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Sümi, also Sema, is a
The vowels of Sümi are as follows:
Notes:
* The close front and the close central vowels have been variously described as near-close and close . The close back vowel has only been described as close .
** In the word-medial position, can be realized as mid .
* The mid vowels can be realized as either close-mid or open-mid .
** describes the close-mid allophone of as slightly advanced .
* has been variously described as near-open and open .
** After uvular stops, can be realized as open back unrounded .
Sino-Tibetan
Sino-Tibetan, also cited as Trans-Himalayan in a few sources, is a family of more than 400 languages, second only to Indo-European in number of native speakers. The vast majority of these are the 1.3 billion native speakers of Chinese languages. ...
language spoken in Nagaland
Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Its capital cit ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is spoken by the Sümi Naga
The Sümi Naga also known as Sema Naga are a major Naga ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland. The Sümis mainly inhabit Zünheboto District, parts of Niuland District and Kiphire District although many have spread and are now living in ...
people. It differs from every other Naga languages due to the presence of guttural sounds.
Geographical distribution
Sümi is spoken in central and southernNagaland
Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Its capital cit ...
, mainly in Zünheboto District
Zünheboto District (Pron:/ˌzʌnˈhiːbəʊtəʊ/) is a district in the Indian state of Nagaland. Sümi Nagas are indigenous to this district.
History
Zünheboto district came into existence on 19 December 1973.
Geography
It is bordered ...
and parts of Niuland District
Niuland District is the 14th district of the Indian state of Nagaland. It was created on December 18, 2021. The district headquarter is located in the town of Niuland.
History
Niuland District was created on December 18, 2021 as the 14th dist ...
, Dimapur District
Dimapur District (Pron:/ˌdɪməˈpʊə/) is a district of Nagaland state in India. With an area of about , it is the smallest district in the state of Nagaland.
History Assam lease Dimapur to Nagaland
In 1918, Dimapur was leased to then Nag ...
, Chümoukedima District
Chümoukedima District is the 15th List of districts of Nagaland, district of the Indian state of Nagaland. It was created on 18 December 2021. The district is bounded by Kohima district, Kohima District to the east, Peren district, Peren District ...
, Kohima District
Kohima District () is a List of districts of Nagaland, district of the Indian state of Nagaland. It is the home of the Angami Naga, Angami Naga people, Nagas. As of 2011, it is the second most populous district of Nagaland (out of then-List of d ...
, Mokokchung District
Mokokchung District (Pron:/ˌməʊkɒkˈtʃʌŋ/) is a districts of Nagaland, district of Nagaland state in India. The town of Mokokchung is its headquarters. The district is the home of the Ao Nagas. It is bounded by the state of Assam to its ...
and Kiphire District
Kiphire District (Pron:/ˈkɪfɑɪə/) is a district in the Indian state of Nagaland. At , the district is the tenth-most populous district of Nagaland and 625th most populous district in India with 74,004 inhabitants. The district is home to ...
, as well as in 7 villages of Tinsukia District
Tinsukia district () is one of the 34 administrative districts in the state of Assam, India. The district headquarters is located at Tinsukia city. The district occupies an area of 3790 km2.
Towns
*Digboi
*Doom Dooma, Doomdooma
*Jagun
*Kako ...
, Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
(''Ethnologue'').
Dialects
''Ethnologue
''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' (stylized as ''Ethnoloɠue'') is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensiv ...
'' lists the following dialects of Sümi.
*Dayang (Western Sümi)
*Lazami
*Jimomi
*Zumomi
Phonology
The transcriptions in this section use theInternational Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is an alphabetic system of phonetic transcription, phonetic notation based primarily on the Latin script. It was devised by the International Phonetic Association in the late 19th century as a standa ...
.
Vowels
The vowels of Sümi are as follows:
Notes:
* The close front and the close central vowels have been variously described as near-close and close . The close back vowel has only been described as close .
** In the word-medial position, can be realized as mid .
* The mid vowels can be realized as either close-mid or open-mid .
** describes the close-mid allophone of as slightly advanced .
* has been variously described as near-open and open .
** After uvular stops, can be realized as open back unrounded .
Consonants
The consonants of Sümi are as follows:References
Bibliography
* * * * Languages of Nagaland Angami–Pochuri languages {{india-culture-stub