Tani Languages - Classification

Classification

The Tani languages are conservatively classified as a distinct branch in Tibeto-Burman. Their closest relatives may be to be their eastern neighbors the Digarish languages, Taraon and Idu. The names "Adi", "Abor", and "Miri" are common to several of the peoples and their languages. It is not clear which are distinct languages at this point, since some are undocumented.

A provisional classification in Sun (1993) is,

• Eastern Tani
  • ?Damu
  • Bori
  • Abor: Mishing (aka Plains Miri, Takam), Padam (Bor Abor), Minyong
• Western Tani
  • Apatani (aka Apa)
  • Nishi
    • ?Bokar
    • Nishi (aka E. Dafla, Nishing; possibly including Nyisu, Yano), Tagin (aka W. Dafla), Bangni, Hill Miri (aka Sarak), ?Gallong (aka Duba, Galo)

To Eastern Tani, van Driem (2008) adds the following possible languages:

Shimong, Tangam, Karko, Pasi, Panggi, Ashing

To Western Tani, he lists:

Nah (AKA Chendar, Haphi, Hari, Tisi), Pailibo (aka Libo), Ramo

Milang has traditionally been classified as a divergent Tani language, but in 2011 was tentatively reclassified as Siangic (Post and Blench 2011).

Proto-Tani was partially reconstructed by Sun (1993). A large number of reconstructed roots have cognates in other Tibeto-Burman languages. However, a great deal of Proto-Tani vocabulary have no cognates within Tibeto-Burman (Post 2011), and most Tani grammar seems to be secondary, without cognates in grammatically conservative Tibeto-Burman languages such as Jingpho or the Kiranti languages (Post 2006). This suggests that the Tani languages may have undergone an areal-substrate influence at an early stage in their development, most likely as a result of population expansion within their current range. These characteristics are especially pronounced in Apatani.