<<< Home page

Daai Chin

Phylum: Sino-Tibetan

Genus: Kuki-Chin

Lat/lon: 21.193375, 94.05623

ISO code: dao

Consonants

Basic short series

bilabiallabio-velaralveolarpalatalvelarglottal
stopp, pʰ, ɓt, tʰ, ɗk, kʰʔ
fricatives, sʰx, ɣh
lateral fricativeɬ
nasalm̥, mn̥, nŋ̊, ŋ
approximantwj
lateral approximantl

Vowels

Basic short series

frontcentralback
closeiɯ, u
midə
open-midɛɔ
opena

Long series

frontcentralback
closeɯː, uː
midəː
open-midɛːɔː
open

Diphthongs

/ɯi/, /ui/, /ei/, /əi/, /ɔi/, /ai/, /ɯːi/, /uːi/, /eːi/, /əːi/, /ɔːi/, /aːi/, /əɯ/, /aɯ/, /aːɯ/, /ɔu/

Tones

33, 53

Licit initial clusters

pj, pɣ, pʰj, pʰɣ, bj, bɣ, m̥ɣ, mɣ, kɣ, kʰɣ, ŋɣ, ŋ̊ɣ, hj, wj, wɣ

Licit finals

p, t, k, ʔ, m, n, ŋ

Licit syllabic templates

(C){j,ɣ}V(C)

Source: So-Hartmann, Helga. 2009. A descriptive grammar of Daai Chin. (STEDT Monograph Series, 7.) Berkeley: Center for Southeast Asia Studies.

Comments: Velar stops are in free variation with /ç, çʰ/. Word-final stops are unreleased. Long monophthong vowels are never found in open syllables. Short vowels in syllables with stops in the coda position do not display length distinctions.

Contributed by: Dmitry Nikolaev (dnikolaev@fastmail.com)