Morphological Evidence for a Central Branch of Trans-Himalayan (Sino-Tibetan)

Abstract

The verb agreement systems of Jinghpaw, Meyor, Northern Naga, and Northeast, Northwest and Southern Kuki-Chin contain material which is demonstrably inherited from Proto-Trans-Himalayan. Here we discuss morphological evidence that these systems share a common ancestor more recent than PTH. There is strong evidence connecting Jinghpaw with both Northern Naga and Kuki-Chin, and weaker evidence directly linking Northern Naga and Kuki-Chin, and both of these with Meyor. This is evidence that all of these languages belong to a single branch of the family, an idea which has been suggested in the past but never argued for.