UC Berkeley Dissertations, Department of Linguistics Title A Historical-comparative Study of the Tani (Mirish) Branch in Tibeto-Burman Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/02z2h2fw Author Sun, Tianshin Publication Date 1993 eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California A Historical-Comparative Study of the Tani (Mirish) Branch in Tibeto-Burman t y Tianshin Jackson Sun B.A. (National Taiwan Normal University) 1979 MA. (National Taiwan Normal University) 1982 M A. (University of California at Berkeley) 1990 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics in the GRADUATE DIVISION of the UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA a t BERKELEY Committee in charge: Professor James A Matisoff, Chair Professor Ting Pang-hsin Professor Gary Holland 1993 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The dissertation of Tianshin Jackson Sun is approved: >/, ///3 Chair I I Date J ZlaM j ff. tkU os*o t _____________ AftAxk 7.*), /99J Date Date University of California at Berkeley 1993 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents M aps .......................................................................................................................vii Acknowledgements ...............................................................................................x Chapter I. Introduction ................................................................................ 1 1.0. Preliminaries ............................................................................................1 1.0.1. Objectives and Limitations ......................................................1 1.0.2. Why a New Name? ..................................................................... 2 1.1. Significance of Proto-Tani Reconstruction ........................................ 4 1.2. Tani Tribes and Languages ....................................................................7 1.3. Background of the Tani Language Area ...............................................10 1.4. Previous Research on Tani Languages ................................................. 13 1.4.1. Descriptive Studies ......................................................................13 1.4.2. Diachronic Studies ..................................................................... 25 1.5. The D a ta b a se ............................................................................................ 28 1.5.1. Data Transcription ..................................................................... 32 1.5.2. Phonemic Inventories of the Key Languages .........................33 1.6. Organization ..................................................................... ........................41 Chapter n. Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Tani .....................43 2.0. Introduction ................................................................................................ 43 2.1. Methodological Issues ..............................................................................44 2.1.1. Proto-Variation ................................................................ 44 2.1.2. ‘Complementary Retention’ of Archaism ................................46 2.1.3. Lexical Divergence in Modem T ani .........................................50 2.1.4. Word Structure, Prefixes, and Compounds ..........................51 2.2. The Proto-Tani Phonological System An Overview ...............................................................................................54 2.2.1. Syllable Structure .......................................................................54 2.2.2. Initials ............................................................................................ 54 2.2.2.1. Segmental Inventory .....................................................54 2.2.2.2. Palatal Consonants ......................................................61 2.2.2.3. Consonant C lu sters.....................................................63 2.2.3. Rhymes ..........................................................................................66 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2.2.3.1. Nuclear Vowels .............................................................66 2.2.3.2. Diphthongs ....................................................................67 2.2.4. Suprasegmentals .........................................................................69 2.2.4.1. Vocalic Length ..............................................................69 2.2.4.2. Tonality ........................................................................... 78 2.3. Phonological Reconstruction ................................................................. 85 2.3.1. Proto-Tani Initials ........................................................................85 2.3.1.1. Stop/Af&icate Initials ..................................................85 2.3.1.2. Spirant Initials ..............................................................98 2.3.1.3. Nasal Initials .................................................................. 113 2.3.1.4. Other Sonorant Initials ...............................................117 2.3.1.5. Consonant Clusters .....................................................122 2.3.1.5.1. Clusters With the *-r- Medial ..................... 122 2.3.1.5.2. Clusters W ith the *-j- M edial ...................... 137 2.3.1.6. Zero Initial......................................................................145 2.3.2. Proto-Tani Rhymes ......................................................................147 2.3.2.1. Open Rhymes ................................................................147 2.3.2.2. Nasal-Coda Rhymes .....................................................169 2.3.2.3. Checked Rhymes ..........................................................196 2.3.2.4. Rhymes with the *-r Coda ......................................... 223 2.3.2.5. Rhymes With the *-1 Coda ......................................... 229 2.4. Summary of Correspondences ..............................................................236 2.4.1. Initial Correspondences .............................................................236 2.4.2. Rhyme Correspondences .......................................................... 237 Chapter m . Internal Relations Among Tani Languages .....................240 3.0. Introduction ............................................................................................... 240 3.1. Existing Proposals ................................................................................... 241 3.2. Methodological Perspectives .................................................................. 243 3.2.1. Phonological Isoglosses ..............................................................245 3.2.2. Lexical Isoglosses ........................................................................253 3.3. A Subgrouping Proposal ..........................................................................282 3.4. Linguistic Position of Milang ..................................................................287 3.4.1. Peculiar Phonological Developments ......................................288 3.4.2. Lexical Idiosyncrasies ................................................................ 291 3.5. Conclusion .................................................................................................297 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Chapter IV. Proto-Tibeto-Burman Sources of the Proto-Tani Phonological System............................................................................. 299 4.0. Introduction ................................................................................................. 299 4.1. Prefixes in PTB and PT ..............................................................................300 4.2. Initials ...........................................................................................................302 4.2.1. Stops and Affricates ....................................................................302 4.2.1.1. Stops ...............................................................................303 4.2.1.2. Affricates....................................................................... 308 4.2.1.2.1. PT Palatal Affiricates.................................................310 4.2.2. Spirants ........................................................................................ 312 4.2.2.1. PTB *s- ...........................................................................313 4.2.2.2. PT Labiodental Spirant *f- ......................................... 316 4.2.3. Nasals............................................................................................317 4.2.4. Liquids...........................................................................................321 4.2.5. Glides............................................................................................. 325 4.2.5.1. Palatal Glide * y .............................................................325 4.2.5.2. Labio-Velar Glide *w .................................................... 328 4.2.6. Consonant Clusters ....................................................................332 4.2.7. Zero initial .....................................................................................336