Digaro languages
The Digaro or Northern Mishmi languages are a small family of possibly Sino-Tibetan languages spoken by the Mishmi people of southeastern Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh.
The languages are Idu and Taraon.
External relationships
They are not related to the Southern Mishmi Midzu languages, apart from possibly being Sino-Tibetan. However, Blench and Post suggests that they may not even be Sino-Tibetan, but rather an independent language family of their own.Blench classifies the Digaro languages as part of the Greater Siangic group of languages.
Names
Autonyms and exonyms for Digaro-speaking peoples, as well as Miju, are given below.| Taraon name | Kaman name | Idu name | Assamese name | |
| Taraon people | da˧˩raŋ˥˧ | tɕi˧˩moŋ˧˥ | tɑ˧˩rɑŋ˧˥ | Digaru; Digaru Mishmi |
| Kaman people | tɕɑu˥˧ | kɯ˧˩mɑn˧˥ | mi˧˩tɕu˥ | Midzu |
| Idu people | dju˥; dju˥ta˧˩rɑŋ˥˧; dɑi˥˧ | min˧˩dɑu˥; hu˥˧ | i˥˧du˥ | Chulikata Mishmi |
| Zha people 扎人 | tɕɑ˧˩kʰen˥ | tɕɑ˧˩kreŋ˧˥ | — | — |
| Tibetan people | lɑ˧˩mɑ˥; mei˥˧bom˥ | dɯ˧˩luŋ˧˥; hɑi˧˥hɯl˥ | ɑ˧˩mi˥˧; pu˥˧; mi˧˩si˥pu˥˧ | — |
Registers
, Tawra, Kman, and Meyor all share a system of multiple language registers, which are :- ordinary speech
- speech of hunters: lexical substitution, the replacement of animal names and others by special lexical forms, and sometimes short poems
- speech of priests/shamans: more complex, involving much language which is difficult to understand, and also lengthy descriptions of sacrificial animals
- poetic/lyrical register
- mediation register
- babytalk register