Miji languages: Difference between revisions

Miji
Miji
Dhammai
Sajolang
Native to	India
Region	Arunachal Pradesh, India
Ethnicity	Miji people
Native speakers	28,000 (2007)
Language family	possibly Sino-Tibetan (Hruso), or a language isolate
Language codes
ISO 639-3	sjl
Glottolog	miji1239; saja1240 Sajolang / Miji; bang1369 Bangru / Ləvai
ELP	Sajalong

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Miji (autonym: Dmay^[2]), also Dhammai or Sajolang, is a cluster of possibly Sino-Tibetan languages in Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. "Dialects" include at least two distinct languages, which are not particularly close, with only half of the vocabulary in common between the languages of East Kameng District and West Kameng District. Long assumed to be Sino-Tibetan languages, they may be a small independent language family.^[3]

Varieties

There are 3 varieties of Miji.^[4]

Western Miji: spoken in and around Nafra Circle, West Kameng District
Eastern Miji: spoken in Lada Circle,^[2] East Kameng District
Northern Miji (= Bangru?^[4]): spoken in Sarli Circle,^[2] northern Kurung Kumey District

Distribution

According to Ethnologue, Miji is spoken in the following areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

West Kameng District, Nafra circle, Bichom and Pakesa river valley – 25 villages including Debbing, Dichik, Rurang, Nachinghom, Upper Dzang, Naku, Khellong, Dibrick, Nizong, Najang, Zangnaching, Chalang, Nafra, and Lower Dzang
East Kameng District: Bameng and Lada circles – Wakke, Nabolong, Kojo, Rojo, Sekong, Panker, Zarkam, Drackchi, Besai, Naschgzang, Sachung, Gerangzing, Kampaa, Salang, Pego, and Dongko villages

I.M. Simon (1979:iii)^[5] lists the following Miji villages from the Census of 1971.

1. Chalang [Cinlang]
2. Díbín [Díbín]
3. Ditchik [Dícik]
4. Dzang [Dzang]
5. Jangnachin [Zanachin]
6. Khazolang
7. Khelong
8. Laphozu
9. Mathow
10. Nakhu
11. Nachibun
12. Nizung
13. Rurang

Smaller hamlets include Dishin [Dícin], Devrik [Dívih], Diyung [Diyong], Nazang [Natsang], Nanthalang, and Otung [Uthung]. Some Mijis have also live in Aka villages such as Dijungania, Buragaon, Tulu, Sarkingonia, and Yayung.

Blench (2015),^[2] citing Ramya (2012),^[6] lists the Bangru (Northern Miji) villages Bala, Lee, Lower Lichila, Upper Lichila, Machane, Milli, Molo, Nade, Namju, Palo, Rerung, Sape, Sate, Wabia, and Walu’, as well as Sarli Town.

In China, Bangru (transcribed in Chinese as Bengru 崩如) is spoken in the area of Bixia 比夏, southern Longzi County 隆子县, Shannan Prefecture 山南地区, Tibet — in the villages of Jieli 结列, Baluo 巴洛, Xiade 夏德, Li 利, Lilaqi 利拉齐, and Gelangge 嘎朗洛 (Li 2003).^[7] Bangru is also spoken by many of the nearby Sulung people, who live in San'an Qulin Township 三安曲林乡 of Longzi County. Names of Bangru include ləʔ31 wai55 (autonym), pɤn31 ru55 (Bangni exonym), and bu33 zuai55 bi33 (Sulung exonym).^[7] There are also 6 people living in Douyu Village No. 1 (斗玉一村) on the Chinese side. There are about 1,600 Bangru people as of 1980, and about 2,000 as of 2003.

Phonology

Consonants

In all Miji languages the "p" "f" "t" and "k" sounds are always aspirated.^[2]

**Consonant phonemes**
	Bilabial		Labio- dental		Dental		Alveolar		Post- alveolar (Palato- alveolar)			Palatal		Palata- lized velar	Labia- lized velar		Glottal
Plosive	pʰ	b					tʰ	d							kʰ	ɡ	ʔ
Affricate							ts		tʃ	dʒ		tc
Fricative			fʰ	v	θ	ð	s	z	ʃ	ʒ			ʐ	x			xʷ	ɣʷ
Lateral fricative							ɬ	ɮ
Nasal		m						n			ɳ		ɲ
Trill								r
Tap or flap											ɽ
Approximant				ʋ									j			w
Lateral approximant								l			ɭ

Vowels

**Monophthong phonemes**
	Front	Central	Central rhotacized	Back
Close	i			u
Close-mid	e	ə/ɨ[ə]		o
Open-mid	ɛ			ʌ • ɔ
Open			a

Tones

The Miji languages have a relatively simple tonal system with only two tone: high and low. There is a third rising tone but it is so scarcely used that in some of the languages it is disregarded completely.^[2]

References

^ Miji at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Blench, Roger. 2015. The Mijiic languages: distribution, dialects, wordlist and classification. m.s.
^ Blench, Roger; Post, Mark (2011), (De)classifying Arunachal languages: Reconstructing the evidence (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-26 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ ^a ^b Blench, Roger; Post, Mark (2011), (De)classifying Arunachal languages: Reconstructing the evidence (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-26 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Simon, I. M. 1979. Miji Language Guide. Shillong: Directorate of Research, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
^ Ramya, T. 2012. Bangrus of Arunachal Pradesh: An Ethnographic Profile. International Journal of Social Science Tomorrow, 1(3):1-12.
^ ^a ^b Li Daqin [李大勤]. 2003. "A sketch of Bengru" [崩如语概况]. Minzu Yuwen 2003:5.

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 }}
-'''Miji''' (autonym: '''Dmay'''<ref name="Blench2015"/>), also '''Dhammai''' or '''Sajolang''', is a cluster of possibly [[Sino-Tibetan languages]] in [[Arunachal Pradesh]], northeastern India. "Dialects" include at least two distinct languages, which are not particularly close, with only half of the vocabulary in common between the languages of [[East Kameng District]] and [[West Kameng District]]. Long assumed to be Sino-Tibetan languages, they may be a small independent language family.<ref>{{citation | first1 = Roger | last1 = Blench | first2 = Mark | last2 = Post | title = (De)classifying Arunachal languages: Reconstructing the evidence | url = http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/South%20Asia/NEI/General/Lingres/Declassifying%20Arunachal.pdf | year = 2011 }}</ref>
+'''Miji''' (autonym: '''Dmay'''<ref name="Blench2015"/>), also '''Dhammai''' or '''Sajolang''', is a cluster of possibly [[Sino-Tibetan languages]] in [[Arunachal Pradesh]], northeastern India. "Dialects" include at least two distinct languages, which are not particularly close, with only half of the vocabulary in common between the languages of [[East Kameng District]] and [[West Kameng District]]. Long assumed to be Sino-Tibetan languages, they may be a small independent language family.<ref>{{citation|first1=Roger |last1=Blench |first2=Mark |last2=Post |title=(De)classifying Arunachal languages: Reconstructing the evidence |url=http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/South%20Asia/NEI/General/Lingres/Declassifying%20Arunachal.pdf |year=2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526230734/http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/South%20Asia/NEI/General/Lingres/Declassifying%20Arunachal.pdf |archivedate=2013-05-26 |df= }}</ref>
 ==Varieties==
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 *'''Western Miji''': spoken in and around Nafra Circle, [[West Kameng District]]
 *'''Eastern Miji''': spoken in Lada Circle,<ref name="Blench2015"/> [[East Kameng District]]
-*'''Northern Miji''' (= Bangru?<ref name="Blench2011">{{citation | first1 = Roger | last1 = Blench | first2 = Mark | last2 = Post | title = (De)classifying Arunachal languages: Reconstructing the evidence | url = http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/South%20Asia/NEI/General/Lingres/Declassifying%20Arunachal.pdf | year = 2011 }}</ref>): spoken in Sarli Circle,<ref name="Blench2015"/> northern [[Kurung Kumey District]]
+*'''Northern Miji''' (= Bangru?<ref name="Blench2011">{{citation|first1=Roger |last1=Blench |first2=Mark |last2=Post |title=(De)classifying Arunachal languages: Reconstructing the evidence |url=http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/South%20Asia/NEI/General/Lingres/Declassifying%20Arunachal.pdf |year=2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526230734/http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/South%20Asia/NEI/General/Lingres/Declassifying%20Arunachal.pdf |archivedate=2013-05-26 |df= }}</ref>): spoken in Sarli Circle,<ref name="Blench2015"/> northern [[Kurung Kumey District]]
 ==Distribution==