Wui language
| Wui | |
|---|---|
| tʰa³³weɪ⁵² ma³³lan³¹ | |
| Native to | Noklak District, Nagaland |
| Ethnicity | Wui Naga |
Native speakers | < 1,000 (2023)[1] |
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
Wui (autonym: tʰa³³wɛ⁵² ma³³lan⁵², lit. 'crab language') is a
Noklak District, Nagaland, India (26°02′10″N 95°04′01″E / 26.036°N 95.067°E). There are just under 1,000 speakers.[1]
Background
Wui is spoken in the single village of Wui, which has about 150 houses. Wui village is situated 10 km west of the India-Myanmar border on the Patsho Range in eastern Nagaland. It is estimated that there are less than 1,000 speakers.[1]
Nearby languages include
Nagamese.[1]
Classification
Due to its divergent lexicon and typological features, the classification of Wui is uncertain. Coupe (2023) suggests a divergent
Central Naga affiliation. However, Wui lacks rhotics, which are characteristic of most Central Naga languages.[1]
Phonology
The phonological inventory of Wui is as follows.[1]
| labial/ labiodental |
dental | palatal/ palato-alveolar |
velar | glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| stop, unasiprated | p | t | k | ʔ | |
| stop, aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | kʰ | ||
| affricate, unaspirated | ts | tʃ | |||
| affricate, aspirated | tsʰ | tʃʰ | |||
| nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |
| nasal, glottalized | mˀ | nˀ | ŋˀ | ||
| fricative | (v) | s | ʃ | ||
| approximant | w | l | j | h |
| i | ʉ | u |
| ɛ | ɔ | |
| a |
There are three phonemic tones in Wui, which are:[2]
- high level /55/
- mid level /33/
- high falling /52/
Pronouns
Wui personal pronouns are as follows.[1]
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | ŋa⁵² | i³³tsai⁵² | i³³sɪm³³ |
| 2nd person | naŋ⁵² | la³³tsaɪ⁵² | la³³sɪm³³ |
| 3rd person | ta³³pau⁵² | tʃaʊ³³ɲɪt³³ | tʃaʊ³³la³³ |
Lexicon
Below are some Swadesh list items for Wui as provided in Coupe (2023).[2]
| Gloss | Wui |
|---|---|
| I | ŋa⁵² |
| you (sg.) | nâŋ |
| we | i³³tsaɪ⁵² |
| this | tʃaʊ⁵² |
| that | kʰɔ⁵² |
| who? | siʊ⁵² |
| what? | kaʊ⁵⁵tɔ⁵² |
| all | tɛ³³la³³pʊm⁵² |
| many | paŋ⁵²nɛ³³ |
| one | kʰaʔ³³ |
| two | a³³ɲɪt³³ |
| big | ta⁵⁵waʔ³³ |
| long | ʃi⁵⁵nɛ³³ |
| small | a³³laŋ⁵² |
| woman | tʰa³³ɲu³³lia⁵² |
| man | ta³³pu³³lia⁵² |
| person | maiʔ⁵⁵ |
| fish | tha³³ŋɔʔ⁵⁵ |
| bird | u³³lia⁵² |
| dog | haɪ⁵² |
| louse | tʃʰɪ⁵⁵paɪ⁵² |
| tree | sɪn⁵² |
| seed | tʃaɪʔ³³ |
| leaf | taʊ³³ɔ⁵² |
| root | ta³³lɪn³³ |
| bark | siŋ³³kʊap³³ |
| skin | tsak³³kʊap³³ |
| flesh | ta³³ma³³tɪn⁵⁵ |
| blood | tʰaɪʔ³³ |
| bone | tă³³lɪt³³ |
| grease | ta³³sɛ⁵² |
| egg | vɛ⁵⁵la⁵⁵tai³³ |
| horn | ta³³la³³tʃaɪ⁵⁵ |
| tail | ta³³la³³ma⁵⁵ |
| hair | tă³³kɛ³³ɲɪm³³ |
| head | tă³³kɛ⁵² |
| ear | nʉ³³pʉ³³ |
| eye | ɲit³³tsaŋ³¹ |
| nose | thă³³no³³ |
| mouth | tha³³ɔ⁵² |
| tooth | pʰɔ⁵² |
| tongue | ma³³la⁵² |
| fingernail | mă³³lɪn⁵² |
| foot | mă³³pʰɔ⁵² |
| knee | ma³³kʰɔk³³ |
| hand | kʰɛt³³ |
| belly | han⁵² |
| neck | ʉ⁵² |
| breasts | la³³ɲʉʔ³³ |
| heart | tă³³ŋi³³la³³sa⁵² |
| drink | ʉʔ⁵⁵ |
| eat | tsɔ⁵⁵jaʔ⁵² |
| bite | ma³³kăk⁵² |
| see | a³³tsaʊ⁵⁵pɛʔ³³ |
| know | ma³³tat³³ |
| sleep | ip³³ |
| die | tă³³saɪ³³wa⁵² |
| kill | ta³³lɛ³³sat⁵⁵ |
| swim | tɛɪ³³ la³³tʰak⁵⁵ |
| walk | a³³pɪaŋ⁵⁵pɛʔ³¹ |
| come | lɔʔ³³ |
| sit | nuɪʔ⁵⁵ |
| stand | jap³³ |
| give | lɛ⁵⁵paɪʔ³³ |
| say | hɔʔ³³ |
| sun | ja⁵⁵ŋaɪ⁵⁵ |
| moon | ɔ⁵² |
| star | tʃɪ⁵⁵nɛ⁵⁵ |
| water | taɪ⁵² |
| rain | tɪn³³taɪ⁵² |
| stone | loŋ⁵² |
| earth | la³³la³³ |
| cloud | la³³ma⁵² |
| smoke | ma³³ma³³kʰaʊʔ⁵⁵ |
| fire | ma⁵² |
| ash | laʊ⁵⁵ʊt⁵⁵ |
| path | lam⁵² |
| white | ma³³ŋi⁵² |
| night | tsi³³ɪn³³ |
| full | lɛ⁵⁵ta⁵⁵tʃɪ̰n³³ |
| name | ɲɪn⁵² |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Coupe, Alexander R. (2023). Preliminary Report on Wui: An Undocumented Language of Eastern Nagaland. 56th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, 10-12 October 2023. Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.
- ^ a b Coupe, Alexander R. (2023). "Swadesh 100 list comparisons – Wui v. Aoic & Patsho Khiamniungan". Supplementary material in Preliminary Report on Wui: An Undocumented Language of Eastern Nagaland. 56th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, 10-12 October 2023. Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.