Zemeic languages

Sino-Tibetan language spoken in India
Zemeic
Zeliangrong
Western Naga
Geographic
distribution
India
Linguistic classificationSino-Tibetan
  • Tibeto-Burman
    • Central Tibeto-Burman (?)
      • Kuki-Chin-Naga
        • Zemeic
Glottologzeme1241

The Zemeic, Zeme, Zeliangrong or Western Naga[1] are a languages branch of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken mostly in Indian state of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur in northeast India. It may have close relationship with other Naga languages pending further research. The corresponding ethnic group is the Zeliangrong people. There were 63,529 Zeliang-speaking people in India in 2011.[2]

Ethnologue gives the name Western Naga for the Zeme languages.

Languages

The Zemeic languages are:

  • Zeme
  • Liangmai
  • Rongmei
  • Mzieme (Northern Zeme)
  • Puiron
  • Khoirao (Thangal)
  • Maram

The Zeme and Rongmei language clusters are close enough to sometimes be considered dialects of a single Zeliang language.

Van Driem (2011) lists the varieties, from south to north, as:

Mzieme, Khoirao, Maram, Puiron, Zeme (also known as Empeo Naga, Kacha Naga, Kochu Naga), Nruanghmei (also known as Rongmei, Kabui), Liangmai (also known as Kwoireng)

(Inpui and Puimei, which are sometimes listed, are not distinct.)

References

  1. ^ Mortensen, David R. (2003). “Comparative Tangkhul.” Unpublished Qualifying Paper, UC Berkeley.
  2. ^ "Census of India Website : Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India". www.censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  • George van Driem (2001) Languages of the Himalayas: An Ethnolinguistic Handbook of the Greater Himalayan Region. Brill.
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Sino-Tibetan branches
Western Himalayas
(Himachal, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim)
Greater Magaric
Map of Sino-Tibetan languages
Eastern Himalayas
(Tibet, Bhutan, Arunachal)Myanmar and Indo-Burmese border
"Naga"
Sal
East and Southeast Asia
Burmo-Qiangic
Dubious (possible isolates)
(Arunachal)
Greater Siangic
Proposed groupingsProto-languages
Italics indicates single languages that are also considered to be separate branches.
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Kuki-Chin
Southern Naga
(Northwestern)
Northern
Central
Maraic
Khomic
Southern
Naga
Ao (Central Naga)
Angami–Pochuri
Tangkhulic
Zemeic (Western Naga)
Meitei
Karbic
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Arunachal
Pradesh
Sal
Tani
Other
Assam
Indo-Aryan
Sino-Tibetan
Kuki-Chin
Sal
Tani
Zeme
Other
Kra-Dai
Manipur
Kuki-Chin
Northern
Other
Zeme
Other
Meghalaya
Kuki-Chin
Khasic
Other
Mizoram
Nagaland
Sino-
Tibetan
Angami-
Pochuri
Ao
Sal
Zeme
Other
Other
Sikkim
Tripura
Indo-Aryan
Sino-Tibetan
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