Miju Language
Kaman (Geman, Geman Deng, Kùmán, Kman), or Miju (Miju Mishmi, Midzu), is a small language of India and China.
Long assumed to be a Sino-Tibetan language, it may be a language isolate.
| Kaman | |
|---|---|
| Geman, Kman | |
| Miju, Kùmán | |
| Pronunciation | [kɯ˧˩mɑn˧˥] |
| Region | Arunachal Pradesh, India |
| Ethnicity | Miju Mishmi |
Native speakers | 18,000 (2006) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | mxj |
| Glottolog | miju1243 |
| ELP | Miju-Mishmi |
 Miju is classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Locations
In China, the Miju are known as the Deng 僜人. The Deng number over 1,000 in Zayü County, Tibet, China, with 1,000 of the Deng having the autonym tɑ31 ruɑŋ53 (大让), and 130 having the autonym kɯ31 mɑn35 (格曼) (Geman). They are also neighbors with the Idu or i53 du31 (义都) people.[citation needed]
In India, Miju is spoken in Hawai Circle and the Parsuram Kund area of Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh (Boro 1978, Dasgupta 1977). Ethnologue reports that Miju is spoken in 25 villages located in high altitude areas to the east of upper Lohit and Dau valleys, which are located east of the Haguliang, Billong, and Tilai valleys.[citation needed]
Phonology
These are the sounds in the Miju/Kaman language.
Consonants
| Labial | Alveolar | Post- alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||||
| Plosive | plain | p | t | k | ʔ | |||
| aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | kʰ | |||||
| voiced | b | d | ɡ | |||||
| Affricate | plain | ts | tʃ | |||||
| aspirated | tʃʰ | |||||||
| voiced | dz | dʒ | ||||||
| Fricative | plain | f | s | ʃ | h | |||
| voiced | v | z | ɦ | |||||
| Approximant | ʋ | j | w | |||||
| Lateral | l | ɭ | ||||||
| Flap | ɾ | ɽ | ||||||
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | (ɨ) | ɯ • u |
| Close-mid | o | ||
| Open-mid | ɛ | ə | ʌ • ɔ |
| Open | a |
/ɯ/ may also be heard as [ɨ].
Tones
There are three main tones in the Miju language, rising (á), falling (à), and level (ā).
Registers
Kman has various registers that are used in different situations. These include:
- shamanic
- hunting
- cursing and scolding
- poetic
References
Further reading
- Blench, Roger. 2019. A grammar of Kman [=Miju], a language of Arunachal Pradesh
- Blench, Roger. 2017. A dictionary of Kman (Miju), a language of Arunachal Pradesh.
- Blench, Roger. 2015. Reading and writing Kman / Kman tasay tapuri pit. Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh: Kman Language Development Committee.
- Li, Daqin 李大勤 (2019). Xizang Chayu Geman yu 西藏察隅格曼语. Beijing: The Commercial Press. OCLC 1155170546.
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