Kuki-Chin languages


The Kuki-Chin languages are a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Most notable Kuki-Chin-speaking ethnic groups are referred to collectively as the Zo people which includes the Mizo, Kuki, Chin and Zomi people.
Kuki-Chin is alternatively called South-Central Trans-Himalayan by Konnerth, because of negative connotations of the term "Kuki-Chin" for many speakers of languages in this group.
Kuki-Chin is sometimes placed under Kuki-Chin–Naga, a geographical rather than linguistic grouping.

Geographical distribution

The Karbi languages may be closely related to Kuki-Chin, but Thurgood and van Driem leave Karbi unclassified within Sino-Tibetan.
The Kuki-Chin branches listed below are from VanBik, with the Northwestern branch added from Scott DeLancey, et al., and the Khomic branch from Peterson.
Darlong and Ranglong are unclassified Kuki-Chin language.
The recently discovered Sorbung language may be mixed language that could classify as either a Kuki-Chin or Tangkhul language.
Anu-Hkongso speakers self-identify as ethnic Chin people, although their language is closely related to Mru rather than to Kuki-Chin languages. The Mruic languages constitute a separate Tibeto-Burman branch, and are not part of Kuki-Chin.

VanBik (2009)

Kenneth VanBik classified the Kuki-Chin languages based on shared sound changes from Proto-Kuki-Chin as follows.
David A. Peterson's internal classification of the Kuki-Chin languages is as follows.
Peterson's Northeastern branch corresponds to VanBik's Northern branch, while Peterson's Northwestern corresponds to the Old Kuki'' branch of earlier classifications.