Hrusish languages

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Sino-Tibetan language branch of India

title: "Hrusish languages" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["hrusish-languages", "languages-of-india", "proposed-language-families"] description: "Sino-Tibetan language branch of India" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrusish_languages" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Sino-Tibetan language branch of India ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox language family"]

Field	Value
name	Hrusish
altname	Southeast Kamengic
Hruso-Miji
region	Arunachal Pradesh
familycolor	Sino-Tibetan
family	Sino-Tibetan?
child1	Hruso (Aka)
child2	Mijiic
glotto	hrus1242
glottoname	Hruso
glotto2	miji1239
glottoname2	Miji
::

The Hrusish or Southeast Kamengic languages possibly constitute a Sino-Tibetan branch in Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India. They are Hruso (Aka) and Mijiic. In Glottolog, Hammarström, et al. does not accept Hrusish, and considers similarities between Hruso and Miji to be due to loanwords.

Names

George van Driem (2014) and Bodt & Lieberherr (2015) use the name Hrusish, while Anderson (2014) prefers Southeast Kamengic.

Classification

Anderson (2014) considers Hrusish to be a branch of Tibeto-Burman. However, Blench and Post (2011) suggest that the Hruso languages likely constitute an independent language family.

Bodt's & Lieberherr's (2015:69) internal classification of the Hrusish languages is as follows.

Hrusish
- Hruso (ʁuso, Aka)
- Miji-Bangru
  - Western Miji (Đəmmai, Sadʑalaŋ)
  - Eastern Miji (Nəmrai, Wadu Baŋru)
  - Bangru (Tadə Baŋru, Tadʑu Baŋru, Ləwjɛ, Ləvai)

Comparative vocabulary

The following comparative vocabulary table of Hrusish vocabulary items (Bangru, Miji, and Hruso) is from Anderson (2014), with additional Bangru data from Li (2003). Anderson's (2014) Hruso data is from Anderson's own field notes and from Simon (1970). Anderson's (2014) Miji data is from his own field notes as well as Simon (1979) and Weedall (2014). Bangru data is from Ramya (2011, 2012).

::data[format=table]

Gloss	Bangru (Li 2003)	Bangru (Anderson 2014)	Miji (Anderson 2014)
dʑu˥wai˥˧	dʒu	dʒo ~ zuʔ; zo ~ ʒʲoʔ	dʒu ~ dʑu; dʲu
də˧˩ɣai˥	tene	dɨlen; təlɛn	tʰiɲɲo
laʔ˥bu˥˧	lag-bow	maj-bu	xukʰes-pu
-	kiː-ni	a-kʰiw; akju	a-kʰi
mə˧˩dʑu˥	mu-dʒu-ɲiːib	zu	sou ~ sa ~ seu
ȵoŋ˥	ɲo(ʔ)	ɲaŋ	nɔ
ga˧˩ni˥	k-aɲi	aɲi	ɲi
si˥tsuaŋ˥	sutʃow	ʃutsaŋ	sitso ~ sutso
bə˧˩loŋ˥	beloŋ-siɲi	biluʔŋ; bəɫuʔŋ; biluŋʰ	bəlu
mə˧˩ȵi˧guaŋ˥˧	mi-niː-ko	ɲi	un-su ~ nu-su
mə˧˩gai˥	me-gej	(mə)gi	əgzə
-	me-gej-nea	gi-nuiʔ; gi-batʃo	əgzə-i-aɲ
-	je	ʒeʔ	ze-mdʑiu; əʒʲəxu ~ əɣʲəxu
dʑe˥	zeu	dʒi	dʒum
dai˥mu˧˩mu˥	tjameiː	tajme	tʰimjeu
bu˧˩rai˥	poraji	bli; b(ə)le	pʰiri; pʰiji
buŋ˥	puŋ	bungu, buŋu	pʰum ~ pʰóm
rai˥˧	reh	reʔ; reʔ ~ réʔ	rijɛ; ʑje
muai˥˧	moji	myaʔ, mjaʔ	mrjo; mrɔ
sə˧˩cai˥˧	sagaik	sɨgiʔ, sɨgeʔ; səguj	səgzə ~ sɨgdʒɨ ~ sɨɣdʒɨ
sə˧˩təŋ˥	sataŋ	sɨtʰɨn; stʰɨn; stən	stʰə; stʰɨ ~ stʰə
rəŋ˥	raŋ	lin; lən	ʁə; ʁɨ ~ ʁə
-	karaik	gɨriʔ; gəri	kʰiri
mə˧˩ci˥	miː-kji	mɨ-kʰyang; məkjaŋ	kʰrou
a˧˩nai˥˧	aːneja	aɲʲi	aɲi; aɲ
ja˧˩dʑu˥˧	ja-tʃuk	mu-tsu	tsu
-	wu-dʒu	vu-zuʔ 'creek'	xu-sa
mə˧˩pu˥zi˥	m-podʒ	pas-t(ʰ)uŋ; pastoŋ	ə-pos-tu
mə˧˩gai˥tsuo˥˧	me-gej-tʃowa	gi-tsoʔ; məgitso	əgzi-tsə
ʑəu˥˧	dʒu	ʒo; ʒoʔ	vo
pu˥dʑu˧˩	pu-dʒu	buzu(ʔ); bɨ-zɨ ~ b-zɨ ~ bə-zu ~ bə-zə; bə-zuʔ	mu-su
-	mete	tʰei-zʰo; (me)tẽ	isi; dʒʲe; ʃe-die
::

Reconstruction

Proto-Hrusish has been reconstructed in by Bodt & Lieberherr (2015). Bodt & Lieberherr (2015:101) note that Proto-Hrusish displays a sound change from Proto-Tibeto-Burman *s- to t-, which they note had also occurred in Bodo-Garo, Kuki-Chin, Tangkhulic, Central Naga, and Karbi languages. The Proto-Tibeto-Burman *-l and -r have also been lost in Proto-Hrusish.

Reconstructed Proto-Hrusish forms from Bodt & Lieberherr (2015) are given below.

*nə-paŋ 'aconite'
*si-ni 'ant'
*pri 'awake'
*sit 'axe'
*mə-niŋ 'bad'
*bra 'bamboo (big)'
*sit 'bark (tree)'
*sə-t͡saŋ 'bear'
*majk 'bee'
*mə-doʔ 'big (thick, wide)'
*bə-dow 'bird'
*taʔ 'bite'
*kam 'bitter'
*jaC 'blood'
*mə-muC 'body'
*lu 'boil (water)'
*mə-ri-jaŋ 'bone'
*gə-raj 'bow'
*mə-nuŋ 'breast; milk'
*sit 'broom'
*su 'cane; rope'
*sit 'chicken'
*mə-ga-daʔ 'chin'
*gi-le 'cloth'
*majməwŋ 'cloud'
*ku 'cook'
*su 'cow'
*kraC 'cry'
*taj 'cut'
*ga 'day'
*mə-ruk 'deep'
*θəj 'die'
*taC 'dig'
*ni-t͡ɕi 'dirty'
*ru 'do'
*piŋ 'door'
*tai-mə 'dream'
*tuŋ 'drink'
*t͡ɕa 'eat'
*do-riŋ 'egg'
*sə-giC 'eight'
*(a/mə)ko 'elder brother'
*mə-hi-laŋ 'empty'
*t͡səj 'excrete, defecate'
*mə-jaʔ 'eye'
*mə-rəŋ 'far'
*mə-baC 'fat (n)'
*ri 'fear'
*mejʔ 'few'
*rəj 'fight'
*mə-guC-t͡ɕoʔ 'finger'
*maj 'fire'
*laC 'fireplace'
*trV 'fish'
*bə-ŋu 'five'
*mə-boC 'flower'
*mə-d͡ʑoC 'friend'
*d͡ʑuC 'frog'
*θai 'fruit'
*bə-ləj 'four'
*liŋ 'full'
*kikmuŋ 'garlic, onion'
*bəj 'give'
*se-preN 'goat'
*rajC 'grind, crush'
*mə-luŋ 'guts'
*go-pu 'hair'
*mə-gaŋ-lo 'hard'
*mə-guC 'hand, arm'
*du 'have, exist'
*mə-go-kuŋ 'head'
*mə-luŋ-wəwC 'heart'
*mə-ləj 'heavy'
*mə-su 'horn'
*nam 'house'
*kə-na 'how many'
*niC 'human'
*bə-luŋ 'hundred'
*noC 'ill'
*bəw-luŋ 'insect'
*suN 'iron'
*gə-d͡ʑuk 'itch'
*dəgraŋ 'kick'
*gajC 'kill'
*vaj-t͡suŋ 'knife'
*ni 'know'
*toC 'laugh'
*mə-rajC 'leaf'
*lə-wajC 'leech'
*laj 'leg'
*laŋ 'lift'
*mə-lə-taŋ 'light'
*t͡ɕi 'liquor'
*rej 'listen, hear'
*siŋ 'live, grow up'
*mə-θin 'liver'
*mə-pjaŋ 'long'
*gaŋ 'look, see'
*saC 'louse'
*daj 'make; do'
*niC 'man (male)'
*su 'meat'
*lu 'month'
*lu 'moon'
*mə-nuŋ 'mouth; language'
*lu-lV 'mortar'
*me-naj 'mother'
*mə-mjiŋ 'name'
*mə-nej 'near'
*ta- 'negative imperative'
*mə-gə-nu 'new'
*nə-gaC 'night'
*sə-tiŋ 'nine'
*mə-ɕoʔ 'old'
*a-ken 'one'
*an 'paddy rice'
*bə-laC 'pestle'
*jowʔ 'pig'
*go-kuN 'pillow'
*nə-dəj; *pro 'rain'
*t͡ɕaʔ 'red'
*gə-leC 'ring'
*lam-baŋ 'road'
*mə-kriŋ 'root'
*mə-də-rəw 'round'
*lu 'salt'
*sə-gə-raj 'sand'
*mə-θai 'seed'
*laC 'sell'
*mə-ljak 'seven'
*sit 'sew'
*mə-nuŋ 'short'
*mə-ma 'sister (elder)'
*d͡ʑuC 'sit, stay'
*reC 'six'
*mə-prja 'skin'
*nə-də-laŋ 'sky'
*d͡ʑV 'sleep'
*maj-kən 'smoke (n)'
*bəw 'snake'
*dəren 'snow'
*mə-lə-prjuC 'soft, smooth'
*naʔ 'soil'
*təwC 'speak'
*d͡ʑuŋ 'spear'
*məsu 'spicy'
*jeʔ 'spittle'
*gu 'stand'
*lə-t͡ɕuŋ 'star'
*kə 'steal'
*t͡ɕuŋ 'storehouse, granary'
*mə-gə-raŋ 'straight'
*bə-nuŋ 'suck'
*d͡ʑuʔ 'sun'
*bə-ljaC 'swallow'
*mə-jaŋ 'sweet'
*liŋ 'swell'
*wa '(swidden) field'
*d͡ʑaC 'swim'
*mə-lə-mrjaj 'tail'
*ləw 'take'
*t͡ɕaC 'tell'
*rəŋ 'ten'
*paj-t͡ɕi 'that'
*pu-t͡ɕi 'that (lower)'
*mə-lu 'thigh'
*huŋ 'this'
*gə-θəm 'three'
*gə-d͡ʑuC 'thorn'
*bə-laj 'tongue'
*mə-taC 'tooth'
*sit 'tree'
*gə-niC 'two'
*an-lə-giN 'uncooked rice'
*pen 'vegetable'
*mu 'vomit'
*daj 'walk'
*t͡ɕaC 'hot, warm'
*wi 'water'
*kua-suʔ 'waterfall'
*traj 'weave'
*tiŋ 'what'
*kəʔ 'where'
*mə-gə-raN 'white'
*θu 'who'
*low 'wind'
*gə/mə-t͡ɕəwC 'wing'
*d͡ʑVru 'with'
*sit 'wood'
*nəməraj 'woman'
*də-niŋ 'year'
*də-gaC 'yesterday'
*mə-nuŋ 'younger sibling'
*na(-jaŋ) ''
*ni ''
*ʔi ''
*ka-ni ''
*d͡ʑV ''
*na ''

References

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.
George van Driem (2001) Languages of the Himalayas: An Ethnolinguistic Handbook of the Greater Himalayan Region. Brill.

References

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.
"Glottolog 4.4 - Hruso".
(2011). "(De)classifying Arunachal languages: Reconstructing the evidence".
(2015). "First notes on the phonology and classification of the Bangru language of India". Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area.
Li Daqin [李大勤]. 2003. "A sketch of Bengru" [崩如语概况]. ''Minzu Yuwen'' 2003(5), 64-80.
Simon, I. M. 1970. Aka language guide. Shillong: NEFA. 1993 Reprint Itanagar.
Simon, I. M. 1979/1974. Miji Language Guide. Shillong. (Govt. Arunachal).
Weedall, Christopher. 2014. Sajolang-English lexicon. m.s.
Ramya, Tame. 2011. An Ethnographic Study Bangrus of in Kurung Kumey District, Arunachal Pradesh. M Phil. Thesis. Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar.
Ramya, Tame. 2012. Sociolinguistic profile of the Bangru languages of Arunachal Pradesh. Presented at ICOLSI, Shillong. m.s.

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