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Review of <I>A Grammar of the Thangmi Language: with An HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies Volume 38 | Number 2 Article 32 December 2018 Review of A Grammar of the Thangmi Language: With an Ethnolinguistic Introduction to the Speakers and Their Culture by Mark Turin Narayan P. Sharma University of Oregon Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya Recommended Citation Sharma, Narayan P. (2018) "Review of A Grammar of the Thangmi Language: With an Ethnolinguistic Introduction to the Speakers and Their Culture by Mark Turin," HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies: Vol. 38 : No. 2 , Article 32. Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol38/iss2/32 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Review is brought to you for free and open access by the DigitalCommons@Macalester College at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies by an authorized morphemes (p. 6), and Thangmi researchers, where the agent-like kinship terms appear to be cognate argument of transitive clause (A) with Classical Newar forms, possible bears the ergative case -e/-ye, the genetic affiliation of Thangmi with patient-like argument of a transitive Baram, Dolakha Newar and Kiranti clause (P) has an unmarked case languages needs further exploration. but no absolutive case, and the human patient noun bears the Ethnolinguists will be particularly patient marker -kâi/-gâi. In Thangmi, interested in Chapter Two on the unlike Kiranti languages such as Thangmi ethnolinguistic context. He Puma (Narayan P. Sharma. 2014. includes many interesting details. Morphosyntax of Puma, a Tibeto- For example, it is considered sinful to Burman language of Nepal. London: marry or have sexual relations with a SOAS, University of London, 122- relative until seven generations have 125), while the ergative case also elapsed (p. 116). Turin introduces the A Grammar of the Thangmi marks the subject of intransitively ritual rites like marriage and death, Language: With an Ethnolinguistic conjugated transitive verbs (p. 238), though he does not provide any types Introduction to the Speakers and the locative case does not contrast of marriage in Thangmi culture. Their Culture. in a four-way manner (up, down, After this introduction to the neutral and across). Similarly, Mark Turin. Leiden and Boston: people and their language, Turin unlike many Kiranti languages, the Brill, 2012. 958 pages. ISBN then describes a language in terms Thangmi pronominal system exhibits 9789004155268. of its phonology, morphology, and neither an inclusive versus exclusive morphosyntax in Chapter Three. Here distinction, nor does the language Reviewed by Narayan P. Sharma Turin makes the novel claim that differentiate for dual number. Like in Thangmi phonology does not differ Indo-Aryan languages such as Nepali, This is an excellent comprehensive considerably from Nepali phonology, a distinct use of special words for grammar of Thangmi, a Tibeto- since Nepali is a lingua franca. days and years in the past and the Burman language spoken by Thangmi contrasts six points of future is very wide spread in Tibeto- approximately 30,000 people in articulation (bilabial, dental, alveolar, Burman languages, including the the Dolakha and Sindhupalchok palatal, velar and glottal) in thirty- Kiranti sub-group. Turin lists distinct districts of Nepal. Turin offers a two consonants and distinguishes Thangmi lexical items for four days detailed discussion of a grammatical six vowel phonemes. Unlike many in the past future, and from four description of the Dolakha dialect Tibeto-Burman languages, only years in the past to two years in the of the Thangmi language, including breathy voiced nasal /nh/, and future. There are special forms for a large collection of glossed oral retroflex sounds such as /ʈ/, /ʈh/, /ɖ/ eight days and years before and after texts, a lexicon, and an extensive and /ɖh/ are attested in this language, the present day or year in Chepang ethnolinguistic introduction to the which are the defining characteristics (Ross C. Caughley. 2000. Dictionary of speakers and their culture. The book of South Asian languages (Colin P. Chepang: A Tibeto-Burman Language of contains two volumes: the first is Masica. 1976. Defining a Linguistic Area: Nepal. Canberra: Research School of a 484-page grammar comprised of South Asia. Chicago: The University of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian seven chapters and the second is Chicago Press, 187). National University, 539). It is also devoted entirely to transcribed texts helpful that Turin provides Nepali- and lexicon. The goals of descriptive While Turin discusses the various language equivalents for examples analysis are well covered and are well morphophonological processes 143-146 (pp. 264-265). illustrated from a rich natural corpus. such as liquid-nasal alternation, assimilation, intervocalic Turin critically examines the In the opening chapter of the approximants, and syncope in morphology of simplicia in Chapter grammar (pp. 1-30), Turin describes Chapter Four, he describes the Six. It is interesting to note that the linguistic classification of nominal morphology in Chapter there is only a prefixal position Thangmi. While almost half of Five. Thangmi ergative-absolutive- for negation -ma and six suffixal the affixes of the Thangmi verbal dative case-marking pattern, positions in Thangmi. In contrast to agreement system have clear compared to that of some Tibeto- many Kiranti languages, Thangmi cognates with Proto-Kiranti Burman languages, will fascinate exhibits no paradigmatic stem HIMALAYA Volume 38, Number 2 | 151 This is a great contribution to Thangmi studies due to its many insightful details in the discussion, and is an invaluable resource that will be of great interest particularly to those working on Tibeto-Burman linguistics, anthropology, historical linguistics and linguistic typology. Narayan P. Sharma on A Grammar of the Thangmi Language: With an Ethnolinguistic Introduction to the Speakers and Their Culture alternations, except in two verbs words. However, the Nepali loan of Linguistics, University of Oregon. He (p. 358). The Thangmi language words and Nepali equivalent words earned his Ph.D. at SOAS, University of shows a pattern of split ergativity, contain some typographical errors. London. His primary research interests similar but different to that of the For example: piṇḍālu should be piḍālu include language documentation and Kiranti type, as in Thangmi, only the on p. 116; sothar should be sotar on description, morphosyntax, linguistic first person is marked ergatively, and p. 122; Dolakhâ and Sindhupâlcok typology, field linguistics, and endangered the second and third persons bear should be Dolakhā and Sindhupālcok and minority languages. accusative markers. on p. 131; dewār should be dewar on p. 144; Nepalese rhododendron tree The final chapter on other verbal should be Nepalese lālīgurās tree on constructions and morphosyntax p. 180; Nepali should be as Nepali…in includes a lengthy section on the example 4 (p. 408), 52 and 53 (p. 418); imperative. In Thangmi, while arko pani chan should be aru pani chan intransitive imperatives agree only in example 30 (p. 414); maile huncha with subject, transitive imperatives bhanne should be maile huncha bhanẽ agree with both agent and patient. on p. 418. Likewise, the Nepalese form Furthermore, Thangmi does not malāī rīs āyo at the end of p. 246 is not make a distinction between direct acceptable; instead ma rīsāẽ may be and indirect speech. Turin does not acceptable. Additionally, on glossing provide much information about part of the example 60 (p. 243), there relative clauses, except to note that should be -ye as ins and in example they can be identified by structural 120 (p. 406) the gloss of -ye erg is properties but are not marked by missing. Indeed, a distinction between specific morphemes (p. 407). In fact, elicited and naturally occurring the second volume of the grammar examples would have added value and includes rich analyzed texts this would have been especially useful (pp. 485-754) on forty-five different in providing sample verb paradigms. topics, followed by a Thangmi lexicon (pp. 755-918), an appendix Overall, aside from these minor of kinship charts, and index. These inconsistencies, this book should are just a few of the highlights of the be required reading for anyone grammar, which is an extraordinary thinking of further research in achievement reflecting Turin’s any of the Thangmi dialects. This profound knowledge of Thangmi. is a great contribution to Thangmi studies due to its many insightful The book is remarkably free of details in the discussion, and is an typographic and editing errors. I invaluable resource that will be great noticed only a few worth mentioning: interest particularly to those working I have no idea what v in -svŋ on Tibeto-Burman linguistics, (1S→3) (p. 8) indicates, and there anthropology, historical linguistics should be ṇiŋ in example 60 on and linguistic typology. p. 243 instead of ṇin to refer to stone in Thangmi. Turin endeavours to Narayan P. Sharma is a postdoctoral contribute to the field of Nepali loan research associate in the Department 152 | HIMALAYA Fall 2018.
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