- Indosphere
Indosphere is a subgrouping of
Tibeto-Burman languages as defined by linguistJames Matisoff , which includes languages that are typologically and morphologically a closeness toIndo-Aryan languages. It is commonly used inareal linguistics to contrast withSinosphere , which refers to Tibeto-Burman languages that bear a closeness to theChinese language .Context
The
Tibeto-Burman family of languages, which extends over a huge geographic range, is characterized by great typological diversity, comprising languages that range from the highly tonal, monosyllabic, analytic type with practically no afflixational morphology, likeLoloish , to marginally tonal or atonal languages with complex systems of verbal agreement morphology, like theKiranti group of Nepal. This diversity is partly to be explained in terms of areal influences from Chinese on the one hand and,Indo-Aryan languages on the other.James Alan Matisoff, "Handbook of Proto-Tibeto-Burman: System and Philosophy of Sino-Tibetan Reconstruction", pages 6-7, University of California Press, 2003, ISBN 0520098439] Two large subgroupings formed by areal contact can be distinguished within Tibeto-Burman: the "Sinosphere " and the "Indosphere".Robert M. W. Dixon, Y. Alexandra, "Adjective Classes: A Cross-linguistic Typology ", page 74, Oxford University Press, 2004, ISBN 0199203466] ] Manange (like otherTamangic languages ) is an interesting case to examine in this regard, as geographically it fits squarely in the "Indospheric" Himalayas, but typologically it shares more features with the "Sinospheric" languages.Some languages and cultures are firmly in one or the other. For example, the Munda and Khasi branches of Australoasiatic, the Tibeto-Burman languages of Eastern
Nepal , and much of Kamarupan branch of Tibeto-Burman, which most notably includes Meitei (Manipuri) are Indospheric; while theHmong-Mien family, the Kam-Sui branch ofKadai , the Loloish branch of Tibeto-Burman, and Vietnamese (Viet-Muong) areSinospheric . Some other languages, like Thai and Tibetan, have been influenced by both Chinese and Indian culture at different historical periods. Still other linguistic communities are so remote geographically that they have escaped significant influence from either. For example, the Asilian branch ofMon-Khmer in Malaya, or the Nicobarese branch of Mon-Khmer in theNicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean show little influence by Sinosphere or Indosphere.Indian cultural, intellectual, and political influence- especially that of
Devanagari writing system- began to penetrate both insular and peninsular Southeast Asia about 2000 years ago. Indic writing systems were adopted first by Austronesians, like Javanese and Cham, and Austroasiatics, likeKhmer andMon , then by Tai (Siamese and Lao) and Tibeto-Burmans (Pyu, Burmese, and Karen). The learned components of the vocabularies of Khmer, Mon, Burmese and Thai/Lao consist of words ofPali orSanskrit origin. Indian influence also spread north to the Himalayan region. Tibetan has used Devanagari writing since A.D. 600, but has preferred to claque new religious and technical vocabulary from native morphemes rather than borrowing Indian ones. Indosphere languages are spread over most ofIndia andPakistan , as well asBangladesh ,Sri Lanka . Languages of this type are also found in Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA), defined as the region encompassingLaos ,Cambodia , andThailand , as well as parts ofBurma , PeninsularMalaysia andYunnan . Related scripts are also found in South East Asian islands ranging fromSumatra ,Java ,Bali , southSulawesi and most of thePhilippines . [Martin Haspelmath, [http://books.google.com/books?id=sCRcARRN9nsC&pg=PA569&dq=indosphere&lr=&ei=cObSR7zSINC4igH0ldirBQ&sig=NZzfitQOiVvLf3LOSI04oXn3Rzs The World Atlas of Language Structures] , page 569, Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 0199255911]ee also
*
Sprachbund References
Further reading
* Language variation: Papers on variation and change in the Sinosphere and in the Indosphere in honor of James A. Matisoff, David Bradley, Randy J. LaPolla and Boyd Michailovsky eds., pp. 113–144. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
*cite book|last= Ankerl |first= Guy |title= Global communication without universal civilization |origdate= |origyear= 2000 |series= INU societal research |volume= Vol.1: Coexisting contemporary civilizations : Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese, and Western |publisher= INU Press |location= Geneva |isbn= 2-88155-004-5 |pages=External links
* [http://pacling.anu.edu.au/catalogue/555.html Papers on variation and change in the Sinosphere and in the Indosphere in honour of James A. Matisoff]
* [http://www.ogmios.org/91.htm Language diversity: Sinosphere vs. Indosphere]
* [http://www.iias.nl/host/himalaya/conferences/hls/1st_abstracts/wow.html Himalayan Languages Project]
* [http://www.questhimalaya.com/journal/turin-tibeto-burman-02.htm Rethinking Tibeto-Burman -- Lessons from Indosphere]
* [http://www.uwm.edu/~noonan/806/Enfield.Areal-SEA.pdf Areal linguistics and Mainland Southeast Asia]
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