Konyak language

Konyak is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Konyak people in the state of Nagaland, north-eastern India.

Konyak
Native toIndia, Myanmar
EthnicityKonyak
Native speakers
246,000 (2011)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3nbe
Glottologkony1248
ELPKonyak Naga

The language has 244,000 speakers in the state (as of the 2011 census); most of these (237,000) are in Mon district, with smaller populations in the districts of Dimapur (2,900), Kohima (2,000), Mokokchung (1,100), and Longleng (900).[2] There are also an estimated 2,000 speakers in neighbouring Myanmar, specifically in Hkamti District and in Lahe township.[1]

Dialects

Konyak (2021)

A list of Konyak dialects from Hoipo Konyak (2021:5) is given below.[3]

  • Angphang
  • Hopao
  • Changnyu
  • Chen (8 villages in Lahe Township, Myanmar, and 10 villages in Mon District, Nagaland, India[4])
  • Chingkao
  • Chinglang
  • Choha
  • Gelekidora
  • Jakphang
  • Kon (spoken in Myanmar)
  • Kahyu (spoken in Myanmar)
  • Lhongkhai
  • Longmein
  • Longwa
  • Mon
  • Mulung
  • Nganching
  • Sang
  • Shanlang
  • Shunyuo
  • Shenghah
  • Sima
  • Sowa
  • Shamnyuyanga
  • Tableang
  • Tabu
  • Tamkhungnyuo
  • Tang
  • Tobunyuo
  • Tolamleinyua
  • Totok

Ethnologue

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Konyak.

  • Angphang
  • Hopao
  • Changnyu
  • Chen
  • Chingkao
  • Chinglang
  • Choha
  • Gelekidoria
  • Jakphang
  • Longching
  • Longkhai
  • Longmein
  • Longwa
  • Mon
  • Mulung
  • Ngangching
  • Sang
  • Shanlang
  • Shunyuo
  • Shengha
  • Sima
  • Sowa
  • Shamnyuyanga
  • Tableng (Angwangku, Kongon, Mohung, Wakching)
  • Tabu
  • Tamkhungnyuo
  • Tang
  • Tobunyuo
  • Tolamleinyua
  • Totok
  • Hongphoi

Tableng is the standard dialect spoken in Wanching and Wakching.

Phonology

There are three lexically contrastive contour tones in Konyak – rising (marked in writing by an acute accent – á), falling (marked by a grave accent – à) and level (unmarked).[5]

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i ɨ u
Mid e ə o
Open a

The vowels /a/, /o/ and /u/ are lengthened before approximants. /ə/ does not occur finally.

Consonants

Bilabial Dental/
Alveolar
Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive p
c k
ʔ
Nasal m ɲ ŋ
Fricative s h
Lateral l
Approximant w j

The stops /p/ and /k/ contrast with the aspirated /pʰ/ and /kʰ/. /p/ and /c/ become voiced intervocalically across morpheme boundaries. The dental /t/ is realised as an alveolar if preceded by a vowel with a rising tone. The approximants /w/ and /j/ are pronounced laxer and shorter after vowels; /w/ becomes tenser initially before high vowels. If morpheme-initial or intervocalic, /j/ is pronounced with audible friction.[6] /pʰ/, /kʰ/, /c/, /ɲ/, /s/, /h/ and /l/ do not occur morpheme-finally, while /ʔ/ does not appear morpheme-initially. Except for morpheme-initial /kp/ and /kʰl/, consonant clusters occur only medially.[7]

References

  1. Naga, Konyak at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) closed access
  2. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. "C-16: Population by mother tongue, Nagaland – 2011". Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  3. Konyak, Hoipo. 2021. A preliminary grammar of Chen, a Konyak language of India and Myanmar. M.A. dissertation. Chiang Mai: Payap University.
  4. Statezni, Nathan; Konyak, Hoipo. 2021. Chen villages in Myanmar and India. Unpublished manuscript.
  5. Nagaraja 2010, p. 8
  6. Nagaraja 2010, pp. 21–2
  7. Nagaraja 2010, p. 23

Bibliography

  • Nagaraja, K.S. (2010), Konyak Grammar, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages, ISBN 978-81-7342-195-2

Further reading

  • Ine Jongne Jame (1957), Primer for Adults in Konyak Language, Guwahati{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Kumar, Brij Bihari (1972), Hindi-Konyak Dictionary, Kohima: Nagaland Bhasha Parishad
  • Kumar, Brij Bihari (1972), Konyak Vyakaran ki Ruprekha, Kohima: Nagaland Bhasha Parishad
  • Nagaraja, K.S. (1996), Kinship terms in Konyak Naga (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2012, retrieved 18 July 2011
  • Nagaraja, K.S., Konyak–Hindi–English Dictionary, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages
  • Nagaraja, K.S., "Relativization in Konyak", Indian Linguistics, 45: 41–8
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