Tangsa language


Tangsa, also Tase and Tase Naga, is a Sino-Tibetan languages or language cluster spoken by the Tangsa people of Burma and north-eastern India. Some varieties, such as Shangge, are likely distinct languages. There are about 60,000 speakers in Burma and 40,000 speakers in India.

Geographical distribution

Tangsa is spoken in the following locations of Myanmar.
In India, Tangsa is spoken in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Below are locations for some varieties of Tangsa.
Ethnologue also lists the following languages.
There are four principal varieties,
Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Tase, some of which may actually be separate, mutually unintelligible languages.
Kyan and Karyaw, two closely related Konyak speech varieties, as well as Lao Naga, are reportedly similar to the Chuyo and Gakat dialects.
Alternate names for Tase given in Ethnologue include:

Morey (2017)

Within Tangsa, the Pangwa group has about 20 subgroups in India. The Pangwa had migrated from Myanmar to India in the 20th century. Pangwa subgroups are listed below, with autonyms listed in parentheses.
The Tikhak group consists of:
Other subgroups that do not belong to either the Pangwa or Tikhak groups are:
Besides Pangwa and Tikhak, other Tangsa groups are:
Lann classifies the Tangsa language varieties as follows, and recognizes 11 subgroups. IPA transcriptions for dialect names are also provided.
Lann lists the Aktung, Angsü-Angsa, Giiyii, Gawngkaq, Khangcyu, Khangdo, Kumgaq, Punlam, Nukyaq, and Vangtak-Vangkaq dialects as being extinct or nearly extinct.