Kuki-Chin languages

The Kuki-Chin languages (also called Kuki-Chin-Mizo,[2] Kukish or South-Central Tibeto-Burman languages) are a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Most notable Kuki-Chin-speaking ethnic groups are referred to collectively as the Zo people which includes: the Mizo of Mizoram, the Kuki of Manipur, and the Chin of Chin State, Myanmar.

Kuki-Chin
Kuki-Chin-Mizo, Kukish
EthnicityZo
Geographic
distribution		India, Myanmar, Bangladesh
Linguistic classificationSino-Tibetan
Early form
Proto-Kuki-Chin[1]
Subdivisions
Glottologkuki1246  (Kuki-Chin)

Kuki-Chin is alternatively called South-Central Trans-Himalayan (or South Central Tibeto-Burman) by Konnerth (2018), because of negative connotations of the term "Kuki-Chin" for many speakers of languages in this group.[3]

Kuki-Chin is sometimes placed under Kuki-Chin–Naga, a geographical rather than linguistic grouping.

Geographical Distribution

Internal classification

The Karbi languages may be closely related to Kuki-Chin, but Thurgood (2003) and van Driem (2011) leave Karbi unclassified within Sino-Tibetan.[4][5]

The Kuki-Chin branches listed below are from VanBik (2009), with the Northwestern branch added from Scott DeLancey, et al. (2015),[6] and the Khomic branch (which has been split off from the Southern branch) from Peterson (2017).[7]

  • Kuki-Chin
    • Central: Mizo (Duhlian), Bawm (Sunthla and Panghawi), Falam (Hallam, Ranglong, Darlong, Hauhulh, Simpi, Hualngo, Chorei), Thor (Tawr), Hmar, Hrangkhol, Biate (Biete), Hakha (Lai/Pawi, Mi-E, Zokhua), Pangkhua, Saihriem, Laizo/Tlaisun, Khualsim, Zanniat, Zahau, Sim
    • Maraic: Mara (Tlosai {Siaha and Saikao}, Hawthai {Lyvaw, Sizo, and Lochei}, Hlaipao {Zyhno, Heima, and Lialai}), Zophei, Senthang, Zotung (Lungngo, Calthawn, Innmai), Lautu
    • Northern: Suantak-Vaiphei, Zo (Zou), Paite, Tedim, Thado (Kuki), Gangte, Simte, Vaiphei, Sizang, Ralte, Ngawn
    • Southern: Shö (Asho/Khyang, Chinbon), Thaiphum, Daai (Nitu), Mün, Yindu, Matu, Welaung (Rawngtu), Kaang, Laitu, Rungtu, Songlai, Sumtu
    • Khomic: Khumi (Khumi proper and Khumi Awa), Mro, Rengmitca, etc.
    • Northwestern: Monsang, Moyon, Lamkang, Aimol, Anal, Tarao, Koireng (Kolhreng), Chiru, Kom, Chothe, Purum,[7] Kharam,[7]

Darlong and Ranglong are unclassified Kuki-Chin language.

The recently discovered Sorbung language may be mixed language that could classify as either a Kuki-Chin or Tangkhul language (Mortenson & Keogh 2011).[8]

Anu-Hkongso speakers self-identify as ethnic Chin people, although their language is closely related to Mru rather than to Kuki-Chin languages. The Mruic languages constitute a separate Tibeto-Burman branch, and are not part of Kuki-Chin.[7]

VanBik (2009)

Kenneth VanBik's (2009:23) classified the Kuki-Chin languages based on shared sound changes (phonological innovations) from Proto-Kuki-Chin as follows.

  • Kuki-Chin
    • Central: *k(ʰ)r-, *p(ʰ)r- > *t(ʰ)r-; *k(ʰ)l-, *p(ʰ)l- > *t(ʰ)l-; *y- > *z-
      • Pangkhua?
      • Lamtuk Thet: Lamtuk, Ruavan
      • Lai
        • Hakha: Hakha, Thantlang, Zokhua
        • Falam: Bawm, Bualkhaw, Laizo, Lente, Khualsim, Khuangli, Sim, Tlaisun, Zanniat
      • Mizo
        • Mizo: Fanai, Hualngo, Lushai, Khiangte
        • Hmar: Khosak, Thiek, Lawitlang, Khawbung, Darngawn, Lungtau, Leiri
    • Maraic: *kr- > *ts-; *-ʔ, *-r, *-l > -Ø; *-p, *-t, *-k > *-ʔ; *θ- > *s-
      • Mara
        • Tlosai
          • Saikao
          • Siaha
        • Hlaipao
          • Heima
          • Lialai
          • Vahapi/Zyhno
        • HawThai
          • Sizo
            • Ngaphepi
            • Sabyu
            • Chapi
          • Lyvaw
            • Lochei
            • Tisih
            • Phybyu
      • Lautu
        • Hnaro
        • Chawngthia
      • Zophei
        • Vytu
        • Sate/Awsa
      • Senthang
        • Khuapi
        • Surkhua
      • Zotung *h- > *f-; *kr- > *r-; *khl- > *kh-, *l-; *c(h)- > *t(h)-/*s-; *y- > *z-/*z(h)-; *w- > *v-
        • Calthawng
        • Innmai
        • Lungngo/Tinpa
    • Peripheral: *r- > *g-
      • Northern: *θ- > *ts-; *kl- > *tl-; *-r > *-k
      • Southern (Southern Plains): *-r > *-y
        • Khumi: Khomi, Wakung
        • Cho-Asho
          • Asho
          • Cho: Matu; Chinpon; Daai, Nghmoye, Ngmuun, Mkaang

Peterson (2017)

David A. Peterson's (2017:206)[7] internal classification of the Kuki-Chin languages is as follows.

  • Kuki-Chin
    • Northwestern: Purum (Naga), Koireng, Monsang (Naga), etc.
    • Central
    • Peripheral
      • Northeastern
      • Khomic: Khami/Khumi, Mro-Khimi, Lemi, Rengmitca, etc.
      • Southern
        • Cho
        • Daai
        • Hyow/Asho

Peterson's Northeastern branch corresponds to VanBik's Northern branch, while Peterson's Northwestern corresponds to the Old Kuki branch of earlier classifications.

See also

References
  1. https://stedt.berkeley.edu/pubs_and_prods/STEDT_Monograph8_Proto-Kuki-Chin.pdf
  2. Burling, Robbins (2003). "The Tibeto-Burman languages of Northeastern India". In Graham Thurgood; Randy J. LaPolla (eds.). The Sino-Tibetan Languages. pp. 169–191.
  3. Konnerth, Linda. 2018. The historical phonology of Monsang (Northwestern South-Central/“Kuki-Chin”): A case of reduction in phonological complexity. Himalayan Linguistics, Vol. 17(1): 19-49, note [2]: "...many language activists among the speakers of languages of the South-Central branch has made it clear to me that using the “Kuki-Chin” label is very insensitive."
  4. Thurgood, Graham (2003) "A subgrouping of the Sino-Tibetan languages: The interaction between language contact, change, and inheritance." In G. Thurgood and R. LaPolla, eds., The Sino-Tibetan languages, pp. 13–14. London: Routledge, ISBN 978-0-7007-1129-1.
  5. van Driem, George L. (2011a), "Tibeto-Burman subgroups and historical grammar", Himalayan Linguistics Journal, 10 (1): 31–39, archived from the original on 12 January 2012.
  6. DeLancey, Scott; Krishna Boro; Linda Konnerth1; Amos Teo. 2015. Tibeto-Burman Languages of the Indo-Myanmar borderland. 31st South Asian Languages Analysis Roundtable, 14 May 2015.
  7. Peterson, David. 2017. "On Kuki-Chin subgrouping." In Picus Sizhi Ding and Jamin Pelkey, eds. Sociohistorical linguistics in Southeast Asia: New horizons for Tibeto-Burman studies in honor of David Bradley, 189-209. Leiden: Brill.
  8. David Mortenson and Jennifer Keogh. 2011. "Sorbung, an Undocumented Language of Manipur: its Phonology and Place in Tibeto-Burman", in JEALS 4, vol 1.

Bibliography
  • George van Driem (2001) Languages of the Himalayas: An Ethnolinguistic Handbook of the Greater Himalayan Region. Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-12062-4.
  • VanBik, Kenneth. 2009. Proto-Kuki-Chin: A Reconstructed Ancestor of the Kuki-Chin Languages. STEDT Monograph 8. ISBN 0-944613-47-0.

Further reading
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