Nyishi (Kamle) or Sarak is a Tani language of India. It is spoken in Arunachal Pradesh by an estimated 9,000 people of the Nyishi tribe.[2] It appears to be a dialect of the Nishi language.[3]
| Nyishi (Kamle) | |
|---|---|
| Sarak | |
| Region | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Ethnicity | Nyishi (Kamle) people |
Native speakers | 10,000 (2008)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis)Individual code: mrg – (included under Plains Miri) |
| Glottolog | None |
| ELP | Hill Miri |
Though Hili Miri is listed under Mising [mrg] in Ethnologue, Burling and Sun–experts on the Aranuchal Pradesh and Tani languages–treat Hill Miri and Mising as separate and distinct languages belonging to different branches of the Tani subgroup.[1]
Description
Nyishi (muri-mugli) is a member of the Tani branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages and is considered a dialect of the Nishi language. It is spoken by 9,000 people in the northern regions of India by the Nyishi people of Kamle.[1] It is threatened because the younger generation is slowly breaking away from their people's traditions and language.[4][5] Many audio books of gospel narratives in the Nyishi language of Kamle have been collected.
History of scholarship
George Abraham Grierson, in his survey of India regarding its linguistics, researched the Nyishi language and published a record over a century ago.[citation needed]
Phonology
Consonants
The following table includes an inventory of Nyishi (Kamle) consonants.[6]
| Labial | Alveolar | Post- alveolar | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ[7] | ŋ | ||
| Stop | voiceless | p | t | c[8] | k | |
| voiced | b | d | ɟ[9] | ɡ | ||
| Fricative | s | ʃ | h | |||
| Approximant | w | l | j | |||
| Trill? | r | |||||
Vowels are front /i, e/, central /ɨ, ʉ, ə, a/,[10] and back /u, o/. Vowels occur long and short.
Grammar
The basic Nyishi (Kamle) grammar and basic word order are like those of related Sino-Tibetan languages, similar to that of Nishi.
Numerals
| Nyishi (Kamle) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | aken |
| 2 | eñi |
| 3 | oum |
| 4 | epi |
| 5 | ango/angngo |
| 6 | ake |
| 7 | kenne |
| 8 | pine |
| 9 | kora |
| 10 | íri |
Pronouns
Personal
| Singular | Plural | |
| 1st person | ngo | ngu-lu |
| 2nd person | no | nu-lu |
| 3rd person | bu, bú | bu-lu, bú-lu |
References
Further reading
- Ivan Martin Simon, "Hill Miri language guide", Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, 1976
- Matthew S. Dryer, "Word order in Tibeto-burman languages" Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area, 2008
- Shri Aduk Tayeng, "Nishi Phrase book"[permanent dead link], Arunachal Pradesh, 1990
- P. T. Abraham, "A Grammar of Nyishi Language", 2005
- S. N. Goswami, "Nishing ( Bangni) Language Guide", 1995