Kaman (Geman, Geman Deng, Kùmán, Kman), or Miju (Miju, Mishmi, Midzu), is a small language of India and China.
Long assumed to be a Sino-Tibetan language, it may be a language isolate.
Locations
In China, the Miju are known as the Deng 僜人. The Deng number over 1,000 in Zayü County, Tibet, China, with 1,000 of the Deng having the autonym
(大让), and 130 having the autonym (格曼) (
Geman). They are also neighbors with the Idu or
(义都) people.
In India, Miju is spoken in Hawai Circle and the Parsuram Kund area of Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh (Boro 1978,[Boro, A. 1978. Miju dictionary. Shillong: Research Department, Arunachal Pradesh Administration.] Dasgupta 1977[Dasgupta, K. 1977. A phrase book in Miju. Shillong: Director of Information and Public Relations, Arunachal Pradesh.]). Ethnologue reports that Miju is spoken in 25 villages located in high altitude areas to the east of upper Lohit district and Dau valleys, which are located east of the Hayuliang, Billong, and Tilai valleys.
Phonology
These are the sounds in the Miju/Kaman language.
Consonants
Vowels
/ɯ/ may also be heard as ɨ.
Tones
There are three main tones in the Miju language, rising (á), falling (à), and level (ā).
Registers
Kman has various registers that are used in different situations. These include:
[Blench, Roger. 2022. Why would a language with 5000 speakers have seven registers? Register-flipping in the isolates of Northeast India compromises the unitary concept of language. Cambridge: Kay Williamson Education Foundation.]
Shamanic
Shamanic register is used by
Shamanism during rituals and is made up of a series of lexical substitutions and
Periphrasis constructions, the original of these are often speculated to be from an archaic version of the language or another language but this cannot be proven.
|
| ìkū | àbrí ànà, àbí tòmbō, kùbū mə̄yī | dog |
| aya | ìdūmīlī | daughter |
| pàkū | khə̀njé ēndō | agriculture |
Hunting
Hunting register is used by hunters and when hunting large and dangerous animals such as
Takin it is the only form of speech that can be used. Hutning register consists of lexical substitutions of words mostly but not exclusively relating to hunting.
|
| khyām | brīmā kāyōŋ | takin |
| dīʔìŋ | yēlkā | ginger |
| sīŋshūl | khūŋzèʔ | gun |
Other meters include:
-
cursing and scolding
-
poetic
-
babytalk
-
mediation
-
mourning
Further reading
