Ajay Kumar at 17:50, 5 September 2023

2023-09-05T17:50:19Z

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{{Short description|Culturo-linguistic area of Asia}}
{{for|the zone of Indian cultural influence|Greater India}}

'''Indosphere''' is a term coined by the linguist [[James Matisoff]] for areas of Indian linguistic and cultural influence in [[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]]. It is commonly used in [[areal linguistics]] in contrast with [[Mainland Southeast Asia linguistic area|Sinosphere]].

==Influence==
{{Main|Sprachbund}}

The [[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman]] family of languages, which extends over a huge geographic range, is characterized by great typological diversity, comprising languages that range from the highly tonal, [[Monosyllabic language|monosyllabic]], [[Analytic language|analytic]] type with practically no [[affix]]ational morphology, like the [[Loloish languages]], to marginally tonal or atonal languages with complex systems of [[Grammatical conjugation#Verbal agreement|verbal agreement]] morphology, like the [[Kiranti]] group of Nepal. This diversity is partly to be explained in terms of [[areal features|areal influences]] from [[Chinese language|Chinese]] on the one hand and [[Indo-Aryan languages]] on the other.<ref name=Matisoff>{{citation |first=James Alan |last=Matisoff |title=Handbook of Proto-Tibeto-Burman: System and Philosophy of Sino-Tibetan Reconstruction |pages=6–7 |publisher=University of California Press |year=2003 |isbn= 0-520-09843-9|url=http://escholarship.org/uc/item/19d79619}}</ref> Matisoff proposed two large and overlapping areas combining cultural and linguistic features – the "Sinosphere" and the "Indosphere", influenced by China and India respectively.<ref name=Dixon>Robert M. W. Dixon, Y. Alexandra, ''Adjective Classes: A Cross-linguistic Typology '', page 74, Oxford University Press, 2004, {{ISBN|0-19-920346-6}}</ref><ref name=Matisoff1990>{{Citation|last=Matisoff|first=James|author-link=James Matisoff| title = On Megalocomparison| journal = Language| volume = 66| issue = 1| pages = 106–120|year=1990|doi=10.2307/415281| jstor=415281}}</ref><ref name=Enfield>{{Citation|last=Enfield|first=N. J.| title = Areal Linguistics and Mainland Southeast Asia| journal = Annual Review of Anthropology | volume = 34| pages = 181–206| year = 2005 |doi=10.1146/annurev.anthro.34.081804.120406|hdl=11858/00-001M-0000-0013-167B-C|hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref name=LaPolla>RJ LaPolla, The Sino-Tibetan Languages, La Trobe University</ref> A buffer zone between them as a third group was proposed by Kristine A. Hildebrandt, followed by B. Bickel and J. Nichols.<ref name=mestamo>{{Citation| last1 = Miestamo| first1 = Matti| first2 = Bernhard |last2=Wälchli | title = New challenges in typology| publisher = Walter de Gruyter| year = 2007| pages = 85| isbn = 978-3-11-019592-7}}</ref> The Indosphere is dominated by [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indic languages]].<ref name=anju>{{cite book |given=Anju |surname=Saxena |chapter=Linguistic synchrony and diachrony on the roof of the world – the study of Himalayan languages |pages=3–29 |chapter-url=http://www2.lingfil.uu.se/kurser/detaljschema/vt05/sprakets_evolu_himalayan.pdf |title=Himalayan Languages: Past and Present |editor-given=Anju |editor-surname=Saxena |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |year=2004 |isbn=978-3-11-017841-8 }}</ref>
[[File:Indian cultural zone.svg|thumb|250x250px|Historic Indosphere cultural influence zone of [[Greater India]] for transmission of religion, music, arts, cuisine<ref name="diasind1">{{cite book |last=Kulke |first=Hermann |title=A history of India |date=2004 |publisher=Routledge |others=Rothermund, Dietmar 1933– |isbn=0-203-39126-8 |edition=4th |location=New York |oclc=57054139}}</ref>]]
Some languages and cultures firmly belong to one or the other. For example, the [[Munda languages|Munda]] and [[Khasi language|Khasi]] branches of [[Austroasiatic languages]], the Tibeto-Burman languages of Eastern [[Nepal]], and much of the "[[Tibeto-Burman languages#Matisoff (1978)|Kamarupan]]" group of Tibeto-Burman, which most notably includes the [[Meitei language|Meitei]] (Manipuri), are Indospheric; while the [[Hmong–Mien]] family, the [[Kam–Sui languages|Kam–Sui]] branch of [[Kra–Dai languages|Kadai]], the Loloish branch of Tibeto-Burman, and [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] (Viet–Muong) are Sinospheric. Some other languages, like [[Thai language|Thai]] and [[Tibetic languages|Tibetan]], have been influenced by both Chinese and Indian culture at different historical periods. Still other linguistic communities are so remote geographically that they have escaped significant influence from either. For example, the [[Aslian languages|Aslian branch]] of [[Mon–Khmer]] in [[Malay Peninsula|Malaya]], or the [[Nicobarese languages|Nicobarese branch]] of Mon–Khmer in the [[Nicobar Islands]] of the Indian Ocean show little influence by Sinosphere or Indosphere.<ref name=Matisoff/> The [[Bodish languages]] and [[Kham language]]s are characterized by hybrid [[Prosody (linguistics)|prosodic properties]] akin to related Indospheric languages towards the west and also Sinospheric languages towards the east.<ref>Matti Miestamo & Bernhard Wälchli, ''New Challenges in Typology'', page 90, Walter de Gruyter, 2007, {{ISBN|3-11-019592-5}}</ref> Some languages of the [[Kiranti languages|Kiranti group]] in the Indosphere rank among the morphologically most complex languages of Asia.<ref>David Levinson & Karen Christensen, ''Encyclopedia of Modern Asia: a berkshire reference work'', page 494, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002, {{ISBN|0-684-80617-7}}</ref>

Indian cultural, intellectual, and political influence – especially that of [[Pallava alphabet|Pallava]] writing system – began to penetrate both insular and peninsular [[Southeast Asia]] about 2000 years ago. Indic writing systems were adopted first by [[Austronesian languages|Austronesians]], like [[Javanese language|Javanese]] and [[Cham language|Cham]], and [[Austroasiatic languages|Austroasiatics]], like [[Khmer people|Khmer]] and [[Mon people|Mon]], then by [[Tai languages|Tai]] ([[Thai language|Siamese]] and [[Lao language|Lao]]) and Tibeto-Burmans ([[Pyu language (Burma)|Pyu]], [[Burmese language|Burmese]], and [[Karen languages|Karen]]). Indospheric languages are also found in [[Mainland Southeast Asia]] (MSEA), defined as the region encompassing [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]], and [[Thailand]], as well as parts of [[Burma]], Peninsular [[Malaysia]] and [[Vietnam]]. Related scripts are also found in South East Asian islands ranging from [[Sumatra]], [[Java]], [[Bali]], south [[Sulawesi]] and most of the [[Philippines]].<ref>Martin Haspelmath, [https://books.google.com/books?id=sCRcARRN9nsC&pg=PA569&dq=indosphere&lr=&ei=cObSR7zSINC4igH0ldirBQ&sig=NZzfitQOiVvLf3LOSI04oXn3Rzs The World Atlas of Language Structures], page 569, Oxford University Press, 2005, {{ISBN|0-19-925591-1}}</ref> The learned components of the vocabularies of Khmer, Mon, Burmese and Thai/Lao consist of words of [[Pali]] or [[Sanskrit]] origin. Indian influence also spread north to the Himalayan region. Tibetan has used Ranjana writing since 600 AD, but has preferred to calque new religious and technical vocabulary from native morphemes rather than borrowing Indian ones.<ref name=Matisoff/> The Cham empires, known collectively as [[Champa]], which were founded around the end of 2nd century AD, belonged directly to Indosphere of influence, rather than to the Sinosphere which shaped so much of [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] culture and by which [[Cham (Asia)|Chams]] were influenced later and indirectly.<ref>Umberto Ansaldo, Stephen Matthews & Lisa Lim, ''Deconstructing Creole'', page 113, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2007, {{ISBN|90-272-2985-6}}</ref>

{{See also|Sanskritisation}}

==Structure==
{{Main|Morphological typology}}

Languages in the "Sinosphere" ([[East Asia]] and Viet Nam) tend to be analytic, with little morphology, [[Monosyllabic language|monosyllabic]] or [[minor syllable|sesquisyllabic]] lexical structures, extensive compounding, complex tonal systems, and serial verb constructions. Languages in the "Indosphere" ([[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]]) tend to be more agglutinative, with [[polysyllabic]] structures, [[grammatical case|extensive case]] and verb morphology, and detailed markings of interpropositional relationships.<ref name=Dixon/><ref name="Matisoff1990"/> [[Manang language|Manange]] (like other [[Tamang language|Tamangic languages]]) is an interesting case to examine in this regard, as geographically it fits squarely in the "Indospheric" Himalayas, but typologically it shares more features with the "Sinospheric" languages.<ref name=Dixon/> Tibeto-Burman languages spoken in the Sinosphere tend to be more isolating, while those spoken in the Indosphere tend to be more morphologically complex.<ref>Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald & Robert M. W. Dixon, ''Grammars in Contact'', page 4, Oxford University Press, 2006, {{ISBN|0-19-920783-6}}</ref>

Many languages in the western side of the [[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan family]], which includes the Tibeto-Burman languages, show significant typological resemblances with other languages of [[South Asia]], which puts them in the group of Indosphere. They often have heavier syllables than found in the east, while [[tone (linguistics)|tone systems]], though attested, are not as frequent.<ref name=carol>[[Carol Genetti]], ''A Grammar of Dolakha Newar'', page 3, Walter de Gruyter, 2007, {{ISBN|3-11-019303-5}}</ref> Indospheric languages are often toneless and/or highly [[suffix]]al.<ref>Colin Renfrew, April M. S. McMahon & Robert Lawrence Trask, ''Time Depth in Historical Linguistics'', page 334, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 2000, {{ISBN|1-902937-06-6}}</ref> Often there is considerable [[Inflected preposition|inflectional]] morphology, from fully developed [[Grammatical case|case marking]] systems to extensive [[Reflexive verb|pronominal]] morphology found on the verb. These languages generally mark a number of types of [[Register (sociolinguistics)|inter-casual relationships]] and have distinct construction involving [[Auxiliary verb|verbal auxiliaries]].<ref name=carol/> Languages of the Indosphere typically display [[retroflex consonant|retroflex stop consonants]], postsentential [[relative clause]]s and the extended grammaticalization of the verb ''[[wiktionary:Say|say]]''.<ref name=anju/> In Indospheric languages, such as the Tibeto-Burman languages of Northeast India and Nepal, for example, the development of relative pronouns and correlative structures as well as of retroflex initial consonants is often found.<ref name=LaPolla/>

{{See also|List of writing systems}}

==See also==
* [[Sanskritisation]]'s key drivers
** [[Greater India]], Indian sphere of cultural influence
** [[History of Indian influence on Southeast Asia]]
** [[Indianisation]], in wider global historic and contemporary context
** [[List of Sanskrit-related topics|Sanskrit-related topics]]
** [[Mandala (political model)|Mandala]], a political model which was key driver of Indosphere
* Other related
** [[Indian honorifics]], influenced the [[Malay styles and titles|Malaysian]], [[Thai royal ranks and titles|Thai]], [[Filipino styles and honorifics|Filipino]] and [[Indonesian names#Honorifics|Indonesian]] honorifics
** [[Indian Diaspora (Overseas Indian)|Indian Diaspora]], ancient (PIO) and current (NRI)
** [[Siam Devadhiraj]]
* [[East Asian cultural sphere]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[David Bradley (linguist)|Bradley, David]]; [[Randy LaPolla|LaPolla, Randy]]; Michailovsky, Boyd; and [[Graham Thurgood|Thurgood, Graham]] (editors). ''[https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/162629307.pdf Language variation: Papers on variation and change in the Sinosphere and in the Indosphere in honour of James A. Matisoff]'', pp. 113–144. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
*{{Citation|last= Ankerl |first= Guy |title= Global communication without universal civilization |orig-year= 2000 |series= INU societal research |volume= 1: Coexisting contemporary civilizations : Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese, and Western |publisher= INU Press |location= Geneva |isbn= 2-88155-004-5 |year= 2000 |ref=none }}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071102144300/http://pacling.anu.edu.au/catalogue/555.html Papers on variation and change in the Sinosphere and in the Indosphere in honour of James A. Matisoff]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071201144245/http://www.ogmios.org/91.htm Language diversity: Sinosphere vs. Indosphere]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060715124751/http://www.iias.nl/host/himalaya/conferences/hls/1st_abstracts/wow.html Himalayan Languages Project]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071120043520/http://www.questhimalaya.com/journal/turin-tibeto-burman-02.htm Rethinking Tibeto-Burman -- Lessons from Indosphere]
* [http://www.uwm.edu/~noonan/806/Enfield.Areal-SEA.pdf Areal linguistics and Mainland Southeast Asia]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Geographical distribution of languages}}

[[Category:Indosphere| ]]
[[Category:Tibeto-Burman languages]]
[[Category:Languages of India]]
[[Category:Sprachbund]]
[[Category:Terms coined by James Matisoff]]

Indosphere - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 17:50, 5 September 2023