Kuki-Chin languages


The Kuki-Chin languages are a branch of 50 or so Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in northeastern India, western Burma and eastern Bangladesh. Most speakers of these languages are known as Mizo in Mizoram and Manipur.Also,as Kukī in Bengali and as Chin in Burmese; some also identify as Zomi. Mizo is the most widely spoken of the Kuki-Chin languages.
Kuki-Chin is sometimes placed under Kuki-Chin–Naga, a geographical rather than linguistic grouping.
Most Kuki-Chin languages are spoken in and around Chin State, Burma, with some languages spoken in Sagaing Division, Magway Region and Rakhine State as well. In Northeast India, many Northern Kuki-Chin languages are also spoken in Mizoram State and Manipur State, India, especially in Churachandpur District, Pherzawl District, Kangpokpi District, Senapati District. Northwestern Kuki-Chin languages are spoken mostly in Chandel District, Manipur.
Kuki-Chin is alternatively called South-Central Trans-Himalayan by Konnerth.

Internal classification

The Karbi languages may be closely related to Kuki-Chin, but Thurgood and van Driem leave Karbi unclassified within Sino-Tibetan.
The Kuki-Chin branches listed below are from VanBik, with the Northwestern branch added from Scott DeLancey, et al., and the Khumic branch from Peterson.
;Kuki-Chin
Darlong and Ranglong are unclassified Kuki-Chin language.
The recently discovered Sorbung language may be mixed language that could classify as either a Kuki-Chin or Tangkhul language.
Anu-Hkongso speakers self-identify as ethnic Chin people, although their language is closely related to Mru rather than to Kuki-Chin languages. The Mruic languages constitute a separate Tibeto-Burman branch, and are not part of Kuki-Chin.

VanBik (2009)

Kenneth VanBik's classified the Kuki-Chin languages based on shared sound changes from Proto-Kuki-Chin as follows.
Kuki-Chin
David A. Peterson's internal classification of the Kuki-Chin languages is as follows.
;Kuki-Chin
Peterson's Northeastern branch corresponds to VanBik's Northern branch, while Peterson's Northwestern corresponds to the Old Kuki'' branch of earlier classifications.