Digaro, also Taraon, Tawra, or Darang, is a Digarish language of northeastern Arunachal Pradesh, India and Zayü County, Tibet, China.
Names According to Jiang, et al. (2013:2), their autonym is or , and alternatively (Deng 登, 僜) in China. The Kaman (Miju) call them , the Idu call them , and the Assamese call them Digaro Mishmi.
Classification Digaro is classified by Blench (2024) as an isolate, rejecting a supposed "Digarish" relationship between it and Idu Mishmi as one caused by past bilingualism.
Distribution India In Arunachal Pradesh, India, Digaro Mishmi is spoken in Hayuliang, Changlagam, and Goiliang circles in the Amjaw district (Ethnologue). It is also spoken in Dibang Valley district and Assam.
China Jiang, et al. (2013:2) reports that in Zayü County, Tibet, Taraon is spoken in the following villages. E River watershed 额河流域 Jiyu village 吉玉村 (alternatively named Juyu 巨玉) Ciba village 次巴村 Rusu village 如苏村 Demen village 德门村 Zigeng village 自更村 Xiani village 下尼村 Ba'antong 巴安通 Xin village 新村 Sang'ang River watershed 桑昂河流域 Gayao village 嘎尧村 Chayu River watershed 察隅河流域 Dongchong 洞冲, Lower Chayu town 下察隅镇
Phonology Consonants + Consonant phonemes Labial Alveolar (Alveolo-)palatal Velar Glottal Nasal Plosive voiceless aspirated voiced Affricate voiceless aspirated voiced Fricative Approximant Lateral
Vowels + Monophthong phonemes Front Central Back Close Mid Open
/ɨ/ may also be heard as [ɯ]. /a/ may also be heard as [ʌ] before /k/.
References
Evans, Jonathan P.; Manyu, Johakso (2021). "The sounds of Tawrã (Digaru-Mishmi), a Tibeto-Burman language". Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area. 44 (1): 1–26. Jiang Huo [江获], Li Daqin [李大勤], Sun Hongkai [孙宏开]. 2013. A study of Taraon [达让语研究]. Beijing: Ethnic Publishing House [民族出版社].
Further reading Blench, Roger. 2017. A dictionary of Tawrã, a language of Arunachal Pradesh.
Chakravarty, L. N. (1963). A Dictionary of the Taraon Language. NEFA. Pulu, Jatan (1991). A Phrase Book on Taraon Language. Arunachal Pradesh government. Sastry, Garimella and Devi Prasada (1984). Mishmi Grammar. CIIL. Sastry, Garimella and Devi Prasada (1991). Mishmi-English-Hindi Dictionary. CIIL.