Kaman (Geman, Geman Deng, Kùmán, Kman), or Miju (Miju Mishmi, Midzu), is a small language of India and China.
Long assumed to be a
Sino-Tibetan language, it may be a
language isolate
Language isolates are languages that cannot be classified into larger language families. Korean and Basque are two of the most common examples. Other language isolates include Ainu in Asia, Sandawe in Africa, and Haida in North America. The nu ...
.
Locations
In China, the Miju are known as the Deng 僜人. The Deng number over 1,000 in
Zayü County, Tibet, China, with 1,000 of the Deng having the autonym ' (大让), and 130 having the autonym ' (格曼) (''Geman''). They are also neighbors with the
Idu or ' (义都) people.
In India, Miju is spoken in Hawai Circle and the Parsuram Kund area of
Lohit District,
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares ...
(Boro 1978, Dasgupta 1977). ''Ethnologue'' reports that Miju is spoken in 25 villages located in high altitude areas to the east of upper Lohit and Dau valleys, which are located east of the Haguliang, Billong, and Tilai valleys.
Phonology
These are the sounds in the Miju/Kaman language.
Consonants
Vowels
/ɯ/ may also be heard as
Tones
There are three main tones in the Miju language, rising (á), falling (à), and level (ā).
Registers
Kman has various registers that are used in different situations. These include:
[Blench, Roger. 2022. ]
Why would a language with 5000 speakers have seven registers? Register-flipping in the isolates of Northeast India compromises the unitary concept of language
'. Cambridge: Kay Williamson Education Foundation.
*shamanic
*hunting
*cursing and scolding
*poetic
References
*Blench, Roger. 2019
A_grammar_of_Kman_[=Miju_a_language_of_Arunachal_Pradesh.html" ;"title="Miju">
A grammar of Kman [=Miju
a language of Arunachal Pradesh">Miju">
A grammar of Kman [=Miju
a language of Arunachal Pradesh*Blench, Roger. 2017
A dictionary of Kman (Miju), a language of Arunachal Pradesh
*Blench, Roger. 2015
Reading and writing Kman / Kman tasay tapuri pit Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh: Kman Language Development Committee.
{{Arunachal languages
Miju languages
Mishmi languages
Languages of India
Tonal languages
Languages of Arunachal Pradesh
Language isolates of Asia