Siangic languages

The Siangic languages (or Koro-Holon languages[1]) are a small family of possibly Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India. The Siangic languages consist of Koro and Milang.

Siangic
Koro-Holon
Geographic
distribution
Arunachal Pradesh
Linguistic classificationSino-Tibetan?
Subdivisions
Glottologkoro1317

Classification

Milang, which has been extensively influenced by Padam (a Tani language), is alternatively classified as a divergent Tani language (Post & Blench 2011). Koro has undergone influence from Hruso (Post & Blench 2011). However, Milang and Koro do not belong to either the Tani or Hrusish groups of languages.

It is unclear whether the Siangic is a branch of Sino-Tibetan or an independent language family that has undergone extensive Sino-Tibetan influence. Post & Blench (2011) note that Siangic has a substratum of unknown origin, and consider Siangic to be an independent language family. Anderson (2014),[1] who refers to Siangic as Koro-Holon instead, considers Siangic (Koro-Holon) to be a branch of Sino-Tibetan rather than an independent language family.

Greater Siangic

Greater Siangic
(proposed)
Geographic
distribution
Arunachal Pradesh
Linguistic classificationpossibly Sino-Tibetan or an independent family
Subdivisions
Glottologmacr1268
mish1241

Roger Blench (2014) proposes a Greater Siangic family that includes the Digaro languages (Idu Mishmi and Taraon) and Pre-Tani, the hypothetical substrate language branch of Tani before it became relexified by Sino-Tibetan.

Reconstruction

Post & Blench (2011)

The following Proto-Siangic forms reconstructed by Mark Post & Roger Blench (2011:8-9) do not have lexical parallels with Proto-Tani, and are unique to the Siangic branch.

GlossProto-SiangicKoroMilang
(negator suffix)*-ŋa-ŋa-ŋə
(desiderative suffix)*-mi-mi-mi
give*ramram
know*fufuhu
ant*paŋpa-supaŋ-kər
chicken*coco-lea-cu
stone*buu-buda-bu
ear*raɲ(u?)ra-ɲu
mouth*caŋsa-pucaŋ-ci
buttocks*kɨ-ruŋkɨɻki-ruŋ
pus*a-nɨi-nia-nɨ
day*nəme-nea-nə
sun*məme-nemə-ruŋ[2]
seven*roŋ(al)raŋal
eight*ra-ljaŋrã-larajəŋ
ten*faŋfã-lãhaŋ-tak
axe*rak-purak-para-pu
grandfather*abo- + 'old man'abo-murzia-bə (bu-ku ~ ma-zaŋ)
grandmother*adze- + 'old woman'aje-mɨsiŋa-dzi (dzi-ku)
sand*bu-pibu-pibu-pi
yesterday*ba-nəba-n(e)ba-nə
have (be there)*kjokocu
bamboo*fufua-hu
egg*cu-cicu-cici-ci
what*hVgV-nV(h)igi-naha-ga-nu
cultivated field*p(j?)upua-pu
rice paddy*kɨki-rakadu-kɨ
green*ja-caŋjã-cajə-caŋ
small*u(-ŋa?)u-ŋau-lee
sister, older*a-Coo-foa-u
root*raŋne-raŋta-pɨr[3]
ripe*ŋini-ŋiman[4]
tell*pupu-s(u)po-lu

Modi (2013)

Modi (2013)[5] lists the following Proto-Siangic forms, along with forms for Milang, Koro, Idu, Taraon, and Proto-Tani. Additional cognate sets that were not included in Post & Blench (2011) include black, house, salt, fat, and today.

GlossProto-SiangicKoroMilangTaraonIduProto-Tani
today*V-nese-neɨ-nəa tia-n̥ne tia-ɲi*si-lo
seven*roŋ(al)ra-ŋalweŋ, ɨ-eŋi-ɦoŋ*kV-nV(t), *kV-nɨt
ear*raɲ(u?)ra-ɲukru-naŋakru-na, ako-na*ɲa(-ruŋ), *ɲo
give*ramramhaŋhaŋ*bi
axe*rak-purak-para-pupae-pa*əgɨŋ
eight*ra-ljaŋrãlara-jɛŋliɨmi-lioŋ*pri-ɲi
salt*puplota-puplapra*lo
ant*paŋpa-supaŋ-kərpaː-chaipa-si*ruk
day*nəme-nea-nəkɨ-ni-ni*lo
house*Noŋŋɨna-ɲuk*kum
sun*məme-nemə-ruŋrɨnrɨŋ, rɨn*doŋ-ɲi
black*mamaje-gjaŋmama
white*ljolap(l)õje-cciliolio*pun, *puŋ
rice*kjeki-rakadu-kɨkieke*am-bwn
bamboo*fufuahuhuia bra li*ɦə(ŋ)
know*fufuhuka-saka-sa*ken
fat*fofõ, u-fua-huta-soso*fu
ten*faŋfã-lãhaŋ-takxa-lɨŋhoŋ-ɦoŋ*cam, *(r)jiŋ
egg*cu-cicucicicia(ː)-teimeto cu*pɨ
fowl/chicken*coco-lea-cutiume-to*rok
mouth*caŋsa-pucaŋ-citʰɨ-rɨm-bram, thɨ-rɨntʰɨ-ram-bram, eko-be*gam (*nap)
sand*bu-pibu-pisa-pita-pia-pisulli (Padam)
yesterday*ba-nəba-neba-nəbɨ-liɨŋbɨ-ɲi*mə-lo

See also

References and notes

  1. Anderson, Gregory D.S. 2014. On the classification of the Hruso (Aka) language. Paper presented at the 20th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
  2. Means 'sun'; also, Milang has a-mə 'sunlight'.
  3. From Proto-Tani *pɨr
  4. From Proto-Tani *min
  5. Modi, Yankee. 2013. The nearest relatives of the Tani group. Paper presented at the 19th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Canberra, Australia.

Bibliography

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