Kuki-Chin languages

Kuki-Chin
Kuki-Chin
Kuki-Chin-Mizo, Kukish
Ethnicity	Kuki-Chin-Mizo (Chin people)
Geographic; distribution	India, Myanmar, Bangladesh
Linguistic classification	Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman Central Tibeto-Burman (?) Kuki-Chin–Naga Kuki-Chin; ; ; ;
Subdivisions	Northern; Central; Maraic; Southern; Khomic;
Glottolog	kuki1246 (Kuki-Chin)

The Kuki-Chin languages (also called Kuki-Chin-Mizo,[1] Kukish or South-Central Tibeto-Burman languages) are a branch of 50 or so Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Most speakers of these languages are known as Mizo in Mizoram and Manipur. Also, as Kukī in Assamese and Bengali and as Chin in Burmese; some also identify as Zomi. Mizo is the most widely spoken of the Kuki-Chin languages. The Kuki-Chin language has official status in both Chin State and Mizoram as Chin and Mizo respectively.

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

Most Kuki-Chin languages are spoken in and around Chin State, Myanmar, with some languages spoken in Sagaing Division, Magway Region and Rakhine State as well. Chin is official in the Chin State of (Myanmar). In Northeast India, many Northern Kuki-Chin languages are also spoken in Mizoram State and Manipur State of India, especially in Churachandpur District, Pherzawl District, Kangpokpi District, Senapati District. Northwestern Kuki-Chin languages are spoken mostly in Chandel District, Manipur. It has official status in Mizoram (India) as Mizo.

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]

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
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: 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-
- Pangkhua?
- Lamtuk Thet: Lamtuk, Ruavan
- Lai
  - Hakha: Hakha, Thantlang, Zokhua
  - Falam: Bawm, Bualkhaw, Laizo, Lente, Khualsim, Khuangli, Sim, Tlaisun, Zanniat
- Mizo
  - Mizo: Fanai, Hualngo, Lushai, Khiangte
  - Hmar: Khosak, Thiek, Lawitlang, Khawbung, Darngawn, Lungtau, Leiri
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
- 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
Peripheral: *r- > *g-
- Northern: *θ- > *ts-; *kl- > *tl-; *-r > *-k
  - Thado/Kuki, Tedim, Khuangsai, Paite Vuite, Chiru
  - Sizang, Guite, Vaiphei, Ralte,
- Southern (Southern Plains): *-r > *-y
  - Khumi: Khomi, Wakung
  - Cho-Asho
    - Asho
    - Cho: Matu; Chinpon; Daai, Nghmoye, Ngmuun, Mkaang

Peterson (2017)

David A. Peterson's (2017:206)[6] internal classification of the Kuki-Chin languages is as follows.

Kuki-Chin

Northwestern: Purum (Naga), Koireng, Monsang (Naga), etc.
Central
- Core Central
- Maraic
Peripheral
- Northeastern
- Khomic: Khami/Khumi, Mro-Khimi, Lemi, Rengmitca, etc.
- Southern
  - Cho
  - Daai
  - Hyow/Asho

Peterson's Northeastern branch corresponds to VanBik's Northern branch, while Peterson's Northwestern corresponds to the Old Kuki branch of earlier classifications.

References

Burling, Robbins (2003). "The Tibeto-Burman languages of Northeastern India". In Graham Thurgood; Randy J. LaPolla (eds.). The Sino-Tibetan Languages. pp. 169–191.
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, ISBN 978-0-7007-1129-1.
van Driem, George L. (2011a), "Tibeto-Burman subgroups and historical grammar", Himalayan Linguistics Journal, 10 (1): 31–39, archived from the original on 12 January 2012.
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.
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.

Bibliography

George van Driem (2001) Languages of the Himalayas: An Ethnolinguistic Handbook of the Greater Himalayan Region. Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-12062-4.
VanBik, Kenneth. 2009. Proto-Kuki-Chin: A Reconstructed Ancestor of the Kuki-Chin Languages. STEDT Monograph 8. ISBN 0-944613-47-0.

External links

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[1] Burling, Robbins (2003). "The Tibeto-Burman languages of Northeastern India". In Graham Thurgood; Randy J. LaPolla (eds.). The Sino-Tibetan Languages. pp. 169–191.

[2] 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."

[3] 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, ISBN 978-0-7007-1129-1.

[4] van Driem, George L. (2011a), "Tibeto-Burman subgroups and historical grammar", Himalayan Linguistics Journal, 10 (1): 31–39, archived from the original on 12 January 2012.

[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.

[Peterson2017-6] 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.

[7] David Mortenson and Jennifer Keogh. 2011. "Sorbung, an Undocumented Language of Manipur: its Phonology and Place in Tibeto-Burman", in JEALS 4, vol 1.