Konyak languages

Last updated
Konyak
Northern Naga
Geographic
distribution
India
Linguistic classification Sino-Tibetan
Proto-languageProto-Northern Naga
Subdivisions
  • Konyak–Chang
  • Tangsa–Nocte
Glottolog kony1246

The Konyak languages, or alternatively the Konyakian, Northern Naga, or Patkaian [1] languages, is a branch of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken by various Naga peoples in southeastern Arunachal Pradesh and northeastern Nagaland states of northeastern India. They are not particularly closely related to other Naga languages spoken further to the south, but rather to other Sal languages such as Jingpho and the Bodo-Garo languages. There are many dialects, and villages even a few kilometers apart frequently have to rely on a separate common language.

Contents

Proto-Northern Naga, the reconstructed proto-language of the Konyak languages, has been reconstructed by Walter French (1983). The linkage of the Konyak and Jingphaw languages with Boro–Garo languages suggests that Proto-Garo-Bodo-Konyak-Jinghpaw, which is Sal-speaking people also known as Brahmaputran-speaking people, entered Assam from somewhere to the northeast. It has been proposed that the Proto-Garo-Bodo-Konyak-Jinghpaw language was a lingua franca of different linguistic communities, not all of whom were native speakers, and that it began as a creolized lingua franca.

Languages

Konyak–Chang:

Tangsa–Nocte

Ethnologue 17 adds Makyam (Paungnyuan), while Glottolog adds a Khiamniungic branch within the Konyak-Chang branch. Makyam is most closely related to Leinong (Htangan) (Naw Sawu 2016:6).

Classification

Below is a classification of the Northern Naga (Konyak) languages by Hsiu (2018) based on a computational phylogenetic analysis. [2]

Phom belongs to the Konyak-Wancho branch. Chang may have originally been a Konyak-Wancho language that was heavily influenced by Ponyo-Khiamniungan-Lainong. The homeland of Northern Naga is placed in the Lahe Township area. [2]

Related Research Articles

The Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh has a total population of roughly 1.4 million on an area of 84,000 km2, amounting to a population density of about 17 pop./km2. The "indigenous groups" account for about two thirds of population, while immigrants, mostly of Bengali/Hindi belt origin, account for the remaining third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tangsa Naga</span> Ethnic group

The Tangshang people or Tangsa , are of Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group of the Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. They also reside in Sagaing Region and parts of Kachin State of Myanmar. In Myanmar they were formerly known as Rangpang, Pangmi, and Haimi. They speak their own language Tangsa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Konyak Naga</span> Major Naga ethnic group

The Konyaks are a major Naga ethnic group native to the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland. They inhabit the Mon District, which is also known as The Land of the Anghs. The Anghs/Wangs are their traditional chiefs whom they hold in high esteem. Facial tattoos were earned for taking an enemy's head.

Ethnic groups in South Asia are ethnolinguistic groupings within the diverse populations of South Asia, including the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan is variously considered to be a part of both Central Asia and South Asia, which means Afghans are not always included among South Asians, but when they are, South Asia has a total population of about 2.04 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Myanmar</span>

There are approximately a hundred languages spoken in Myanmar. Burmese, spoken by two-thirds of the population, is the official language.

The Sal languages, also known as the Brahmaputran languages, are a branch of Tibeto-Burman languages spoken in northeast India, as well as parts of Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), and China.

The Boro–Garo languages are a branch of Sino-Tibetan languages, spoken primarily in Northeast India and parts of Bangladesh.

The Tibeto-Kanauri languages, also called Bodic, Bodish–Himalayish, and Western Tibeto-Burman, are a proposed intermediate level of classification of the Sino-Tibetan languages, centered on the Tibetic languages and the Kinnauri dialect cluster. The conception of the relationship, or if it is even a valid group, varies between researchers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tibeto-Burman languages</span> Group of the Sino-Tibetan language family

The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non-Sinitic members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken throughout the Southeast Asian Massif ("Zomia") as well as parts of East Asia and South Asia. Around 60 million people speak Tibeto-Burman languages. The name derives from the most widely spoken of these languages, Burmese and the Tibetic languages, which also have extensive literary traditions, dating from the 12th and 7th centuries respectively. Most of the other languages are spoken by much smaller communities, and many of them have not been described in detail.

Proto-Tibeto-Burman is the reconstructed ancestor of the Tibeto-Burman languages, that is, the Sino-Tibetan languages, except for Chinese. An initial reconstruction was produced by Paul K. Benedict and since refined by James Matisoff. Several other researchers argue that the Tibeto-Burman languages sans Chinese do not constitute a monophyletic group within Sino-Tibetan, and therefore that Proto-Tibeto-Burman was the same language as Proto-Sino-Tibetan.

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tangsa language</span> Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Burma and India

Tangsa, also known as Tase and Tase Naga, is a Sino-Tibetan language or language cluster spoken by the Tangsa people of Burma and north-eastern India. Some varieties, such as Shangge (Shanke), are likely distinct languages. There are about 60,000 speakers in Burma and 40,000 speakers in India. The dialects of Tangsa have disparate levels of lexical similarity, ranging from 35%–97%.

Khiamniungan is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Khiamniungan people Noklak District of Nagaland located in easternmost part of India bordering Myanmar in the East,Tuensang to the West,Mon to the North and district of Kiphire in the South.There are numerous local -tongues varied from village to village or to geographical ranges, such as Patsho, Thang, Peshu, Nokhu and Wolam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yimkhiung Naga</span> Ethnic group

The Yimkhiungs are a Naga ethnic group inhabiting the territories of Shamator and Kiphire District in the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland and western areas of Myanmar.

Lainong Naga, or Htang Ngan, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Burma. Lainong Naga is spoken in about 32 villages of Lahe Township and northwestern Hkamti Township, Naga Self-Administered Zone, Sagaing Division, Myanmar (Ethnologue). Dialects are Zëūdiāng.

Ponyo, or Ponyo-Gongwang after its two dialects, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Burma. Ponyo is spoken in 19 villages of Lahe Township, Naga Self-Administered Zone, Sagaing Division, Myanmar (Ethnologue). Dialects are Ponyo and Gongwang, with high mutual intelligibility between the two, both of which share 89% to 91% lexical similarity.

Makury, or Makury Naga, is a Naga language of India and Myanmar. Shi (2009:3) and Saul (2005:25) suggest that Makury may be an Ao language. The Makury dialects share 93% lexical similarity.

Makyam Naga is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Myanmar. The Western Makyam Naga dialects share 99% lexical similarity.

Central Tibeto-Burman or Central Trans-Himalayan is a proposed branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family proposed by Scott DeLancey (2015) on the basis of shared morphological evidence.

References

  1. van Dam, Kellen Parker; Thaam, Keen (2023). A First Description of Wolam Ngio, a Khiamniungic Language of Nagaland and Myanmar. 56th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, 10-12 October 2023. Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.
  2. 1 2 Hsiu, Andrew (2018). "Northern Naga (Konyak)". Sino-Tibetan Branches Project. Retrieved 2023-03-09.