Sümi language

Sümi
Sümi
Sümi (Naga)
Pronunciation	[sɨ˧ mi˩]
Native to	India
Region	Nagaland
Ethnicity	Sümi Naga
Native speakers	350,000 (2011 census)
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Angami–Pochuri Sümi; ;
Language codes
ISO 639-3	nsm
Glottolog	sumi1235

Dear reader, We need your support to keep the flame of knowledge burning bright! Our hosting server bill is due on June 1st, and without your help, Bharatpedia faces the risk of shutdown. We've come a long way together in exploring and celebrating our rich heritage. Now, let's unite to ensure Bharatpedia continues to be a beacon of knowledge for generations to come. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference. Together, let's preserve and share the essence of Bharat.

Thank you for being part of the Bharatpedia family!
Please scan the QR code on the right to donate.

0%

transparency: ₹0 raised out of ₹100,000 (0 supporter)

Sümi, also Sema, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Nagaland, India. It is spoken by the Sümi Naga people.^[2]^[3]

Geographical distribution[edit]

Sümi is spoken in central and southern Nagaland, in Zunheboto district, Dimapur district, Kohima district, Mokokchung district, and Tuensang district, as well as in 7 villages of Tinsukia district, Assam (Ethnologue).

Dialects[edit]

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Sümi.

Dayang (Western Sümi)
Lazami
Jimomi
Zumomi

Phonology[edit]

The transcriptions in this section use the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Vowels[edit]

Monophthongs of Sema, from Teo (2012:368)

The vowels of Sümi are as follows:^[4]^[5]

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i	ɨ	u
Mid	e		o
Open		a

Notes:

The close front and the close central vowels have been variously described as near-close [i̞, ɨ̞] and close [i, ɨ]. The close back vowel has only been described as close [u].^[6]^[7]
- In the word-medial position, /ɨ/ can be realized as mid [ə].^[4]^[8]
The mid vowels /e, o/ can be realized as either close-mid [e, o] or open-mid [ɛ, ɔ].^[4]^[9]
- Teo (2012) describes the close-mid allophone of /o/ as slightly advanced [o̟].^[6]
/a/ has been variously described as near-open [ɐ]^[6] and open [ä].^[8]
- After uvular stops, /a/ can be realized as open back unrounded [ɑ].^[8]

Consonants[edit]

The consonants of Sümi are as follows^[5]^[10] (allophones that are represented in the orthographic system are given in parentheses):

			Bilabial	Labiodental	Alveolar	Postalveolar	Palatal	Velar	Uvular	Glottal
Nasal		plain	m		n			ŋ
Nasal		aspirated	mʱ		nʱ
Plosive		voiceless	p		t			k	q
		aspirated	pʰ		tʰ			kʰ	qʰ
		voiced	b		d			ɡ
Affricate		voiceless			(ts)	tʃ
Affricate		aspirated			(tsʰ)	tʃʰ
Fricative		voiceless		f	(s)	ʃ		x		h
Fricative		voiced		v	(z)	ʒ		ɣ
Approximant	central	plain	(w)		ɹ		j
	lateral	plain			l
	lateral	aspirated			lʱ

References[edit]

↑ "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
↑ Sreedhar (1976).
↑ Sreedhar (1980).
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Teo (2012), p. 369.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Teo (2014), p. 20.
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 Teo (2012), p. 368.
↑ Teo (2014), pp. 27–28.
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 Teo (2014), p. 28.
↑ Teo (2014), p. 27.
↑ Teo (2012), p. 366.

Bibliography[edit]

Sreedhar, Mangadan Veetil (1976), Sema phonetic reader, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages
Sreedhar, Mangadan Veetil (1980), A Sema Grammar, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages
Teo, Amos B. (2012), "Sumi (Sema)", Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 42 (3): 365–373, doi:10.1017/S0025100312000254
Teo, Amos B. (2014), A phonological and phonetic description of Sumi, a Tibeto-Burman language of Nagaland, Canberra: Asia-Pacific Linguistics, ISBN 978-1-922185-10-5

This Sino-Tibetan languages-related article is a stub. You can help Bharatpedia by expanding it.

This article about the culture of India is a stub. You can help Bharatpedia by expanding it.

[1] "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.

[FOOTNOTESreedhar1976-2] Sreedhar (1976).

[FOOTNOTESreedhar1980-3] Sreedhar (1980).

[FOOTNOTETeo2012369-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Teo (2012), p. 369.

[FOOTNOTETeo201420-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Teo (2014), p. 20.

[FOOTNOTETeo2012368-6] 6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 Teo (2012), p. 368.

[FOOTNOTETeo201427–28-7] Teo (2014), pp. 27–28.

[FOOTNOTETeo201428-8] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 Teo (2014), p. 28.

[FOOTNOTETeo201427-9] Teo (2014), p. 27.

[FOOTNOTETeo2012366-10] Teo (2012), p. 366.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]