An Analysis of The Number of Tones in Sizang Chin

Tyler Davis

ABSTRACT
This paper analyses the conclusions of three previous researchers of Sizang Chin regarding the number of
tones it contains: Luce, Stern, and Sarangthem. The goal of this paper is to determine whose hypothesis is
most correct, based upon each individuals methods and analysis. TODO: Finish

CONTENTS
ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................................1
CONTENTS.......................................................................................................................................1
1 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................1
2 PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON SIZANG TONE.......................................................................................1
2.1 TONE ACCORDING TO LUCE..................................................................................................2
2.2 TONE ACCORDING TO STERN................................................................................................2
2.3 TONE ACCORDING TO SARANGTHEM....................................................................................3
2.4 SUMMARY OF THE DIFFERENCES..........................................................................................3
2.5 A CLOSER LOOK AT SARANGTHEMS CLAIMS......................................................................4
APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION CONVENTIONS....................................................................................4
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................5
2.6 CONTACT INFORMATION........................................................................................................5

1 INTRODUCTION
Sizang Chin (ISO-693: csy) belongs to the Kuki-Chin subgroup of Tibeto-Burman.
According to Ethnologue (Lewis 2014), a survey was taken in 1991 by United Bible Societies in
which the population of Sizang was 10,000 in the Chin state and the South Tedim township.
Sizang is classified as Northern-Kuki-Chin by Bradley (1997), and is reported by Ethnologue to
be similar to Tedim Chin (ISO-693: ctd) and Paite Chin (ISO-693: pck).

2 PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON SIZANG TONE

According to both Luce (1962) and Stern (1963), Sizang Chin has four tones. Both classify
the tones as follows: low, level; high, level; low-high rising; and high-low falling. The numbers
for each tone, however, are different. Sarangthem however, states that Sizang Chin has only
three tones (2010; Sarangthem & Madhubala 2011). Looking at earlier sources of Sizang
grammar, specifically Naylor (1925) and Rundall (1891), it is evident that while they do attempt
to describe vowel length, tone is not discussed nor transcribed. Therefore Luce, Sarangthem,
and Stern are the only scholars who have described Sizang tone thus far.

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Author(s)

2.1 TONE ACCORDING TO LUCE

In his unpublished manuscript, Luce says this about the tone of Chin languages:
The number of basic pitch-tones in isolated words of these languages, varies, I think, from 2 to 4
[] The comparison revealed, in spite of all my mistakes, an unmistakable series of TonePatterns running through all these languages three main ones (I, II, and III), and two local
variants of II and III (IIa, IIb, IIIa, and IIIb). [] It is certain, I think that these 3 (or 5)
patterns exist in Chin (1962:10).
Luce goes on to say that he labels the tones in Chin languages as follows: 1. High Level,
2. High Falling, 3. Rising, 4. Low Falling, 5. Low Level. Turning to Table A of this manuscript,
which is a comparative word list containing around 190 lexical items, the header of the Sizang
column contains a handwritten note by Luce which states (4 tones). Luce writes the pitch
beside each transcribed syllable, rather than above the word, and then the corresponding tone
number. Sometimes, there will be an apostrophe () written next to the number. Dr. James
Gruber (p.c.) suggests Luce is marking a possible variant of the tone, which would correspond to
Luces idea of Tone Ib, Tone Iib, etc. When one compares the tone numbers in Table A to the
tone bars written alongside the transcriptions, it appears that Tone 4 indicates a Low Level tone
(Luces Tone 5) for Sizang, rather than the Low Falling tone described in Luces manuscript.
One can compare the Sizang transcription with his Tedim transcription, where the Low Falling
tone is drawn as , rather than simply , as shown in the Sizang transcription. Therefore, after
comparing Luces transcription of the tones with Sterns description, and listening to many
lexical items in PRAAT from my own recordings, I will assume that Luces Tone 4 in Sizang
indicates a Low Level tone rather than a Low Falling tone. In Table A, there are a total of 171
Sizang lexical items that contain Tone 4 in either the first or second syllable. The tone occurs 30
times in a syllable ending with a vowel (e.g. lei tongue), 9 times in a syllable ending with a
lateral (e.g. u snake), 29 times in a syllable ending with a nasal (e.g. lam fathom), and 8
times in a syllable ending with a stop (e.g. naq nose).

2.2 TONE ACCORDING TO STERN

Unlike Luce, Stern attempts to explicitly define Sizang tone. He states:
The Sizang tonic system is of mixed register-contour character, comprising four tones: (1) low,
level, //; (3) high, level, a musical tone and a half above the lower register // (2) rising, from
low tone to perhaps a quarter above high register, //; (4) falling, from approximately high

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register to approximately low register //. Tones (2) and (4), which are appreciably longer in
duration than the others, are most often subject to sandhi modification (1963:229).
Although the descriptions contain slightly different terminology, Stern has defined the four tones
of Sizang in the same manner as Luce 1. Stern also devotes an entire sub-section (1.6) to tone
sandhi. According to Stern, the sandhi takes place even at slow dictation speeds, and at the
specified dictation rate, the lessening of absolute junctural duration brings about further [tonal]
changes (1963:230). One advantage of Sterns description over Luces, besides Sizang being its
sole focus, is that Stern includes the environments around the items with the tone in question,
allowing the linguist to account for tone sandhi. Sterns second paper regarding Sizang, Sizang
(Siyin) Chin Texts (1984), includes 107 lines of 4 transcribed narratives, 23 lines of a written
letter, and 37 lines of a transcribed conversation. He does not vary his previous distinctions and
maintains that the four tones of Sizang are 1. low, level, 2. rising, 3. high, level, and 4. falling.

2.3 TONE ACCORDING TO SARANGTHEM

In both her Ph.D. dissertation from Manipur University at Imphal, India and an article that
she wrote for Language in India, a smaller peer-reviewed journal, Sarangthem claims, opposing
the research of both Luce and Stern, that Sizang only has three tones (2010; 2011). Sarangthem
describes Sizang tone as follows:
In Sizang there are three tones, viz., i) Level tone, ii) Rising tone and iii) Falling tone. These
tones are also easily attestable by minimal pairs. [] The Level tone maintains an even pitch.
The duration of the vowel carrying the level tone is relatively longer than the vowel carrying the
falling tone. There is a perceptual decline of the pitch in the production of falling tone. It is
shorter than the level tone, and it also ends abruptly. The rising tone starts from the level pitch
and then there is a sharp pitch rise. The rising tone is accompanied by tenseness and it sounds
louder than the remaining two tones (2011:264).
One feature presented by Sarangthem that was not given in either Luces or Sterns works, is a
set of minimal pairs, which she claims proves the existence of solely three tones. In her
dissertation, she also addresses tone sandhi, in which she claims, like Stern, that there are two
verbal stem alternations; Stem I and Stem II and gives a large list of examples of sandhi. To
simplify her conclusions, Ive devised this set of rules:
Table 1: Sarangthems Stem Rules Summarized
1

If the reader takes the time to look at the sections labeled Introduction and Method in Sterns paper, it is evident
that Sterns informant was the same as Luces, Mr. Lian Kham from Buan Man village. This is because Luce was in
the Chin Hills at the same time as Stern along with E.J.A. Henderson of SOAS. The linguistic tour is described in
detail in Luce (1959).
3

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CV

CV/k/

CV

CV/t/

Author(s)

CV/t/ CV
CV/p/ CV

2.4 SUMMARY OF THE DIFFERENCES

One issue of reaching an agreement in the number of tones in Sizang is that the
aforementioned scholars have different classifications of each tone.

Here is a visual

representation of their classifications of Sizang tone, indicating whether each scholar recognizes
the tone:
Table 2: Summary of Classification of Sizang Tones

Tone
Researcher High, Level High, Falling Rising Falling Low, Level Low, Falling Level
Luce

Sarangthem
Stern

X
X

As made evident by Table 2, Luce and Stern are mostly in agreement nominally about each tone.
The only difference in these two classifications, is the distinction between the High, Falling
and Falling tones. Although Tone 4 originally refered to a Low, Falling tone in Luces
manuscript, Stern does not account for a Low, Falling tone in either his grammatical sketch or
his analysis of Sizang texts. Because of the lack of external support and the fact that Luce did
not transcribe Tone 4 as Low, Falling for Sizang (in comparison to his Tedim transcription),
I have concluded that calling the Low, Level tone in Sizang Tone 4 was an error on Luces
behalf, and that he actually wished to say Tone 5. Luces High, Falling tone, however,
seems to fit the definition of Sterns Falling tone: from approximately high register to
approximately low register // (1963:229). The outlier in this comparison, then, is Sarangthem,
who appears to be giving a very general classification of Sizang tone. In both (2010) and (2011),
Sarangthem fails to provide a description of the tones in the same manner as Luce and Stern 2.
Thus, it is not clear whether Sarangthems Level corresponds to Luce and Sterns Low,
Level, High, Level or neither. Likewise, it is unclear whether her Falling truly does
correspond to Luces High, Falling, Low, Falling or to Sterns Falling. The only tone that
2

It must be clarified, that Sarangthem does indeed provide a description of the tones (2011:264). However, the level
of pitch is not discussed and her description reads more like a general definition of each tone. Therefore, it cant be
determined whether the classification is similar or different to those of Luce and Stern.
4

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all three researchers nominally agree on is the Rising tone, but it is once again unclear whether
Sarangthems definition of Rising corresponds to the other two researchers definitions,
because one is never provided. It is also uncertain whether or not Sarangthems classification is
stating that Luce and Sterns distinctions between High, Level and Low, Level are simply
allotones of her Level tone.

2.5 A CLOSER LOOK AT SARANGTHEMS CLAIMS

To observe the root of the disagreement in classification of Sizang tone, it must first be
observed how Sarangthem comes to the conclusion that there are only three tones. She states,
these [three] tones are also easily attestable by minimal pairs (2011:264). However,

APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION CONVENTIONS

Insert your text here.

REFERENCES
Bradley, David. 1997. Tibeto-Burman languages and classification. In David Bradley (ed.),
Papers in Southeast Asian linguistics No. 14: Tibeto-Burman languages of the
Himalayas, vol. A-86, 172. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf4/bradley1997tibeto-burman.pdf (31 January, 2014).
Lewis, M. Paul. 2014. Chin, Siyin. Ethnologue. http://www.ethnologue.com/language/csy (1
February, 2015).
Luce, Gordon H. 1959. Chin Hills-Linguistic Tour (Dec. 1954)-University Project. Journal of
Burma Research Society 42(1). 1931.
Luce, Gordon H. 1962. Common Form in Burma Chin Languages. Unpublished 76 page
manuscript originally scheduled to appear in Henderson 1962. National Library of
Australia.
Naylor, Leonard Brown. 1925. A Practical Handbook of the Chin Language (Siyin Dialect).:
Containing Grammatical Principles with Numerous Exercises and a Vocabulary.
Superintendent, Govt. Print. and Stationery.
Rundall, Frank Montague. 1891. Manual of The Siyin Dialect Spoken in The Northern Chin
Hills. Rangoon: Superintendent, Govt. Print. and Stationery.
Sarangthem, Bobita. 2010. Sizang (Siyin) Grammar. Imphal, Manipur, India: Manipur
University PhD dissertation in Linguistics.
Sarangthem, Bobita & P. Madhubala. 2011. A Brief Introduction to the Sound System of Sizang,
a Kuki-Chin Language. Language in India 11(4).
http://www.languageinindia.com/april2011/sizangphonemesfinal.pdf.
Stern, Theodore. 1963. A provisional sketch of Sizang (Siyin) Chin. Asia Major 10. (New
Series). 222278.
Stern, Theodore. 1984. Sizang (Siyin) Chin texts. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 8(1).
4358. (12 January, 2015).

2.6 CONTACT INFORMATION

Tyler D. Davis
United States of America

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Author(s)

tdavlinguist@gmail.com