Sema language

Updated on Oct 12, 2024

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Pronunciation [sɨ˩ mi˧] ISO 639-3 nsm Native speakers 104,000 Native to India		Ethnicity Sumi Naga Glottolog sumi1235 Spoken by Sumi Naga Region Nagaland
Language family Sino-Tibetan languages, Angami–Pochuri languages

Sema, also Sumi or Simi, is an Angami–Pochuri language spoken in Nagaland, India. It is spoken by the Sumi Naga people.

Geographical distribution

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

Dialects

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Sema.

Dayang (Western Sumi)

Lazemi

Zhimomi

Zumomi

Phonology

The transcriptions in this section use the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Vowels

The vowels of Sema are as follows:

Notes:

/i/ has been variously described as:

Near-close front unrounded [i̞];

Close front unrounded [i].

/ɨ/ has been variously described as:

Near-close central unrounded [ɨ̞];

Close central unrounded [ɨ].

In word-medial position, /ɨ/ can be realized as mid central unrounded [ə].

/u/ is close back rounded [u].

The mid vowels /e, o/ can be realized as either close-mid [e, o] or open-mid [ɛ, ɔ].

Teo (2012) describes the close-mid allophone of /o/ as slightly advanced [o̟].

/a/ has been variously described as:

Near-open central unrounded [ɐ];

Open central unrounded [ä].

After uvular stops, /a/ can be realized as open back unrounded [ɑ].

Consonants

The consonants of Sema are as follows (allophones that are represented in the orthographic system are given in parentheses):

References

Sema language Wikipedia

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