Areal features in Gongduk, Bjokapakha and Black Mountain Mönpa phonology
This paper argues that certain phonological similarities between the three Trans-Himalayan languages Gongduk,
Bjokapakha (Tshangla) and Black Mountain Mönpa are areal features and discusses the historical and ethnolinguistic implications of
this assumption. The similarities between Gongduk and Bjokapakha indicate a situation of areal convergence of recent data. This
contact scenario explains certain aberrancies of Bjokapakha with regard to other Tshangla varieties. The attestation of some of
the phonological features in Black Mountain Mönpa is analysed as the result of early contact between Gongduk and Black Mountain
Mönpa, i.e. dating back to the time before the arrival of the East Bodish peoples in Central Bhutan.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 1.1Gongduk
- 1.2Bjokapakha
- 1.3Black Mountain Mönpa
- 1.4Sociocultural interaction between Gongduk and Bjokapakha
- 2.Shared phonological features
- 2.1Dental fricatives
- 2.2Realisation of dental affricates
- 2.3High central vowel
- 2.4Glottalisation
- 2.5Uvular plosives
- 2.6Realisation of velar nasals as nasalisation
- 3.Explanatory potential of the parallels
- 3.1Contact as explanation for the parallels
- 3.2The contact history of Tshangla and Gongduk
- 3.3The phonological genesis of Bjokapakha
- 3.4Prehistorical ties between Gongduk and Black Mountain Mönpa
- 4.Conclusions
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Abbreviations used in this paper
-
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