Miji languages

Not to be confused with Miju language.

Miji
Dhammai
Sajolang
Native to	India
Region	Arunachal Pradesh, India
Ethnicity	Miji people
Native speakers	6,500 (2001)
Language family	possibly Sino-Tibetan (Hruso), or a language isolate
Language codes
ISO 639-3	sjl
Glottolog	miji1239 saja1240  (Sajolang / Miji) bang1369  (Bangru / Ləvai)

Miji (autonym: Dmay), also Dhammai or Sajolang, is a cluster of possibly Sino-Tibetan languages in Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. "Dialects" include at least two distinct languages, which are not particularly close, with only half of the vocabulary in common between the languages of East Kameng District and West Kameng District. Long assumed to be Sino-Tibetan languages, they may actually be a small independent language family.

Varieties

There are 3 varieties of Miji.

• Western Miji: spoken in and around Nafra Circle, West Kameng District
• Eastern Miji: spoken in Lada Circle, East Kameng District
• Northern Miji (= Bangru?): spoken in Sarli Circle, northern East Kameng District

Distribution

According to Ethnologue, Miji is spoken in the following areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

• West Kameng District, Nafra circle, Bichom and Pakesa river valley – 25 villages including Debbing, Dichik, Rurang, Nachinghom, Upper Dzang, Naku, Khellong, Dibrick, Nizong, Najang, Zangnaching, Chalang, Nafra, and Lower Dzang
• East Kameng District: Bameng and Lada circles – Wakke, Nabolong, Kojo, Rojo, Sekong, Panker, Zarkam, Drackchi, Besai, Naschgzang, Sachung, Gerangzing, Kampaa, Salang, Pego, and Dongko villages

I.M. Simon (1979:iii) lists the following Miji villages from the Census of 1971.

• 1. Chalang [Cinlang]
• 2. Díbín [Díbín]
• 3. Ditchik [Dícik]
• 4. Dzang [Dzang]
• 5. Jangnachin [Zanachin]
• 6. Khazolang
• 7. Khelong
• 8. Laphozu
• 9. Mathow
• 10. Nakhu
• 11. Nachibun
• 12. Nizung
• 13. Rurang

Smaller hamlets include Dishin [Dícin], Devrik [Dívih], Diyung [Diyong], Nazang [Natsang], Nanthalang, and Otung [Uthung]. Some Mijis have also live in Aka villages such as Dijungania, Buragaon, Tulu, Sarkingonia, and Yayung.

Blench (2015), citing Ramya (2012), lists the Bangru (Northern Miji) villages Bala, Lee, Lower Lichila, Upper Lichila, Machane, Milli, Molo, Nade, Namju, Palo, Rerung, Sape, Sate, Wabia, and Walu’, as well as Sarli Town.

Phonology

Consonants

In all Miji languages the "p" "f" "t" and "k" sounds are always aspirated.

Consonant phonemes

	Bilabial		Labio- dental		Dental		Alveolar		Post- alveolar (Palato- alveolar)		Retroflex		Palatal		Palata- lized velar		Labia- lized velar		Glottal
Plosive	pʰ	b					tʰ	d									kʰ	ɡ	ʔ
Affricate							ts		tʃ	dʒ			tc
Fricative			fʰ	v	θ	ð	s	z	ʃ	ʒ				ʐ	x				xʷ	ɣʷ
Lateral fricative							ɬ	ɮ
Nasal		m						n				ɳ		ɲ
Trill								r
Tap or flap												ɽ
Approximant				ʋ										j				w
Lateral approximant								l				ɭ

Vowels

Monophthong phonemes

	Front	Central	Central rhotacized	Back
Close	i			u
Close-mid	e	ə/ɨ[ə]		o
Open-mid	ɛ			ʌ • ɔ
Open			a

Tones

The Miji languages have a relatively simple tonal system with only two tone: high and low. There is a third rising tone but it is so scarcely used that in some of the languages it is disregarded completely.

Further reading

• Blench, Roger. 2015. The Mijiic languages: distribution, dialects, wordlist and classification. m.s.