Siangic languages

Greater Siangic
Greater Siangic
(proposed)
Geographic; distribution	Arunachal Pradesh
Linguistic classification	possibly Sino-Tibetan or an independent family
Subdivisions	Siangic; Digaro; Tani;
Language codes
Glottolog	macr1268; mish1241

Siangic
Siangic
Koro-Holon
Geographic; distribution	Arunachal Pradesh
Linguistic classification	Sino-Tibetan? Greater Siangic? Siangic; ;
Subdivisions	Koro; Milang;
Language codes
Glottolog	koro1317

The Siangic languages (or Koro-Holon languages^[1]) are a small family of possibly Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India. The Siangic languages consist of Koro and Milang.

Classification

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),^[1] 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

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.

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

Reconstruction

Post & Blench (2011)

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	rã	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?)	rã	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^[2]
seven	*roŋ(al)	rõ	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^[3]
ripe	*ŋin	i-ŋi	man^[4]
tell	*pu	pu-s(u)	po-lu

Modi (2013)

Modi (2013)^[5] 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)	rã	ra-ŋal	weŋ, ɨ-eŋ	i-ɦoŋ	kV-nV(t), kV-nɨt
ear	*raɲ(u?)	rã	ra-ɲu	kru-naŋ	akru-na, ako-na	ɲa(-ruŋ), ɲo
give	*ram	rã	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	aŋ	oŋ	*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

References and notes

^ ^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.
^ Means 'sun'; also, Milang has a-mə 'sunlight'.
^ From Proto-Tani *pɨr
^ From Proto-Tani *min
^ Modi, Yankee. 2013. The nearest relatives of the Tani group. Paper presented at the 19th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Canberra, Australia.

Bibliography

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, 31 Jan – 2 Feb.
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.

[Anderson2014-1] 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.

[2] Means 'sun'; also, Milang has a-mə 'sunlight'.

[3] From Proto-Tani *pɨr

[4] From Proto-Tani *min

[Modi2013-5] Modi, Yankee. 2013. The nearest relatives of the Tani group. Paper presented at the 19th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Canberra, Australia.

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