Miji languages
| Miji | |
|---|---|
| Dhammai | |
| Sajalong | |
| Native to | India |
| Region | Arunachal Pradesh, India |
| Ethnicity | Miji people |
Native speakers |
6,500 (2001)[1] perhaps not counting Levai |
|
possibly Sino-Tibetan (Hruso), or a language isolate | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 |
sjl |
| Glottolog |
miji1239[2]saja1240 (Sajalong / Miji)[3]bang1369 (Bangru / Ləvai)[4] |
Miji, also Dhammai or Sajalong, is a small language cluster of possibly Sino-Tibetan languages in Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. "Dialects" include at least two distinct languages, which are not particularly close, given only half of the vocabulary in common between the dialects of East Kameng District and West Kameng District. Long assumed to be a Sino-Tibetan language, it may actually be a language isolate.[5]
Varieties
There are 3 varieties of Miji.[5]
- Western Miji: spoken in and around Nafra Circle, West Kameng District
- Eastern Miji: spoken in East Kameng District
- Northern Miji (= Bangru?[5]): spoken in northern East Kameng District
Distribution
According to Ethnologue, Miji is spoken in the following areas of Arunachal Pradesh.
- West Kameng District, Nafra circle, Bichom and Pakesa river valley – 25 villages including Debbing, Dichik, Rurang, Nachinghom, Upper Dzang, Naku, Khellong, Dibrick, Nizong, Najang, Zangnaching, Chalang, Nafra, and Lower Dzang
- East Kameng District: Bameng and Lada circles – Wakke, Nabolong, Kojo, Rojo, Sekong, Panker, Zarkam, Drackchi, Besai, Naschgzang, Sachung, Gerangzing, Kampaa, Salang, Pego, and Dongko villages
I.M. Simon (1979:iii) lists the following Miji villages from the Census of 1971.
- 1. Challang [Cinlang] (16 houses, 95 people)
- 2. Dibbin [Díbín] (15 houses, 206 people)
- 3. Ditchik [Dícik] (34 houses, 328 people)
- 4. Jang [Dzang] (27 houses, 261 people)
- 5. Jang Nachin [Zanachin] (18 houses, 155 people)
- 6. Khajalang (15 houses, 165 people)
- 7. Khelong (26 houses, 236 people)
- 8. Laphozu [Lapusa] (10 houses, 53 people)
- 9. Mathow (20 houses, 175 people)
- 10. Nakhu (29 houses, 299 people)
- 11. Nachibun (14 houses, 100 people)
- 12. Nizung [Nizhong] (6 houses, 48 people)
- 13. Rurang (10 houses, 64 people)
Smaller hamlets include Dishin [Dícin] (11 households, 122 people), Devrik [Dívih], Diyung [Diyong], Nazang [Natsang], and Otung [Uthung]. Some Mijis have also live in Aka villages such as Dijungania, Buragaon, Tulu, Sarkingonia, and Yayung.
References
- ↑ Miji at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
- ↑ Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Miji". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
- ↑ Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Sajalong / Miji". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
- ↑ Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Bangru / Ləvai". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Blench, Roger; Post, Mark (2011), (De)classifying Arunachal languages: Reconstructing the evidence (PDF)
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