Cover not available
Article published In:
Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area
Vol. 44:1 (2021) ► pp.1–26

The sounds of Tawrã (Digaru-Mishmi), a Tibeto-Burman language

| Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica
| Advocate, Arunachal Pradesh, India

The present study is a phonological analysis of the segments and tones of the Tawrã language (ISO 69-3: mhu; Glottolog: Diga1241), a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Arunachal Pradesh, India, and in Tibet, China. This paper, the first collaboration between a Tawrã-speaking non-linguist and a non-Tawrã-speaking linguist, attempts to clear up some confusion in the existing literature. For example, previous studies did not note that stop codas /-p, -k/ are in free variation with glides [-w, -j, ɰ], and that the morpheme, rather than the syllable, is the tone-bearing unit. Acoustic analyses provide justification for the phonemic representation of the vowels and the tones. Finally, the paper is designed to introduce Tawrã speakers to the recently standardized (2020) orthography, and to show how the letters and letter combinations function together as a system.

Keywords: Taraon, Digaru, Mishmi, phonology, tone, Arunachal Pradesh
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Consonants
    • 2.1Initial single consonants
    • 2.2Consonant clusters
    • 2.3Geminate consonants
    • 2.4Codas
  • 3.Vowels
    • 3.1Vowels and nasality
  • 4.Syllable structure
  • 5.Tones
  • 6.Orthography
  • 7.Conclusions and further directions
  • 8.Bidialectal wordlist
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 11 May 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ltba.20013.eva
References
Aiyadurai, Ambika
2011 The Meyor: A least studied frontier tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. The Eastern Anthropologist 64(4): 459–469.Google Scholar
Bird, Steven
1999 When marking tone reduces fluency: An orthography experiment in Cameroon. Language and Speech 421: 83–115. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2001 Orthography and identity in Cameroon. Written Language & Literacy 4(2): 131–162. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Benedict, Paul K.
1972 Sino-Tibetan: A Conspectus. James A. Matisoff, contributing editor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Blench, Roger
n.d. Proposal for a writing system for Tawra, a language of Arunachal Pradesh. [URL] (accessed 21 June 2020).
2015 The classification of Meyor (Zakhring). [URL]
2017 A dictionary of Tawrã, a language of Arunachal Pradesh. [URL]
Chakravarty, L. N.
1963 A dictionary of the Taraon language. Shillong: Philology Section, Research Department, Northeast Frontier Agency.Google Scholar
Coupe, Alexander. R.
2020 Northern Sangtam phonetics, phonology and word list. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 43(1): 147–189. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Driem, van George
2007 Endangered languages of South Asia. In Matthias Brenzinger (ed.), Language diversity endangered, 303–341. Berlin & New York: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
International Phonetic Association and International Phonetic Association Staff
1999 Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A guide to the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Jiang, Di, Daqin Li & Hongkai Sun
2013 Darangyu yanjiu [A study of Taraon]. Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House.Google Scholar
Konow, Sten
1902 Note on the languages spoken between the Assam Valley and Tibet. The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1902: 127–137. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons & Charles D. Fennig
(eds.) 2015 Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Eighteenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online: [URL].
Lindblom, Björn & Ian Maddieson
1988 Phonetic universals in consonant systems. In Larry M. Hyman, Victoria Fromkin & Charles N. Li (eds.), Language, speech, and mind: Studies in honour of Victoria A. Fromkin, 6278. Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
Luce, Gordon H.
1944 Hiroi-Tarao lexicon by C. Ginson prepared for Robert Shafer, dated 12/11/1944. In Luce Collection, MS 6574-7, 029a–029b. Canberra: National Library of Australia.Google Scholar
Matisoff, James A.
1973 Tonogenesis in Southeast Asia. Southern California Occasional Papers in Linguistics 11: 73–95.Google Scholar
Matisoff, J. A.
1996 The cognate noun/verb construction in Lahu. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 19(1): 97–101.Google Scholar
Morey, Stephen D.
2008 Working with tones in Northeast India-the tonal system of Numhpuk Singpho. In Stephen D. Morey & Mark W. Post (eds.), North East Indian linguistics, 26–44. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Manyu, Johakso, Naina Chai, Jabralum Chaitom, Sowingso Tayang, Buglelum Tega, Khope Thalai & Baritlum Ama
2020 Tawrã (Digaru) Mishmi orthography (primer). Tinsukia: Signage & Graphics.Google Scholar
Mielke, Jeff
2009 Segment inventories. Language and Linguistics Compass 3(2): 700–718. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Modi, Yankee
2013 The nearest relatives of the Tani group. Paper presented at the 19th Himalayan Languages Symposium. Canberra, Australian National University, 6–8 September, 2013.
Mya, Tu, U. Ko Ko, U. Aung Than Batu, U. Kywe Thein, C. J. R. Francis & U. Than Tun Aung Hlaing
1966 The Tarons in Burma. Rangoon: Burma Medical Research Institute.Google Scholar
Needham, Jack F.
1978 [1886] A few Digaro (Taraon), Jiju (Mju) and Tibetan words collected during a trip from Sadiya to Rima and back in December 1885 and January 1886. Shillong: Nishi, Toshio.Google Scholar
Nyunt Nunt Win
2004 Family and kinship systems of Taron. Karoung Village. Kachin State. The Jour. Myan. Acad. Arts & Sc. Vol.II (Part Two) No.4 (Arts): 1–9.Google Scholar
2015 The Taron: one of the hidden groups of hill ethnic groups in Myanmar. Mandalay University Research Journal 61: 1–10.Google Scholar
Post, Mark W.
2015 Tones in Northeast Indian languages, with a focus on Tani: A fieldworker’s guide. In Mark W. Post, Stephen Morey & Scott DeLancey (eds.), Language and culture in Northeast India and beyond: In honor of Robbins Burling, 182–210. Canberra: Asia-Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
Post, Mark W. and Yankee Modi
2011 Language contact and the genetic position of Milang (Eastern Himalaya). Anthropological Linguistics 53(3): 215–258. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pulu, Jatan
1978 Idu phrase-book. Shillong: Director of Information and Public Relations, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.Google Scholar
1991 A phrase book on Taraon language. Shillong: Directorate of Research, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.Google Scholar
Rabinowitz, Alan
2001 Beyond the last village: A journey of discovery in Asia’s forbidden wilderness. Washington, DC: Island Press.Google Scholar
Rice, Keren
2011 Documentary linguistics and community relations. Language Documentation & Conservation 51: 187–207.Google Scholar
Sastry, G. Devi Prasada
1984a Mishmi phonetic reader. Phonetic Reader Series 25. Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages.Google Scholar
1984b Mishmi grammar. Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages.Google Scholar
Shafer, R.
1974 Introduction to Sino-Tibetan. Wiesbaden, Germany: Otto Harrassowitz.Google Scholar
Sun, Hongkai, Lu, Shaozun, Zhang Jichuan & Ouyang Jueya
1980 Menba, Luoba, Dengren de yuyan (The languages of the Menba, Luoba and Deng peoples). Beijing: Chinese Academy of Social Science Press.Google Scholar
Sun, Hongkai
1991 Zangmianyu Yuyin he Cihui (Tibeto-Burman phonology and lexicon). Beijing: Chinese Academy of Social Science Press.Google Scholar
Sun, Tian-Shin Jackson
1993 A historical-comparative study of the Tani (Mirish) branch of Tibeto-Burman. Berkeley: University of California, Berkeley PhD Dissertation.Google Scholar