12 - Tibeto-Burman tones

Summary

Tones probably occur in most TB languages, yet our information on this point is meagre. The archaic West T dialects (Balti, Purik) appear to lack tones altogether (Read, Bailey, 1908), while the two-tone system of Central T dialects can be interpreted in terms of the initials of Classical Tibetan (high tones from original surds, low tones from sonants). Simple tonal systems of Tibetan type have been incompletely recorded for several TB languages, including Kadu (R. G. Brown, 1920), Sho (Fryer), Tangkhul (Pettigrew, 1918), Thado (Shaw), Chang (Hutton, 1929), Khami (Houghton, 1895), and Sema Naga. Note also the interesting pair of words cited for Taman by R. G. Brown (1911), viz. thi ‘water’ (high tone), thi ‘egg’ (low tone), both from TB *ti(y) (see n. 149). Comparative work on the scantily recorded tones of these languages cannot be pursued with any degree of success. Kachin and Nung both appear to have more complicated tonal systems, but unfortunately these tones have not been recorded.

The Burmese-Lolo tonal system alone offers an opportunity for comparative study. In addition to Burmese itself, tones have been recorded for Phunoi and Akha (Roux), Black Lolo, White Lolo, and Müng (Bonifacy), Lahu (Telford), Lisu (Fraser), Ahi and Lolopho (Liétard), Nyi (Vial), and Moso (Rock). A partial examination of Phunoi and Akha by Shafer suggests that some tonal agreement with Burmese exists.