Dakpa

Dakpa Monpa

Sino-Tibetan (East Bodish)

FamilySino-Tibetan (East Bodish) Speakers~12K total (China ~1.3K, India ~9K, Bhutan ~2K) ScriptUnwritten (Tibetan used in writing) CountriesChina (Tibet: Cuona/Tsona), India (Arunachal Pradesh: Tawang), Bhutan Official inNo (recognized minority nationality; language unwritten in China) Vitalityvulnerable ISO 639-3twm

The Chinese ethnonym Monpa covers three mutually unintelligible languages, and this row is only one of them: the East Bodish variety of Cuona (Tsona) county in southern Tibet. The Monpa of Motuo speak Tshangla, a different language of the same family, and the third is Shezhubeng. Across the border in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India, the Cuona variety is known as Dakpa. The Monpa nationality of China numbers about 11,000 in the 2020 census. East Bodish is a branch of Sino-Tibetan closely related to Tibetan but not descended from it, so Monpa is a cousin of Tibetan rather than a dialect. The language is unwritten; Tibetan is used in writing. It is tonal, and the forms in this row carry the Chao tone values given in the source.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Dakpa Monpa

Water

tshi53

tsʰi˥˧

Fire

me13

me˩˧

Sun

plᴀŋ53

plᴀŋ˥˧

Moon

lɛː55thøn55

lɛː˥˥tʰøn˥˥

Star

kᴀr55mᴀ53

kᴀr˥˥mᴀ˥˧

Night

ȵen13ne31

ɲen˩˧ne˧˩

Rain

nᴀm13

nᴀm˩˧

Snow

khᴀ55ru53

kʰᴀ˥˥ru˥˧

Wind

røn13

røn˩˧

Earth

sᴀ53

sᴀ˥˧

Stone

kɔr13

kɔr˩˧

Mountain

ri13

ri˩˧

Sea

cᴀ13tsho53

cᴀ˩˧tsʰo˥˧

Mother

ʔᴀ55mᴀ53

ʔᴀ˥˥mᴀ˥˧

Father

ʔaᴀ55pᴀ53

ʔaᴀ˥˥pᴀ˥˧

Daughter

po13mo53

po˩˧mo˥˧

I

ŋe13

ŋe˩˧

You

ʔi53

ʔi˥˧

We

ŋᴀ13tᴀŋ53 / ŋᴀ13rᴀʔ53

ŋᴀ˩˧tᴀŋ˥˧ / ŋᴀ˩˧rᴀʔ˥˧

Name

meŋ13

meŋ˩˧

Person

mi13

mi˩˧

Head

kɔk13theʔ53

kɔk˩˧tʰeʔ˥˧

Eye

meʔ53

meʔ˥˧

Ear

nem13nɛʔ53

nem˩˧nɛʔ˥˧

Nose

nᴀ53

nᴀ˥˧

Mouth

khᴀ53

kʰᴀ˥˧

Tooth

wᴀ53

wᴀ˥˧

Tongue

le53

le˥˧

Hand

lᴀʔ53

lᴀʔ˥˧

Foot

le13mɛʔ53

le˩˧mɛʔ˥˧

Heart

niŋ53

niŋ˥˧

Bone

—

—

Blood

ceʔ53

ceʔ˥˧

Poop

ȵin13

ɲin˩˧

Love

ce55po53

ce˥˥po˥˧

Tree

ɕeŋ55mᴀ53

ɕeŋ˥˥mᴀ˥˧

Dog

chi53

cʰi˥˧

Cat

ʑin13po53

ʑin˩˧po˥˧

Fish

ȵᴀ13

ɲᴀ˩˧

Bird

tɕᴀ13

tɕᴀ˩˧

Butterfly

tɕhᴀ55tɕhᴀ55me31loŋ̩55

tɕʰᴀ˥˥tɕʰᴀ˥˥me˧˩loŋ̩˥˥

Egg

khᴀʔ53lum53

kʰᴀʔ˥˧lum˥˧

Horse

te53

te˥˧

House

chem53

cʰem˥˧

Milk

jo13

jo˩˧

Salt

tshᴀ53

tsʰᴀ˥˧

Rice

dem13

dem˩˧

Iron

lek53

lek˥˧

Silk

tʂuk13tsi53

tʂuk˩˧tsi˥˧

Book

ji13ci53

ji˩˧ci˥˧

Eat

zᴀ13

zᴀ˩˧

Drink

toŋ55

toŋ˥˥

Sleep

ȵɛː13

ɲɛː˩˧

One

theʔ53

tʰeʔ˥˧

Two

nᴀi13

nᴀi˩˧

Three

sum53

sum˥˧

Four

pli53

pli˥˧

Five

le31ŋe53

le˧˩ŋe˥˧

Hundred

chɛʔ53le31ŋe53

cʰɛʔ˥˧le˧˩ŋe˥˧

Hello

—

—

Thank you

—

—

Good

li13khu31

li˩˧kʰu˧˩

New

se55ro53

se˥˥ro˥˧

Red

leu55

leu˥˥

White

cher55po53

cʰer˥˥po˥˧

Black

plɛː13kᴀn55

plɛː˩˧kᴀn˥˥

Green

dʑᴀŋ13ku53

dʑᴀŋ˩˧ku˥˧

Tea

tɕa35

tɕa˧˥

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sino-Tibetan (East Bodish)

Meaning Dakpa MonpaTibetanZaiwaNorthern PumiJinoNusuIdu Mishmi
Water tshi53 /tsʰi˥˧/ ཆུ /tɕʰu˥/ wuì /ʋui˥˩/ tɕɨ53 /tɕɨ˥˧/ ji31tʃho55 /ji˧˩tʃʰo˥˥/ ɹi31gɹɑ53 /ɹi˧˩ɡɹɑ˥˧/ mɑ55tɕi55 /mɑ˥˥tɕi˥˥/
Fire me13 /me˩˧/ མེ /me˩˧/ myi /mji˨˩/ mɐ35 /mɐ˧˥/ mi33 /mi˧˧/ mi55 /mi˥˥/ mɑ55mɹu55 /mɑ˥˥mɹu˥˥/
Sun plᴀŋ53 /plᴀŋ˥˧/ ཉི་མ /ɲima/ buì /pui˥˩/ bu̵53 /bʉ˥˧/ ȵɔ35 /ɲɔ˧˥/ ȵi35ɑ55 /ɲi˧˥ɑ˥˥/ i55ȵi55 /i˥˥ɲi˥˥/
Moon lɛː55thøn55 /lɛː˥˥tʰøn˥˥/ ཟླ་བ /tawa˩˧/ lhamó /lŏ̱˥˥mo˥˥/ ɬi55 /ɬi˥˥/ pu33ɬa44 /pu˧˧ɬa˦˦/ ɬɑ31 /ɬɑ˧˩/ e55lɑ55 /e˥˥lɑ˥˥/
Star kᴀr55mᴀ53 /kᴀr˥˥mᴀ˥˧/ སྐར་མ /karma˥/ kyoi /kjoi˥˥/ dʐə35 /ɖʐə˧˥/ pu33ke33 /pu˧˧ke˧˧/ kɹe31lɔ35 /kɹe˧˩lɔ˧˥/ ɑ55nde55kɹu55 /ɑ˥˥ⁿde˥˥kɹu˥˥/
Night ȵen13ne31 /ɲen˩˧ne˧˩/ མཚན་མོ /tsʰɛ̃˥mo˥/ myinle /mjin˥˥le˨˩/ ɕyɛ55 /ɕyɛ˥˥/ mi33tɕhø33 /mi˧˧tɕʰø˧˧/ suɑʴ35nɑ35 /suɑ˞˧˥nɑ˧˥/ ɑ31boŋ55tioŋ55 /ɑ˧˩boŋ˥˥tioŋ˥˥/
Rain nᴀm13 /nᴀm˩˧/ ཆར་པ /tɕʰaː˥pa˥/ mau /mau˨˩/ gui53 /ɡui˥˧/ mi31tha55 /mi˧˩tʰa˥˥/ mɯ55ɑ31ɹuɑ55 /mɯ˥˥ɑ˧˩ɹuɑ˥˥/ ɑ31ɹɑ55 /ɑ˧˩ɹɑ˥˥/
Snow khᴀ55ru53 /kʰᴀ˥˥ru˥˧/ ཁ་བ /kʰawa˥/ kyoq /kjoʔ˨˩/ pu̵53 /pʉ˥˧/ njɛ33ji44 /ɲɛ˧˧ji˦˦/ vɑ55 /vɑ˥˥/ poŋ35 /poŋ˧˥/
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