Wui
tʰa³³weɪ⁵² ma³³lan³¹
Native toIndia
RegionWui village, Noklak District, Nagaland
EthnicityWui Naga
Native speakers
< 1,000 (2023)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3–

Wui (autonym: tʰa³³wɛ⁵² ma³³lan⁵², lit. 'crab language') is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Wui village, Noklak District, Nagaland, India (26°02′10″N 95°04′01″E / 26.036°N 95.067°E / 26.036; 95.067). 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 Tikhir (Aoic) and various Khiamniunganic (Konyakian) varieties. Wui speakers consider themselves to be an ethnic subgroup of the Khiamniungan people and also speak Patsho Khiamniungan. Many Wui people are fluent in 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]

Consonants
labial/
labiodental		dentalpalatal/
palato-alveolar		velarglottal
stop, unasiprated ptkʔ
stop, aspirated pʰtʰkʰ
affricate, unaspirated tstʃ
affricate, aspirated tsʰtʃʰ
nasal mnɲŋ
nasal, glottalized mˀnˀŋˀ
fricative (v)sʃ
approximant wljh
Vowels
iʉu
ɛɔ
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]

singulardualplural
1st person ŋa⁵²i³³tsai⁵²i³³sɪm³³
2nd person naŋ⁵²la³³tsaɪ⁵²la³³sɪm³³
3rd person ta³³pau⁵²tʃaʊ³³ɲɪt³³tʃaʊ³³la³³

Lexicon

Below are some Swadesh list items for Wui as provided in Coupe (2023).[2]

GlossWui
Iŋa⁵²
you (sg.)nâŋ
wei³³tsaɪ⁵²
thistʃaʊ⁵²
thatkʰɔ⁵²
who?siʊ⁵²
what?kaʊ⁵⁵tɔ⁵²
alltɛ³³la³³pʊm⁵²
manypaŋ⁵²nɛ³³
onekʰaʔ³³
twoa³³ɲɪt³³
bigta⁵⁵waʔ³³
longʃi⁵⁵nɛ³³
smalla³³laŋ⁵²
womantʰa³³ɲu³³lia⁵²
manta³³pu³³lia⁵²
personmaiʔ⁵⁵
fishtha³³ŋɔʔ⁵⁵
birdu³³lia⁵²
doghaɪ⁵²
lousetʃʰɪ⁵⁵paɪ⁵²
treesɪn⁵²
seedtʃaɪʔ³³
leaftaʊ³³ɔ⁵²
rootta³³lɪn³³
barksiŋ³³kʊap³³
skintsak³³kʊap³³
fleshta³³ma³³tɪn⁵⁵
bloodtʰaɪʔ³³
bonetă³³lɪt³³
greaseta³³sɛ⁵²
eggvɛ⁵⁵la⁵⁵tai³³
hornta³³la³³tʃaɪ⁵⁵
tailta³³la³³ma⁵⁵
hairtă³³kɛ³³ɲɪm³³
headtă³³kɛ⁵²
earnʉ³³pʉ³³
eyeɲit³³tsaŋ³¹
nosethă³³no³³
mouththa³³ɔ⁵²
toothpʰɔ⁵²
tonguema³³la⁵²
fingernailmă³³lɪn⁵²
footmă³³pʰɔ⁵²
kneema³³kʰɔk³³
handkʰɛt³³
bellyhan⁵²
neckʉ⁵²
breastsla³³ɲʉʔ³³
hearttă³³ŋi³³la³³sa⁵²
drinkʉʔ⁵⁵
eattsɔ⁵⁵jaʔ⁵²
bitema³³kăk⁵²
seea³³tsaʊ⁵⁵pɛʔ³³
knowma³³tat³³
sleepip³³
dietă³³saɪ³³wa⁵²
killta³³lɛ³³sat⁵⁵
swimtɛɪ³³ la³³tʰak⁵⁵
walka³³pɪaŋ⁵⁵pɛʔ³¹
comelɔʔ³³
sitnuɪʔ⁵⁵
standjap³³
givelɛ⁵⁵paɪʔ³³
sayhɔʔ³³
sunja⁵⁵ŋaɪ⁵⁵
moonɔ⁵²
startʃɪ⁵⁵nɛ⁵⁵
watertaɪ⁵²
raintɪn³³taɪ⁵²
stoneloŋ⁵²
earthla³³la³³
cloudla³³ma⁵²
smokema³³ma³³kʰaʊʔ⁵⁵
firema⁵²
ashlaʊ⁵⁵ʊt⁵⁵
pathlam⁵²
whitema³³ŋi⁵²
nighttsi³³ɪn³³
fulllɛ⁵⁵ta⁵⁵tʃɪ̰n³³
nameɲɪn⁵²

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 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.
  2. 1 2 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.
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