Linguistic classification: Sino-Tibetan
Kukish | ||
Ethnicity: Kuki, Mizo, Naga, Karbi, Mro Geographic
distribution: India, Burma, Bangladesh Subdivisions: ? Karbi
Northern
Central
Southern Glottolog: kuki1246 (Kuki-Chin)
karb1240 (Karbic)
mani1292 | ||
The Kukish languages, also known as Kuki-Chin (Kuki/Chin), Chin/Kuki/Mizo, or Kuki Naga, are a branch of 50 or so Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in northeastern India, western Burma and eastern Bangladesh. Most speakers of these languages are known as Kukī in Assamese and as Chin in Burmese; some also identify as Lushei. The Mizo people are ethnically distinct.
Kukish is sometimes placed under Kuki-Chin–Naga, a geographical rather than linguistic grouping.
Most Kukish languages are spoken in and around Chin State, Burma, with some languages spoken in Sagaing Division, Magway Region, and Rakhine State as well. Many Northern Kukish languages are also spoken in Mizoram State and southern Manipur State, India, especially in Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong, Churachandpur, and Bishnupur districts.
Subclassification
There is general agreement that the Karbi languages are related to, or part of, Kukish, but they are aberrant. However, Thurgood (2003) and van Driem (2011) leave Karbi unclassified within Sino-Tibetan. The Mru language, once classified as Kukish, is now thought to be closer to Lolo–Burmese.
The internal classification of the Kukish languages proper has changed little in a century:
Bradley (1997) includes Meithei. Ethnologue 16 had included several additional languages in Northern (or in the case of Darlong, Central) Kukish, but the 17th edition leaves them unclassified within Sino-Tibetan. They are:
Darlong, Monsang (Naga), Tarao (Naga), Ranglong, Sakachep.The recently discovered Sorbung language may be a Kukish language, although it could also be a Tangkhul language (Mortenson & Keogh 2011). Rengmitca is unclassified within Kukish.
Anu-Hkongso is sometimes labelled as Chin but is closer to Mru.