Shö language

Shö is a Kukish dialect cluster of Burma and Bangladesh. There are perhaps four distinct dialects, Asho (Khyang), Bualkhaw, Chinbon, and Shendu.

Mayin and Longpaw are not mutually intelligible, but have been subsumed under the ISO code for Chinbon because Mayin-Longpaw speakers generally understand Chinbon.^[6] Minkya is similarly included because most Minkya speakers understand Mayin.^[7]

Geographical distribution

Chinbon is spoken in the following townships of Myanmar (Ethnologue).

• Chin State: Kanpetlet and Paletwa townships
• Magway Region: Saw and Sidoktaya townships
• Rakhine State: Minbya township

Asho is spoken in Ayeyarwady Region, Bago Region, and Magway Region, and Rakhine State, Myanmar.

VanBik (2009:38)^[8] lists the following Asho dialects.

• Settu (spoken from Sittwe to Thandwe — mostly Sittwe to Ann)
• Laitu (spoken in Sedouttaya Township)
• Awttu (spoken in Mindon Township)
• Kowntu (spoken in Ngaphe, Minhla, Minbu)
• Kaitu (spoken in Pegu, Mandalay, Magway, etc.)
• Lauku (spoken in Nyetone, Kyauk Phyu, Ann)

Bualkhaw is spoken north of Falam town in Falam township, Chin State, Myanmar.

Shendu is spoken in Mizoram, India.

Phonology

Asho dialect (K’Chò) has 28 consonants and seven vowels.

Diphthongs: əi, ai, ui, ɔi

Morphology

Similar to other Kukish languages, many Asho verbs have two distinct stems. This stem alternation is a Proto-Kukish feature, which has been retained to different degrees in different Kukish languages.^[9]

References