Siangic languages
Sino-Tibetan language family of India
title: "Siangic languages" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["siangic-languages", "greater-siangic-languages", "languages-of-india", "proposed-language-families"] description: "Sino-Tibetan language family of India" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siangic_languages" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Sino-Tibetan language family of India ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox language family"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Siangic |
| altname | Koro-Holon |
| region | Arunachal Pradesh |
| familycolor | Sino-Tibetan |
| fam1 | Sino-Tibetan? |
| fam2 | Greater Siangic? |
| child1 | Koro |
| child2 | Milang |
| glotto | koro1317 |
| glottorefname | Koro–Holon |
| :: |
|name=Siangic |altname=Koro-Holon |region=Arunachal Pradesh |familycolor=Sino-Tibetan |fam1=Sino-Tibetan? |fam2=Greater Siangic? |child1=Koro |child2=Milang |glotto=koro1317 |glottorefname=Koro–Holon
The Siangic languages (or Koro-Holon languages) 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), 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.
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. ::data[format=table]
| 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 |
| 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 |
| ripe | *ŋin | i-ŋi | man |
| tell | *pu | pu-s(u) | po-lu |
| :: |
Modi (2013)
Modi (2013) 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. ::data[format=table]
| 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
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.
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.
- 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.
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