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 classification | Sino-Tibetan?
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | koro1317 |
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 classification | possibly Sino-Tibetan or an independent family |
| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | macr1268 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.
| Gloss | Proto-Siangic | Koro | Milang |
|---|---|---|---|
| (negator suffix) | *-ŋa | -ŋa | -ŋə |
| (desiderative suffix) | *-mi | -mi | -mi |
| give | *ram | rã | ram |
| know | *fu | fu | hu |
| ant | *paŋ | pa-su | paŋ-kər |
| chicken | *co | co-le | a-cu |
| stone | *bu | u-bu | da-bu |
| ear | *raɲ(u?) | rã | ra-ɲu |
| mouth | *caŋ | sa-pu | caŋ-ci |
| buttocks | *kɨ-ruŋ | kɨɻ | ki-ruŋ |
| pus | *a-nɨ | i-ni | a-nɨ |
| day | *nə | me-ne | a-nə |
| sun | *mə | me-ne | mə-ruŋ[2] |
| seven | *roŋ(al) | rõ | raŋal |
| eight | *ra-ljaŋ | rã-la | rajəŋ |
| ten | *faŋ | fã-lã | haŋ-tak |
| axe | *rak-pu | rak-pa | ra-pu |
| grandfather | *abo- + 'old man' | abo-murzi | a-bə (bu-ku ~ ma-zaŋ) |
| grandmother | *adze- + 'old woman' | aje-mɨsiŋ | a-dzi (dzi-ku) |
| sand | *bu-pi | bu-pi | bu-pi |
| yesterday | *ba-nə | ba-n(e) | ba-nə |
| have (be there) | *kjo | ko | cu |
| bamboo | *fu | fu | a-hu |
| egg | *cu-ci | cu-ci | ci-ci |
| what | *hVgV-nV | (h)igi-na | ha-ga-nu |
| cultivated field | *p(j?)u | pu | a-pu |
| rice paddy | *kɨ | ki-raka | du-kɨ |
| green | *ja-caŋ | jã-ca | jə-caŋ |
| small | *u(-ŋa?) | u-ŋa | u-lee |
| sister, older | *a-Co | o-fo | a-u |
| root | *raŋ | ne-raŋ | ta-pɨr[3] |
| ripe | *ŋin | i-ŋi | man[4] |
| tell | *pu | pu-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.
| Gloss | Proto-Siangic | Koro | Milang | Taraon | Idu | Proto-Tani |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| today | *V-ne | se-ne | ɨ-nə | a tia-n̥n | e tia-ɲi | *si-lo |
| seven | *roŋ(al) | rã | ra-ŋal | weŋ, ɨ-eŋ | i-ɦoŋ | *kV-nV(t), *kV-nɨt |
| ear | *raɲ(u?) | rã | ra-ɲu | kru-naŋ | akru-na, ako-na | *ɲa(-ruŋ), *ɲo |
| give | *ram | rã | ram | haŋ | haŋ | *bi |
| axe | *rak-pu | rak-pa | ra-pu | pa | e-pa | *əgɨŋ |
| eight | *ra-ljaŋ | rãla | ra-jɛŋ | liɨm | i-lioŋ | *pri-ɲi |
| salt | *pu | plo | ta-pu | pla | pra | *lo |
| ant | *paŋ | pa-su | paŋ-kər | paː-chai | pa-si | *ruk |
| day | *nə | me-ne | a-nə | kɨ-n | i-ni | *lo |
| house | *Noŋ | ŋɨn | a-ɲuk | aŋ | oŋ | *kum |
| sun | *mə | me-ne | mə-ruŋ | rɨn | rɨŋ, rɨn | *doŋ-ɲi |
| black | *ma | ma | je-gjaŋ | ma | ma | |
| white | *ljo | lap(l)õ | je-cci | lio | lio | *pun, *puŋ |
| rice | *kje | ki-raka | du-kɨ | kie | ke | *am-bwn |
| bamboo | *fu | fu | ahu | hui | a bra li | *ɦə(ŋ) |
| know | *fu | fu | hu | ka-sa | ka-sa | *ken |
| fat | *fo | fõ, u-fu | a-hu | ta-so | so | *fu |
| ten | *faŋ | fã-lã | haŋ-tak | xa-lɨŋ | hoŋ-ɦoŋ | *cam, *(r)jiŋ |
| egg | *cu-ci | cuci | cici | a(ː)-tei | meto cu | *pɨ |
| fowl/chicken | *co | co-le | a-cu | tiu | me-to | *rok |
| mouth | *caŋ | sa-pu | caŋ-ci | tʰɨ-rɨm-bram, thɨ-rɨn | tʰɨ-ram-bram, eko-be | *gam (*nap) |
| sand | *bu-pi | bu-pi | sa-pi | ta-pi | a-pi | sulli (Padam) |
| yesterday | *ba-nə | ba-ne | ba-nə | bɨ-liɨŋ | bɨ-ɲi | *mə-lo |
See also
- Greater Siangic comparative vocabulary list (Wiktionary)
References and notes
- 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.
- Means 'sun'; also, Milang has a-mə 'sunlight'.
- From Proto-Tani *pɨr
- From Proto-Tani *min
- Modi, Yankee. 2013. The nearest relatives of the Tani group. Paper presented at the 19th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Canberra, Australia.
Bibliography
- Post, Mark W. and Roger Blench (2011). "Siangic: A new language phylum in North East India", 6th International Conference of the North East India Linguistics Society, Tezpur University, Assam, India, 31 Jan – 2 Feb.
- Blench, Roger (2014). Fallen leaves blow away: a neo-Hammarstromian approach to Sino-Tibetan classification. Presentation given at the University of New England, Armidale, 6 September 2014.