Sangtam language

Sangtam
Thukumi, Sangtam Naga
Lophomi
Native toNagaland, India
RegionEast-central Nagaland, Tuensang and Khiphire districts
EthnicitySangtam
Native speakers
76,000 (2011 census)
Language codes
ISO 639-3nsa
Glottologsang1321

Sangtam, also called Thukumi, Isachanure, or Lophomi, is a Naga language spoken in northeast India. It is spoken in Kiphire District and in the Longkhim-Chare circle in Tuensang district, Nagaland, India.

Dialects

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Sangtam.

The standardized dialect of Sangtam is based on the Tsadanger village speech variety.

Phonology

Sangtam is unusual in having two stops with bilabial trilled release, /t̪͡ʙ̥, t̪͡ʙ̥ʰ/, which contrast with each other phonemically.

Consonants
Labial Dental/
Alveolar		 Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive plain p t̪ ʈʵ c k
aspirated pʰ t̪ʰ ʈʰʵ cʰ kʰ
Affricate plain t̪͡ʙ̥ t̪͡s t͡ʃ
aspirated t̪͡ʙ̥ʰ t̪͡sʰ t͡ʃʰ
Fricative voiceless (f) s ʃ x h
voiced v z
Approximant l ɻ j
  1. ↑ The velar nasal /ŋ/ is in free variation with a null realization [∅] syllable-finally when preceded by a nasalized vowel.
  2. ↑ The unaspirated velar plosive /k/ is realized as a glottal stop [ʔ] in coda position.
  3. ↑ The trill in unaspirated /t̪͡ʙ̥/ is typically voiced as [t̪͡ʙ] when word-medial.
Vowels
Front Back
Close i u
Close-mid e o
Open/
Open-mid		 a ʌ

All vowels can have high, mid, or low tone.

References

  1. ↑ "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Coupe, Alexander (2015). "Prestopped bilabial trills in Sangtam". Proceedings of the 18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Glasgow, 10–14 August 2015. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. ISBN 978-0-85261-941-4. Paper no. 0734.1–5.
  3. 1 2 Coupe, Alexander (2020), "Northern Sangtam phonetics, phonology and word list" (PDF), Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area, 43 (1): 148–189, doi:10.1075/ltba.19014.cou