The Siangic languages (or Koro-Holon languagesAnderson, Gregory D.S. 2014. On the classification of the Hruso (Aka) language. Paper presented at the 20th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.) are a small family of possibly Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India. The Siangic languages consist of Koro and Milang.
Classification Milang, which has been extensively influenced by Padam (a Tani language), is alternatively classified as a divergent Tani language (Post & Blench 2011). Koro has undergone influence from Hruso (Post & Blench 2011). However, Milang and Koro do not belong to either the Tani or Hrusish groups of languages.
It is unclear whether the Siangic is a branch of Sino-Tibetan or an independent language family that has undergone extensive Sino-Tibetan influence. Post & Blench (2011) note that Siangic has a substratum of unknown origin, and consider Siangic to be an independent language family. Anderson (2014), who refers to Siangic as Koro-Holon instead, considers Siangic (Koro-Holon) to be a branch of Sino-Tibetan rather than an independent language family.
Reconstruction Post & Blench (2011) The following Proto-Siangic forms reconstructed by Mark Post & Roger Blench (2011:8-9) do not have lexical parallels with Proto-Tani, and are unique to the Siangic branch. Gloss Proto-Siangic Koro Milang (negator suffix) *-ŋa -ŋa -ŋə (desiderative suffix) *-mi -mi -mi give *ram rã ram know *fu fu hu ant *paŋ pa-su paŋ-kər chicken *co co-le a-cu stone *bu u-bu da-bu ear *raɲ(u?) rã ra-ɲu mouth *caŋ sa-pu caŋ-ci buttocks *kɨ-ruŋ kɨɻ ki-ruŋ pus *a-nɨ i-ni a-nɨ day *nə me-ne a-nə sun *mə me-ne mə-ruŋMeans 'sun'; also, Milang has a-mə 'sunlight'. seven *roŋ(al) rõ raŋal eight *ra-ljaŋ rã-la rajəŋ ten *faŋ fã-lã haŋ-tak axe *rak-pu rak-pa ra-pu grandfather *abo- + 'old man' abo-murzi a-bə (bu-ku ~ ma-zaŋ) grandmother *adze- + 'old woman' aje-mɨsiŋ a-dzi (dzi-ku) sand *bu-pi bu-pi bu-pi yesterday *ba-nə ba-n(e) ba-nə have (be there) *kjo ko cu bamboo *fu fu a-hu egg *cu-ci cu-ci ci-ci what *hVgV-nV (h)igi-na ha-ga-nu cultivated field *p(j?)u pu a-pu rice paddy *kɨ ki-raka du-kɨ green *ja-caŋ jã-ca jə-caŋ small *u(-ŋa?) u-ŋa u-lee sister, older *a-Co o-fo a-u root *raŋ ne-raŋ ta-pɨrFrom Proto-Tani *pɨr ripe *ŋin i-ŋi manFrom Proto-Tani *min tell *pu pu-s(u) po-lu
Modi (2013) Modi (2013)Modi, Yankee. 2013. The nearest relatives of the Tani group. Paper presented at the 19th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Canberra, Australia. lists the following Proto-Siangic forms, along with forms for Milang, Koro, Idu, Taraon, and Proto-Tani. Additional cognate sets that were not included in Post & Blench (2011) include black, house, salt, fat, and today. Gloss Proto-Siangic Koro Milang Taraon Idu Proto-Tani today *V-ne se-ne ɨ-nə a tia-n̥n e tia-ɲi *si-lo seven *roŋ(al) rã ra-ŋal weŋ, ɨ-eŋ i-ɦoŋ *kV-nV(t), *kV-nɨt ear *raɲ(u?) rã ra-ɲu kru-naŋ akru-na, ako-na *ɲa(-ruŋ), *ɲo give *ram rã ram haŋ haŋ *bi axe *rak-pu rak-pa ra-pu pa e-pa *əgɨŋ eight *ra-ljaŋ rãla ra-jɛŋ liɨm i-lioŋ *pri-ɲi salt *pu plo ta-pu pla pra *lo ant *paŋ pa-su paŋ-kər paː-chai pa-si *ruk day *nə me-ne a-nə kɨ-n i-ni *lo house *Noŋ ŋɨn a-ɲuk aŋ oŋ *kum sun *mə me-ne mə-ruŋ rɨn rɨŋ, rɨn *doŋ-ɲi black *ma ma je-gjaŋ ma ma white *ljo lap(l)õ je-cci lio lio *pun, *puŋ rice *kje ki-raka du-kɨ kie ke *am-bwn bamboo *fu fu ahu hui a bra li *ɦə(ŋ) know *fu fu hu ka-sa ka-sa *ken fat *fo fõ, u-fu a-hu ta-so so *fu ten *faŋ fã-lã haŋ-tak xa-lɨŋ hoŋ-ɦoŋ *cam, *(r)jiŋ egg *cu-ci cuci cici a(ː)-tei meto cu *pɨ fowl/chicken *co co-le a-cu tiu me-to *rok mouth *caŋ sa-pu caŋ-ci tʰɨ-rɨm-bram, thɨ-rɨn tʰɨ-ram-bram, eko-be *gam (*nap) sand *bu-pi bu-pi sa-pi ta-pi a-pi sulli (Padam) yesterday *ba-nə ba-ne ba-nə bɨ-liɨŋ bɨ-ɲi *mə-lo
See also Greater Siangic comparative vocabulary list (Wiktionary)
References and notes
Bibliography Post, Mark W. and Roger Blench (2011). "Siangic: A new language phylum in North East India", 6th International Conference of the North East India Linguistics Society, Tezpur University, Assam, India, 31 Jan – 2 Feb. Blench, Roger (2014). Fallen leaves blow away: a neo-Hammarstromian approach to Sino-Tibetan classification. Presentation given at the University of New England, Armidale, 6 September 2014.