6 - Tibeto-Burman primary sources

Summary

Our principal sources for Tibeto-Burman are listed in Appendix III. Tibetan and Burmese, the two important literary members of the family, are relatively well known (Csoma de Körös, Schmidt, Jäschke, Das, Missionaires Catholiques, and Judson), but the minor literary languages (Newari, Lepcha, Meithei) have unfortunately been so poorly described that only limited use can be made of them. A number of the non-literary TB languages, which make up the bulk of the family, have been rather fully, if not very accurately, recorded, and most of this material can be used to good advantage if sufficient judgment is exercised. Included in this group are Ahi Lolo (Liétard), Ao Naga (Clark), Bahing (Hodgson, 1857–8), Bodo (Endle, Hodgson, 1847, Skrefsrud), Chang Naga (Hutton, 1929), Dafla (Bor, Hamilton), Garo (Bonnerjea, Chuckerbutty, Garo Mission, Keith), Gyarung (Edgar, Rosthorn, Wolfenden), Haka (Macnabb, Newland), Kachin (Hanson, Hertz, Needham), Kanauri (Bailey, Joshi), Lahu (Telford), Lakher (Savidge), Lisu (Fraser, Rose and Brown), Lushei (Lorrain and Savidge), Maru (Abbey, Clerk), Mikir (Neighbor, Walker), Miri (Lorrain, Needham), Nyi Lolo (Vial), Nung (Barnard), Sema Naga (Bor and Pawsey, Hutton), Sho (Fryer, Houghton), Siyin (Naylor, Rundall), Tangkhul (Pettigrew), Thado (Hodson, Shaw). In the present sketch we shall devote most of our attention to Tibetan-Kanauri, esp. Tibetan (T); Kachin (K); Burmese-Lolo, esp. Burmese (B); Bodo-Garo, esp. Garo (G); and Kuki-Naga, esp. Lushei (L).