Mondzish languages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mondzish
Geographic
distribution
ChineseVietnamese border
Linguistic classificationSino-Tibetan
Subdivisions
  • Kathu
  • Nuclear Mondzish
Glottologmond1269
Wenshan prefecture in Yunnan, China

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 Mondzishspeaking 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)

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

  • Northwestern Mondzish: Kathu, Thou
  • Core (Nuclear) Mondzish
    • Southern Mondzish: Mondzi / Mantsi cluster
    • Southeastern Mondzish: Meang / Maang cluster
    • Eastern Mondzish
    • Central Mondzish

Sound changes[]

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

  • *tsʰ- > s-
  • *ɣr- > ʐ-
  • *ɣʷ- > b-

References[]

  1. ^ Hsiu, Andrew. 2018. Mondzish branch.
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