Jingpho language
Encyclopedia
- "Kachin language" redirects here. For other meanings of word "Kachin" see Kachin
The Jingpho language (Jinghpaw, Chingp'o) or Kachin language is a Tibeto-Burman language mainly spoken in Kachin State
Kachin State
Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the...
, Burma (Myanmar) and Yunnan Province, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The term Kachin language can refer either to the Jingpho language or to a group of languages spoken by various ethnic groups in the same region as Jingpo: Lisu
Lisu language
Lisu is a tonal Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Yunnan , northern Burma , and Thailand and a small part of India. It is the language of the Lisu minority. Lisu has many dialects that originate from the country in which they live. Hua Lisu, Pai Lisu, and Lu Shi Lisu dialects are spoken in China...
, Lachit, Rawang, Zaiwa
Zaiwa language
Zaiwa is a language spoken in parts of China and Burma. There are around 100,000 speakers. It is also known as Atsi, its name in Jingpo. Zaiwa is a member of the Burmish languages.-References:...
, Lhaovo, Achang (Ngo Chang)
Achang language
The Achang language is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Achang in China.-External links:***...
, and Jingpho. These languages are from distinct branches of the highest level of the Tibeto-Burman family
Tibeto-Burman languages
The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non-Chinese members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken thoughout the highlands of southeast Asia, as well as lowland areas in Burma ....
.
The ethnic Jingpho (or Kachin
Kachin people
The Kachin people are a group of ethnic groups who largely inhabit the Kachin Hills in northern Burma's Kachin State and neighbouring areas of China and India. More than half of the Kachin people identify themselves as Christians - while a significant minority follow Buddhism and some also adhere...
) are the primary speakers of Jingpho language, numbering approximately 900,000 speakers. The Turung of Assam in India speak a Jingpho dialect, called Singpho, mixed with Assamese
Assamese language
Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...
words.
The Jingpho language is written with the Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
. Jingpho has verbal morphology that marks the subject and the direct object. Here is one example (the tonemes are not marked). The verb is 'to be' (rai).
| person and number | present | past |
| 1sg | rai n ngai | rai sa ngai |
| 2sg | rai n dai | rai sin dai |
| 3sg | rai ai | rai sai |
| 1pl | rai ga ai | rai sa ga dai |
| 2pl | rai ma dai | rai ma sin dai |
| 3pl | rai ma ai | rai ma sai |
Jingpho syllable finals can consist of vowels, nasals, or oral stops.
Footnotes
Jingpho (Jinghpaw) language has five vowels which causes difficult to pronounce correctly for each words by non Kachin.Example:
Wa (high short tone) compensate Á
Wa (middle tone) Teeth Ä
Wa (high tone) father Ã
Wa (Low tone) come back Ā
Wa (Low short tone) Pig Ą
Usually the writing Jingpho has no vowel indicators, hence difficult to pronounce correctly by the non Kachin.