1.
  7. 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.