Created by Ajay Kumar
Last edited August 30, 2023


Template:Infobox language

Konyak is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Konyak people in the state of Nagaland, north-eastern India.

The language has Template:Sigfig speakers in the state (as of the 2011 census); most of these (Template:Sigfig) are in Mon district, with smaller populations in the districts of Dimapur (Template:Sigfig), Kohima (Template:Sigfig), Mokokchung (Template:Sigfig), and Longleng (Template:Sigfig).[1] There are also an estimated 2,000 speakers in neighbouring Myanmar, specifically in Hkamti District and in Lahe township.[2]

Dialects

Konyak (2021)

A list of Konyak dialects from Hoipo Konyak (2021:5) is given below.[3]

Template:Columns-list

Ethnologue

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Konyak.

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Tableng is the standard dialect spoken in Wanching and Wakching.

Phonology

There are three lexically contrastive contour tones in Konyak – rising (marked in writing by an acute accent – á), falling (marked by a grave accent – à) and level (unmarked).[4]

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:IPA
Mid Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:IPA
Open Template:IPA

The vowels Template:IPA, Template:IPA and Template:IPA are lengthened before approximants. Template:IPA does not occur finally.

Consonants

Bilabial Dental/
Alveolar
Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive Template:IPA
Template:IPA
Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:IPA
Template:IPA
Template:IPA
Nasal Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:IPA
Fricative Template:IPA Template:IPA
Lateral Template:IPA
Approximant Template:IPA Template:IPA

The stops Template:IPA and Template:IPA contrast with the aspirated Template:IPA and Template:IPA. Template:IPA and Template:IPA become voiced intervocalically across morpheme boundaries. The dental Template:IPA is realised as an alveolar if preceded by a vowel with a rising tone. The approximants Template:IPA and Template:IPA are pronounced laxer and shorter after vowels; Template:IPA becomes tenser initially before high vowels. If morpheme-initial or intervocalic, Template:IPA is pronounced with audible friction.[5] Template:IPA, Template:IPA, Template:IPA, Template:IPA, Template:IPA, Template:IPA and Template:IPA do not occur morpheme-finally, while Template:IPA does not appear morpheme-initially. Except for morpheme-initial Template:IPA and Template:IPA, consonant clusters occur only medially.[6]

References

Bibliography

  • [{{{url}}} Konyak Grammar]. Central Institute of Indian Languages.

Further reading

  • [{{{url}}} Primer for Adults in Konyak Language].
  • [{{{url}}} Hindi-Konyak Dictionary]. Nagaland Bhasha Parishad.
  • [{{{url}}} Konyak Vyakaran ki Ruprekha]. Nagaland Bhasha Parishad.
  • Kinship terms in Konyak Naga.
  • [{{{url}}} Konyak–Hindi–English Dictionary]. Central Institute of Indian Languages.
  • [{{{url}}} Relativization in Konyak].

Template:Sino-Tibetan languages Template:Sal languages Template:Languages of Northeast India Template:Languages of Burma