Greater Siangic languages

Language grouping
Greater Siangic
(proposed)
Geographic
distribution		Arunachal Pradesh
Linguistic classificationSino-Tibetan? or an independent family
Subdivisions
  • Siangic
  • Digaro
  • Pre-Tani
GlottologNone

Greater Siangic is a language grouping that includes the Siangic languages, Digaro languages (Idu Mishmi and Taraon) and Pre-Tani, the hypothetical substrate language branch of Tani before it became relexified by Sino-Tibetan. The Greater Siangic grouping was proposed by Roger Blench (2014), based on exclusively shared lexical items that had been noted by Modi (2013).[1] Blench (2014) argues that Greater Siangic is an independent language family that has undergone areal influences from Sino-Tibetan languages, and is not a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family itself.

Various lexical items exclusively shared by Milang, Koro, Taraon, and Idu have also been noted by Modi (2013).[1] Modi (2013) suggests that Taraon could be closer to Milang than Idu is.

Languages

Blench (2014) lists the following languages in Greater Siangic.

  • Greater Siangic
    • Pre-Tani
    • Idu-Taraon
    • Siangic
      • Koro
      • Milang

Sound correspondences

Modi (2013: 20-22)[1] notes the following sound correspondences among Milang, Taraon, Idu, and Proto-Tani.

Milang Taraon Idu Proto-Tani
-u -a -a *-o
h- s-
C- Cl- Cr-
c- t- t-

See also

  • Greater Siangic comparative vocabulary list (Wiktionary)

References

  1. ^ a b c Modi, Yankee. 2013. The nearest relatives of the Tani group. Paper presented at the 19th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Canberra, Australia.
  • 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.
  • 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, Jan 31 – Feb 2.
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