Zemeic languages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Abrahamic Faiths (talk | contribs) at 19:53, 16 May 2016 (→‎References: {{Languages of Northeast India}}). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Zeme
Geographic
distribution
India
Linguistic classificationSino-Tibetan
  • Zeme
Glottologzeme1241

The Zeme languages are a small family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken mostly in northwestern Manipur state of northeast India. Conventionally classified as "Naga", they are not clearly related to other Naga languages, and are conservatively classified as an independent branch of Sino-Tibetan, pending further research.

The Zeme languages are the Zeme cluster (Zeme proper, aka Empeo; Liangmai (Kwoireng), and Rongmai, aka Kabui or Nruanghmei), which are close enough to sometimes be considered dialects of a single Zeliang language; plus Mzieme, Puiron, Khoirao, and Maram.

Van Driem (2011) lists the varieties, from south to north, as:

Mzieme, Khoirao, Maram, Puiron, Zeme (AKA Empeo Naga, Kacha Naga, Kochu Naga), Nruanghmei (AKA Rongmai, Kabui), Liangmai (AKA Kwoireng)

(Inpui and Puimei, which are sometimes listed, are not distinct.)[1]

References

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Glottolog was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  • George van Driem (2001) Languages of the Himalayas: An Ethnolinguistic Handbook of the Greater Himalayan Region. Brill.