The Aiton language or Tai Aiton language is spoken in Assam, India, in the Dhonsiri Valley and the south bank of the Brahmaputra. It is currently classified as a threatened language, with fewer than 2,000 speakers worldwide. Its other names include Aitonia and Sham Doaniya.

Classification The Aiton language is a part of the Southwestern branch of the Tai family of languages. It is closely related to, and sometimes considered a dialect of, Shan. There are three other actively spoken languages of this branch in Assam: Khamti, Phake, and Khamyang.Morey, Stephen. "Tonal change in the Tai languages of Northeast India." Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 28.2 (2005): 139-202.

History The Tai languages in Assam share many grammatical similarities, a writing system, and much of their vocabulary.Diller, A. (1992). Tai languages in Assam: daughters or ghosts? In C.J. Compton and J.F. Hartmann (Ed.), Papers on Tai languages, Linguistics, and Literatures, 5-43. Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Northern Illinois University. The most prominent differences between the languages are their tonal systems.

According to the oral and written records of the Aiton people, they originated from a place named Khao-Khao Mao-Lung, a Burmese state near the Chinese border.Burgohain, Joya. "The Aitons: Some aspects of their life and culture." (2013). It is generally believed that they came to India about two or three hundred years ago, seeking refuge from oppression. Despite how long they have been in Assam, many members of the older generations are not fluent in Assamese, the official language of the state.

Geographic Distribution Aiton is spoken predominantly in India, in the northeastern state of Assam.

According to Morey (2005), Aiton is spoken in the following villages:

+Aiton Villages (Morey 2005) Tai name Translation of Tai name Assamese/English name District Flood village (บ้านน้ำท่วม) Duburoni Golaghat Sour village (บ้านส้ม) Tengani Golaghat Big fruit village Borhola Golaghat Stone village (บ้านหิน) Ahomani Karbi Anglong Big village (บ้านหลวง) Bargaon Karbi Anglong Hill village (บ้านดอย) Sukhihola Karbi Anglong Sand village (บ้านทราย) Kalyoni Karbi Anglong Sand village (บ้านทราย) Balipathar Karbi Anglong Sand village (บ้านทราย) Jonapathar Lohit

Buragohain (1998) reports a total of 260 Aiton households, comprising a total population of 2,155. +Aiton Villages (Buragohain 1998) Village District Year founded No. of houses Population Ahomani Karbi Anglong 1939 31 267 Baragaon Karbi Anglong 1835 39 359 Balipathar Karbi Anglong 1898 59 528 Chakihola Karbi Anglong unknown 18 180 Kaliyani Karbi Anglong Man era 1239 15 154 Borhola Golaghat 1836 26 235 Dubarani Golaghat unknown 43 334 Tengani Golaghat unknown 19 150 Jonapathar Lohit 1950s 15 148

Phonology Initial consonants Morey reports the following initial consonants: Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal voiceless voiced voiceless voiced voiceless voiced voiceless voiced voiceless voiced Plosive Tenuis Aspirated Nasal Fricative Lateral Trill

Aiton, like some other Tai languages, have a "minimal three-way contrast in voicing". It also only allows vowels to be voiced stops when they are in bilabial and dental/alveolar places of articulation. According to Morey, " and are variants for and , respectively". Aiton, has voiced and four voiced nasals in its sound inventory. It does not have voiceless sonorants.

Final consonants Aiton has the following final consonants: Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal voiceless voiced voiceless voiced voiceless voiced voiceless voiced voiceless voiced Plosive Tenuis Aspirated Nasal Semi-vowel

-[w] occurs after front vowels and [a]-, -[j] occurs after back vowels and [a]-.

Tones Aiton today uses three tones, however it originally used five but two have merged with other tones. The first tone still used today is 'mid/high level', the second tone is 'high level then falling' and the third is 'mid falling'. Originally, the fourth tone, 'mid rising', has merged with the first tone. The fifth tone, 'mid falling glottalised', has merged with the third tone.Morey, S. (2008). North East Indian Linguistics. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press India.

Vowels Aiton has a vowel system of only seven vowels, , which is the smallest out of all the Tai languages spoken in Assam. From these seven vowels, Aiton allows only nine possible sequences.

Grammar Pronouns The following set of pronouns are the pronouns found in the Aiton language: Word Meaning /kaw1/ I () /maɯ1/ You () /mɯn1/ He/She/It () /haw1/ We () /su3/ You () /kʰaw3/ They ()

Demonstratives Note: the form /-an2/ is a post-clitic form that approaches a definite article in function and may be attached to pronouns and even verbs. Deictics Meaning /nay2/ This, here /nan2/, /han2/ That, there /-an2/ That, there

Classifiers The most common classifiers are: for persons for animals for inanimate objects

Writing system

The Tai Aiton have their own writing system called 'Lik-Tai', which they share with the Khamti people and Tai Phake people. It closely resembles the Northern Shan script of Myanmar, which is a variant of the Burmese script, with some of the letters taking divergent shapes.

Consonants

Vowels

Other symbols

References

Buragohain, Yehom. 1998. "Some notes on the Tai Phakes of Assam, in Shalardchai Ramitanondh Virada Somswasdi and Ranoo Wichasin." In Tai, pp. 126–143. Chiang Mai, Thailand: Chiang Mai University. Morey, Stephen. 2005. The Tai languages of Assam: a grammar and texts. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.

External links PARADISEC open access archive of Aiton language recordings