Khasic languages


The Khasic or Khasian languages are a family of Austroasiatic languages native to the Shillong Plateau and spoken by the Khasi, Pnar and other related ethnic groups. Most of them reside in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya where Khasi speakers form a plurality of the population. Smaller Khasic-speaking pockets are found in Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Sylhet Division of Bangladesh.

Languages

Sidwell classifies the Khasian languages as follows.
Varieties called Bhoi are dialects of both Pnar and Khasi.

External relationships

Paul Sidwell suggests that Khasian is closely related to Palaungic, forming a Khasi–Palaungic branch.
The following eight Khasian-Palaungic isoglosses have been identified by Sidwell.
GlossProto-Khasian
Proto-Palaungic
blood*snaːm*snaːm
claw/nail*trʧʰiːm*rənsiːm
hair*sɲuʔ*ɲuk
man/husbandtrmɛ *-meʔ
rain*slap;
slɛ 		*clɛʔ
swim*ɟŋiː*ŋɔj
two*ʔaːr*ləʔaːr
water*ʔum*ʔoːm

Lexical innovations

Sidwell lists the following Khasian lexical innovations.
English glossProto-KhasianLyngngamMaramKhasiPnarMnarWar
cooked rice*ʤaːʥaʤaja ʤaciʧi
moon*bnəːjbnibnebnai bnajpnipnʊ
to sing*rwəːjrəŋwirwejrwái rwaj–rvʊ
four*saːwsawsawsáw sosɔuria
river*waʔ–waɁwah waɁwaɁwaɁ
all*barɔɁprokbarɔʔbaroh warɔʔ–bərɒʔ
pig*sniaŋsɲaŋsniaŋsniang sniaŋcʰɲaŋrniŋ
sand*ʧʔiapʥʔepʧiʔɛpshyiap ʧʔiapʃʔipʃʔiap
to drink*di:ʔ/cdecdɔcdih diʔdeʔdeʔ
flower/star*kʰloːrkʰlorkʰlɔrkhlúr kʰlor–khlʊə
tongue*tʰnləːctəloctʰl̩letthyllied tʰl̩leɟkʰlutkʰlit
ice/freeze*tʰaʔtʰaʔtʰaʔthah tʰaʔtʰaʔtʰaʔ

Reconstruction

Proto-Khasian and Proto-Pnar-Khasi-Lyngngam have been reconstructed by Paul Sidwell. Proto-Khasian is estimated to have originated about 2,000-2,500 years ago, with War splitting from other Khasian linguistic varieties about 1,500 years ago.
Proto-Khasian morphology includes a causative *pN- prefix and verbalizing *-r- infix.
The following reconstructed paradigmatic and closed class morphemes in Proto-Khasian are from Sidwell.
;Personal pronouns
MasculineFemininePlural
1st person*ŋa ;
  • ʔɔ
*ŋa ;
  • ʔɔ
    		• *ʔi
    2nd person*me*pʰa*pʰi
    3rd person *ʔu*ka*ki
    3rd person
    		*ʔi*ʔi*ʔi

    ;Demonstratives
    • *ni 'proximal'
    • *tu 'mesiodistal'
    • *taj 'distal '
    • *te 'mesioproximal'
    • *tɛ 'distal '
    ;Negators
    • *ʔǝm 'not'
    • *ham 'do not'
    • *ta 'not'
    ;Prepositions/case markers
    • *ha 'locative/oblique'
    • *ʤɔŋ 'to possess'
    • *da 'instrumental'
    • *ba 'and/with'
    • *tV 'oblique'
    ;Tense/aspect morphemes
    • *la:j 'to go'
    • *dɛp 'finish'
    • *diʔ 'to go'
    • *daː 'have'
    • *ʤuʔ 'same'
    ;Morphological affixes
    • *pN- 'prefix'
    • *-r- 'verbalizer'
    ;Numerals
    GlossProto-KhasianProto-Pnar-
    Khasi-Lyngngam
    one*wiː~*miː
    one*ʧiː
    two*ʔaːr
    three*laːj
    four*saːw
    five*san
    six*tʰruː
    seven*ʰnɲəw
    eight*pʰraː
    nine*kʰndaːj
    ten*pʰəw

    Sound changes

    Sidwell lists the following sound changes from Pre-Khasian to Proto-Khasian.