Mondzish languages

Mondzish (Mangish) is a small group of languages that constitute the most divergent branch of the Lolo–Burmese languages in the classification of Lama (2012). The Mondzish languages are spoken in Funing, Guangnan, Malipo, and Napo counties of China and Hà Giang and Cao Bang provinces of northern Vietnam. The autonyms of Mondzish-speaking peoples often begins with *man-. Lama (2012) considers *man- to be cognate with Mán (蛮), which is an ancient Chinese exonym for non-Chinese peoples to the south.

Mondzish languages are spoken in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan, China and across the border in Hà Giang Province, Vietnam. According to Hsiu (2014), Kathu is related.

Classification

Hsiu (2014:73) classifies the Mondzish languages as follows. Additional languages from Hsiu (2017) are also included.

• Kathu (Thou)
• Nuclear Mondzish (Nuclear Mangish)
  • Muangphe
  • Mango, Manga
  • Maang (also known as Mo'ang, Meang)
  • Mondzi or Mantsi (also known as Lô Lô by the Vietnamese)
  • Maza
  • Mauphu, Motang
  • Mongphu

A revised classification of Mondzish languages by Hsiu (2018)^[1] is as follows.

Sound changes

Lama (2012) lists the following sound changes from Proto-Loloish as Mondzish innovations.

• *tsʰ- > s-
• *ɣr- > ʐ-
• *ɣʷ- > b-

References

• Edmondson, Jerold A. 2003. Three Tibeto-Burman Languages of Vietnam.
• Hsiu, Andrew. 2014. "Mondzish: a new subgroup of Lolo-Burmese". In Proceedings of the 14th International Symposium on Chinese Languages and Linguistics (IsCLL-14). Taipei: Academia Sinica.
• Lama, Ziwo Qiu-Fuyuan (2012), Subgrouping of Nisoic (Yi) Languages, thesis, University of Texas at Arlington.

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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.