Siangic languages
The Siangic languages are a small family of possibly Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India. The Siangic languages consist of Koro and Milang.
Classification
Milang, which has been extensively influenced by Padam, is alternatively classified as a divergent Tani language. Koro has undergone influence from Hruso. However, Milang and Koro do not belong to either the Tani or Hrusish groups of languages.It is unclear whether the Siangic is a branch of Sino-Tibetan or an independent language family that has undergone extensive Sino-Tibetan influence. Post & Blench note that Siangic has a substratum of unknown origin, and consider Siangic to be an independent language family. Anderson, who refers to Siangic as Koro-Holon instead, considers Siangic to be a branch of Sino-Tibetan rather than an independent language family.
Reconstruction
Post & Blench (2011)
The following Proto-Siangic forms reconstructed by Mark Post & Roger Blench do not have lexical parallels with Proto-Tani, and are unique to the Siangic branch.| Gloss | Proto-Siangic | Koro | Milang |
| *-ŋa | -ŋa | -ŋə | |
| *-mi | -mi | -mi | |
| give | *ram | rã | ram |
| know | *fu | fu | hu |
| ant | *paŋ | pa-su | paŋ-kər |
| chicken | *co | co-le | a-cu |
| stone | *bu | u-bu | da-bu |
| ear | *raɲ | rã | ra-ɲu |
| mouth | *caŋ | sa-pu | caŋ-ci |
| buttocks | *kɨ-ruŋ | kɨɻ | ki-ruŋ |
| pus | *a-nɨ | i-ni | a-nɨ |
| day | *nə | me-ne | a-nə |
| sun | *mə | me-ne | mə-ruŋ |
| seven | *roŋ | rõ | raŋal |
| eight | *ra-ljaŋ | rã-la | rajəŋ |
| ten | *faŋ | fã-lã | haŋ-tak |
| axe | *rak-pu | rak-pa | ra-pu |
| grandfather | *abo- + 'old man' | abo-murzi | a-bə |
| grandmother | *adze- + 'old woman' | aje-mɨsiŋ | a-dzi |
| sand | *bu-pi | bu-pi | bu-pi |
| yesterday | *ba-nə | ba-n | ba-nə |
| have | *kjo | ko | cu |
| bamboo | *fu | fu | a-hu |
| egg | *cu-ci | cu-ci | ci-ci |
| what | *hVgV-nV | igi-na | ha-ga-nu |
| cultivated field | *pu | pu | a-pu |
| rice paddy | *kɨ | ki-raka | du-kɨ |
| green | *ja-caŋ | jã-ca | jə-caŋ |
| small | *u | u-ŋa | u-lee |
| sister, older | *a-Co | o-fo | a-u |
| root | *raŋ | ne-raŋ | ta-pɨr |
| ripe | *ŋin | i-ŋi | man |
| tell | *pu | pu-s | po-lu |
Modi (2013)
Modi lists the following Proto-Siangic forms, along with forms for Milang, Koro, Idu, Taraon, and Proto-Tani. Additional cognate sets that were not included in Post & Blench include black, house, salt, fat, and today.| Gloss | Proto-Siangic | Koro | Milang | Taraon | Idu | Proto-Tani |
| today | *V-ne | se-ne | ɨ-nə | a tia-n̥n | e tia-ɲi | *si-lo |
| seven | *roŋ | rã | ra-ŋal | weŋ, ɨ-eŋ | i-ɦoŋ | *kV-nV, *kV-nɨt |
| ear | *raɲ | rã | ra-ɲu | kru-naŋ | akru-na, ako-na | *ɲa, *ɲo |
| give | *ram | rã | ram | haŋ | haŋ | *bi |
| axe | *rak-pu | rak-pa | ra-pu | pa | e-pa | *əgɨŋ |
| eight | *ra-ljaŋ | rãla | ra-jɛŋ | liɨm | i-lioŋ | *pri-ɲi |
| salt | *pu | plo | ta-pu | pla | pra | *lo |
| ant | *paŋ | pa-su | paŋ-kər | paː-chai | pa-si | *ruk |
| day | *nə | me-ne | a-nə | kɨ-n | i-ni | *lo |
| house | *Noŋ | ŋɨn | a-ɲuk | aŋ | oŋ | *kum |
| sun | *mə | me-ne | mə-ruŋ | rɨn | rɨŋ, rɨn | *doŋ-ɲi |
| black | *ma | ma | je-gjaŋ | ma | ma | |
| white | *ljo | lapõ | je-cci | lio | lio | *pun, *puŋ |
| rice | *kje | ki-raka | du-kɨ | kie | ke | *am-bwn |
| bamboo | *fu | fu | ahu | hui | a bra li | *ɦə |
| know | *fu | fu | hu | ka-sa | ka-sa | *ken |
| fat | *fo | fõ, u-fu | a-hu | ta-so | so | *fu |
| ten | *faŋ | fã-lã | haŋ-tak | xa-lɨŋ | hoŋ-ɦoŋ | *cam, *jiŋ |
| egg | *cu-ci | cuci | cici | a-tei | meto cu | *pɨ |
| fowl/chicken | *co | co-le | a-cu | tiu | me-to | *rok |
| mouth | *caŋ | sa-pu | caŋ-ci | tʰɨ-rɨm-bram, thɨ-rɨn | tʰɨ-ram-bram, eko-be | *gam |
| sand | *bu-pi | bu-pi | sa-pi | ta-pi | a-pi | sulli |
| yesterday | *ba-nə | ba-ne | ba-nə | bɨ-liɨŋ | bɨ-ɲi | *mə-lo |