Siangic languages

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Siangic
Koro-Holon
Geographic
distribution
Arunachal Pradesh
Linguistic classificationSino-Tibetan?
Subdivisions
Glottologkoro1317[1]

The Siangic languages (or Koro-Holon languages[2]) are a small family of possibly Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India. The Siangic languages consist of Koro and Milang.

Classification[edit]

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)[2], 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[edit]

Greater Siangic
(proposed)
Geographic
distribution
Arunachal Pradesh
Linguistic classificationpossibly Sino-Tibetan or an independent family
Subdivisions
Glottologmacr1268[3]
mish1241[4]

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[edit]

Post & Blench (2011)[edit]

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 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?) 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[5]
seven *roŋ(al) 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[6]
ripe *ŋin i-ŋi man[7]
tell *pu pu-s(u) po-lu

Modi (2013)[edit]

Modi (2013)[8] 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) ra-ŋal weŋ, ɨ-eŋ i-ɦoŋ *kV-nV(t), *kV-nɨt
ear *raɲ(u?) ra-ɲu kru-naŋ akru-na, ako-na *ɲa(-ruŋ), *ɲo
give *ram 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 *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[edit]

References and notes[edit]

  1. ^ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Koro–Holon". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
  2. ^ a b 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.
  3. ^ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Macro-Tani". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
  4. ^ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Digarish". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
  5. ^ Means ‘sun’; also, Milang has a-mə ‘sunlight’.
  6. ^ From Proto-Tani *pɨr
  7. ^ From Proto-Tani *min
  8. ^ Modi, Yankee. 2013. The nearest relatives of the Tani group. Paper presented at the 19th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Canberra, Australia.

Bibliography[edit]