The Tangam Language: Grammar, Lexicon and Texts (Brill's Tibetan Studies Library, Volume 5 / Languages of the Greater Himalayan Region, Volume 19)

Tangam is a critically endangered Trans-Himalayan (Tibeto-Burman) language spoken by around 150 hilltribespeople in the far Eastern Himalaya. A member of the Tani subgroup of Trans-Himalayan, Tangam is mutually-unintelligible with other languages of this otherwise relatively homogeneous subgroup. This is demonstrated to be a consequence of Tangam's early-branching status within the Western Tani subgroup, subsequent contact with Eastern Tani languages, and historical relationship with speakers of Bodic languages. Based on three field trips to the Tangam-speaking area over two years, this work presents a brief but comprehensive cultural, historical and grammatical introduction to the Tangam language, together with a trilingual lexicon in Tangam, English and Minyong, and a collection of fully-analysed texts. It will be of interest to linguists and anthropologists of the Himalayan region, as well as to historical linguists and language typologists. Contents Acknowledgements and Dedication List of Plates, Figures, and Tables Orthography and Other Conventions List of Abbreviations Chapter 1 Introduction to Tangam Language and Culture A Who and Where are the Tangam? B Linguistic and Cultural Context C Material Culture and Traditions D Looking Ahead Chapter 2 Grammar A Phonology and Morphophonology 1 Segmental Phonology 1.1 Segment Inventory 1.2 Phonemicity of Segments 1.3 Historical Phonology 2 Syllable Structure 2.1 Resyllabification of V.VV and VV.V Sequences 3 Stress 4 Tone 5 Phonological Processes I: Syllable Initials 5.1 Alternation among l and r 5.2 Alternation among s and h 5.3 Intervocalic Glide Deletion 6 Phonological Processes II: Syllable Finals 6.1 Type 1 – Light Syllables; Rhyme = -V 6.2 Type 2 – Heavy Syllables; Rhyme = -Vː 6.3 Type 3 – Heavy Syllables; Rhyme = -Vŋ 6.4 Type 4 – Heavy Syllables; Rhyme = -Vk 6.5 Type 5 – Heavy Syllables; Rhyme = -Vt 6.6 Type 6 – Heavy Syllables; Rhyme = -Vn 6.7 Summary of Processes Affecting Syllable Finals 7 Phonological and Grammatical Words B Lexicon and Morphology 8 Morphological Classes 9 Overview of Major Lexical Classes and Word Structures 10 Noun and Adjective Types and Structures 10.1 Common Nouns and Adjectives 10.2 Kinship Terms 10.3 Time Nouns 10.4 Adjective 11 Verb and Predicate Types and Structures 11.1 Predicate Types and Structures 11.2 Verb Types and Predicate Transitivity 11.3 Existence 11.4 Speech, Perception and Cognition 11.5 Predicate Derivations 11.6 Predicate Inflections 12 Minor Word Classes 12.1 Adverbs 12.2 Ideophones 12.3 Particles C Syntax 13 Noun Phrase 13.1 Pronouns 13.2 Premodifiers 1: Genitive Phrases 13.3 Premodifiers 2: Nominalized Clauses and Relative Clause Formation 13.4 Post-modifiers: Numerals, Classifiers, Relator Nouns and Qualifying Nouns 13.5 Referential and Relational Marking 13.6 Coordination 14 Predicate Phrase 15 Clause Types 15.1 Predicative Clauses 15.2 Appositive Clauses 16 Dependent Clauses 16.1 Finite Conjoined 16.2 Co-Subordinate 16.3 Adverbial 16.4 Reported Speech and Related Complementation Constructions 17 Derived Clause Structures (Voice Constructions) 17.1 Applicative 17.2 Passive 17.3 Autonomous/Reflexive (“Middle”) 17.4 Collective and Reciprocal 18 Non-Declarative Speech Acts 18.1 Interrogative Clauses 18.2 Imperative and Hortative Clauses Chapter 3 Lexicon Index 1: English to Tangam Index 2: Lower Adi to Tangam Chapter 4 Texts Text 1 Text 2 Text 3 Text 4 Bibliography Index of Topics Tangam is a critically endangered Trans-Himalayan (Tibeto-Burman) language spoken by around 150 hilltribespeople in the far Eastern Himalaya. A member of the Tani subgroup of Trans-Himalayan, Tangam is mutually-unintelligible with other languages of this otherwise relatively homogeneous subgroup. This is demonstrated to be a consequence of Tangam's early-branching status within the Western Tani subgroup, subsequent contact with Eastern Tani languages, and historical relationship with speakers of Bodic languages.0Based on three field trips to the Tangam-speaking area over two years, this work presents a brief but comprehensive cultural, historical and grammatical introduction to the Tangam language, together with a trilingual lexicon in Tangam, English and Minyong, and a collection of fully-analysed texts. It will be of interest to linguists and anthropologists of the Himalayan region, as well as to historical linguists and language typologists