Siangic languages


The Siangic 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, is alternatively classified as a divergent Tani language. Koro has undergone influence from Hruso. 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 note that Siangic has a substratum of unknown origin, and consider Siangic to be an independent language family. Anderson, who refers to Siangic as Koro-Holon instead, considers Siangic to be a branch of Sino-Tibetan rather than an independent language family.

Greater Siangic

proposes a Greater Siangic family that includes the Digaro languages and Pre-Tani, the hypothetical substrate language branch of Tani before it became relexified by Sino-Tibetan.

Post &; Blench (2011)

The following Proto-Siangic forms reconstructed by Mark Post & Roger Blench do not have lexical parallels with Proto-Tani, and are unique to the Siangic branch.
GlossProto-SiangicKoroMilang
*-ŋa-ŋa-ŋə
*-mi-mi-mi
give*ramram
know*fufuhu
ant*paŋpa-supaŋ-kər
chicken*coco-lea-cu
stone*buu-buda-bu
ear*raɲra-ɲu
mouth*caŋsa-pucaŋ-ci
buttocks*kɨ-ruŋkɨɻki-ruŋ
pus*a-nɨi-nia-nɨ
day*nəme-nea-nə
sun*məme-nemə-ruŋ
seven*roŋraŋal
eight*ra-ljaŋrã-larajəŋ
ten*faŋfã-lãhaŋ-tak
axe*rak-purak-para-pu
grandfather*abo- + ‘old man’abo-murzia-bə
grandmother*adze- + ‘old woman’aje-mɨsiŋa-dzi
sand*bu-pibu-pibu-pi
yesterday*ba-nəba-nba-nə
have *kjokocu
bamboo*fufua-hu
egg*cu-cicu-cici-ci
what*hVgV-nVigi-naha-ga-nu
cultivated field*pupua-pu
rice paddy*kɨki-rakadu-kɨ
green*ja-caŋjã-cajə-caŋ
small*uu-ŋau-lee
sister, older*a-Coo-foa-u
root*raŋne-raŋta-pɨr
ripe*ŋini-ŋiman
tell*pupu-spo-lu

Modi (2013)

Modi 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 include black, house, salt, fat, and today.
GlossProto-SiangicKoroMilangTaraonIduProto-Tani
today*V-nese-neɨ-nəa tia-n̥ne tia-ɲi*si-lo
seven*roŋra-ŋalweŋ, ɨ-eŋi-ɦoŋ*kV-nV, *kV-nɨt
ear*raɲra-ɲukru-naŋakru-na, ako-na*ɲa, *ɲo
give*ramramhaŋhaŋ*bi
axe*rak-purak-para-pupae-pa*əgɨŋ
eight*ra-ljaŋrãlara-jɛŋliɨmi-lioŋ*pri-ɲi
salt*puplota-puplapra*lo
ant*paŋpa-supaŋ-kərpaː-chaipa-si*ruk
day*nəme-nea-nəkɨ-ni-ni*lo
house*Noŋŋɨna-ɲuk*kum
sun*məme-nemə-ruŋrɨnrɨŋ, rɨn*doŋ-ɲi
black*mamaje-gjaŋmama
white*ljolapõje-cciliolio*pun, *puŋ
rice*kjeki-rakadu-kɨkieke*am-bwn
bamboo*fufuahuhuia bra li*ɦə
know*fufuhuka-saka-sa*ken
fat*fofõ, u-fua-huta-soso*fu
ten*faŋfã-lãhaŋ-takxa-lɨŋhoŋ-ɦoŋ*cam, *jiŋ
egg*cu-cicucicicia-teimeto cu*pɨ
fowl/chicken*coco-lea-cutiume-to*rok
mouth*caŋsa-pucaŋ-citʰɨ-rɨm-bram, thɨ-rɨntʰɨ-ram-bram, eko-be*gam
sand*bu-pibu-pisa-pita-pia-pisulli
yesterday*ba-nəba-neba-nəbɨ-liɨŋbɨ-ɲi*mə-lo