Digaro Mishmi language

Digaro Mishmi
Tawra, Taraon
tɑ31 rɑŋ53, da31 raŋ53, tɯŋ53
Pronunciation[tɑ˧˩ rɑŋ˥˧], [da˧˩ raŋ˥˧], [tɯŋ˥˧]
Native toIndia, China
RegionArunachal
EthnicityMishmi people
Native speakers
(35,000 cited 2001 census)
Digarish (Mishmic)?
Isolate?
  • Digaro Mishmi
Language codes
ISO 639-3mhu
Glottologdiga1241
ELPDigaro-Mishmi
Taraon is classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.

Digaro, also Taraon, Tawra, or Darang, is a Digarish language of northeastern Arunachal Pradesh, India and Zayü County, Tibet, China.

Names

According to Jiang, et al. (2013:2), their autonym is tɑ31 rɑŋ53 or da31 raŋ53, and alternatively tɯŋ53 (Deng 登, 僜) in China. The Kaman (Miju) call them tɕi31 moŋ35, the Idu call them tɑ31 rɑŋ35, and the Assamese call them Digaro Mishmi.

Classification

Digaro is classified by Blench (2024) as an isolate, rejecting a supposed "Digarish" relationship between it and Idu Mishmi as one caused by past bilingualism.

Distribution

India

In Arunachal Pradesh, India, Digaro Mishmi is spoken in Hayuliang, Changlagam, and Goiliang circles in the Amjaw district (Ethnologue). It is also spoken in Dibang Valley district and Assam.

China

Jiang, et al. (2013:2) reports that in Zayü County, Tibet, Taraon is spoken in the following villages.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonant phonemes
Labial Alveolar (Alveolo-)
palatal		 Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ŋ
Plosive voiceless p t k ʔ
aspirated pʰ tʰ kʰ
voiced b d ɡ
Affricate voiceless ts tɕ
aspirated tsʰ tɕʰ
voiced dz dʑ
Fricative s ɕ h
Approximant w ɹ j
Lateral l

Vowels

Monophthong phonemes
Front Central Back
Close i ɨ u
Mid e o
Open a

References

  1. ↑ Digaro Mishmi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Blench, Roger (2024-04-01). "(De)classifying Arunachal Languages: Reconsidering the Evidence". Mother Tongue. 25 (1): 63–94. doi:10.31826/mot-2024-250109. ISSN 2766-6395.

Further reading