Ant Problem

Part 1

Using the database, find the words for 'ant' in the following 8 languages, from several different subgroups of TB:

  • rGyalrong
  • Anong
  • Lahu
  • Written Burmese (WB)
  • Lohorong
  • Written Tibetan (WT)
  • Mishing
  • Nishi

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Part 2

Which subgroups of Tibeto-Burman do these languages represent?

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Part 3

Group these 8 words into 4 classes according to their onsets.

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Part 4

What part of all these words is virtually constant from language to language?

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Part 5

How would you reconstruct this constant part for Proto-TB?

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Part 6

Prefixes in TB languages can sometimes be traced back to independent morphemes. The onsets of three of our forms may be explained as deriving either from the widespread PTB root for ‘animal’ (*sya) or the root for ‘insect’ (*bәw), Please reconstruct disyllabic prototypes for these forms.

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Part 7

There is a “velar animal prefix” (perhaps ultimately borrowed from Mon-Khmer) that shows up here and there in TB, especially in WB. Consider the following WB/Lahu comparisons:

gloss WB Lahu
‘tiger’ klâ ~ kyâ
‘leech’ krwat vèʔ
‘rat’ krwak fâʔ
‘cat’ krauŋ ɣɔ̀
‘chicken’ krak ɣâʔ

How is this relevant to the present problem?

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Part 8

Two of the languages have a secondary prefix of obscure origin in their words for 'ant'. What are these languages?

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Part 9

WT and WB are the two most anciently attested of the major TB languages. Compare the onsets of the WT and WB words for 'ant' with the following two cognate pairs:

gloss WT WB
‘ravine, chasm’ grog-po khyauk
‘island/dry land’ gliŋ krañ

How can we explain the difference between the WT/WB cognates for ANT and those for RAVINE and ISLAND?

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Part 10

Isn’t TB comparative/historical linguistics awesome?

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