Konyak language

Konyak is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Konyak people in the state of Nagaland, north-eastern India.

The language has 244,000 speakers in the state (as of the 2011 census); most of these (237,000) are in Mon district, with smaller populations in the districts of Dimapur (2,900), Kohima (2,000), Mokokchung (1,100), and Longleng (900).^[2] There are also an estimated 2,000 speakers in neighbouring Myanmar, specifically in Hkamti District and in Lahe township.^[1]

Dialects

Konyak (2021)

A list of Konyak dialects from Hoipo Konyak (2021:5) is given below.^[3]

Ethnologue

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Konyak.

Tableng is the standard dialect spoken in Wanching and Wakching.

Phonology

There are three lexically contrastive contour tones in Konyak – rising (marked in writing by an acute accent – á), falling (marked by a grave accent – à) and level (unmarked).^[5]

Vowels

The vowels /a/, /o/ and /u/ are lengthened before approximants. /ə/ does not occur finally.

Consonants

The stops /p/ and /k/ contrast with the aspirated /pʰ/ and /kʰ/. /p/ and /c/ become voiced intervocalically across morpheme boundaries. The dental /t/ is realised as an alveolar if preceded by a vowel with a rising tone. The approximants /w/ and /j/ are pronounced laxer and shorter after vowels; /w/ becomes tenser initially before high vowels. If morpheme-initial or intervocalic, /j/ is pronounced with audible friction.^[6] /pʰ/, /kʰ/, /c/, /ɲ/, /s/, /h/ and /l/ do not occur morpheme-finally, while /ʔ/ does not appear morpheme-initially. Except for morpheme-initial /kp/ and /kʰl/, consonant clusters occur only medially.^[7]

References

Bibliography

• Nagaraja, K.S. (2010), Konyak Grammar, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages, ISBN 978-81-7342-195-2

Further reading

• Ine Jongne Jame (1957), Primer for Adults in Konyak Language, Guwahati{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Kumar, Brij Bihari (1972), Hindi-Konyak Dictionary, Kohima: Nagaland Bhasha Parishad
• Kumar, Brij Bihari (1972), Konyak Vyakaran ki Ruprekha, Kohima: Nagaland Bhasha Parishad
• Nagaraja, K.S. (1996), Kinship terms in Konyak Naga (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2012, retrieved 18 July 2011
• Nagaraja, K.S., Konyak–Hindi–English Dictionary, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages
• Nagaraja, K.S., "Relativization in Konyak", Indian Linguistics, 45: 41–8

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Sino-Tibetan branches

Western Himalayas
(Himachal, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim)

• West Himalayish
• Tamangic
• Newaric
  • Newar
  • Baram–Thangmi
• Kiranti
• Dhimalish
  • Dhimal
  • Toto
  • Lhokpu
• Lepcha

Greater Magaric	Magaric Magar Kham Chepangic Chepang Bhujel Raji–Raute Dura–Tandrange

Eastern Himalayas
(Tibet, Bhutan, Arunachal)

• Bodish
  • Tibetic
  • East Bodish
  • Tshangla
  • Basum
  • Nam?
• Gongduk
• ʼOle
• Tani
• Chamdo

Myanmar and Indo-Burmese border

• Karbi
• Kuki-Chin
• Mruic
  • Mru
  • Hkongso
• Pyu
• Taman

"Naga"	Ao Angami–Pochuri Meitei Tangkhulic Zeme
Sal	Boro–Garo Konyak Jingpho–Luish

East and Southeast Asia

• Sinitic
  • Chinese
  • Min
• Bai
• Tujia
• Nungish
• Karenic
• Gong
• Kathu
• Cai–Long
  • Caijia
  • Longjia
  • Luren

Burmo-Qiangic	Qiangic Gyalrongic Ersuic Naic Lolo-Burmese Mondzish Burmish Loloish

Dubious (possible isolates)
(Arunachal)

• Hrusish
  • Hruso
  • Mijiic
• Kho-Bwa
  • Puroik
• Miju–Meyor
• Songlin

Greater Siangic	Siangic Koro Milang Idu–Taraon

Proposed groupings

• Central Tibeto-Burman
• Kuki-Chin–Naga
• Macro-Bai
• Mahakiranti
• Rung
• Tibeto-Burman
• Tibeto-Kanauri

Proto-languages

• Proto-Sino-Tibetan
• Proto-Tibeto-Burman
• Proto-Loloish
• Proto-Karenic
• Proto-Min
• Proto-Hakka

Italics indicates single languages that are also considered to be separate branches.