Singpho/Tai/Tangsa
Our project is about traditional songs of three communities of Upper Assam, India: The Singpho, Tai and Tangsa.
Mhpang Gumgai (Ja Awn Kaw), a singer of traditional Singpho songs
Our project has two key aims:
• to provide a comprehensive documentation of the varieties of Tangsa language spoken in the Margherita Subdivision of Upper Assam, India, and as much as possible into the neighbouring Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh
• to provide a comprehensive documentation of the traditional songs, and poetry of the Singpho and Tangsa (both Tibeto-Burman languages) and the Tai (Tai-Kadai), including a study of Tai traditional manuscripts, which are highly relevant for language and culture maintenance among the Tai.
Tileswar Mohan, traditional Ahom priest, reading an Ahom manuscript.
The project will give highest priority to the documentation of the most endangered aspects of Tai, Singpho and Tangsa: the traditional songs and poetry of these communities. There are fewer than 40 individuals across the three communities that have the knowledge of traditional culture, language and poetics to be able to compose and sing traditional songs/poetry. In these societies, no clear distinction can be drawn between song and poetry.
Hakhun dancers, Malou Pahar village
These genres are linguistically rich, reflecting semantic fields relevant for each of the three cultures, and employing a large vocabulary not much used in everyday language, vocabulary that may represent examples of earlier phases of the languages. This deep and thorough study of songs enriches our knowledge of these languages at every level.
Lukam Tonglum (Loekyam Cholim), elder of the Cholim Tangsa Nagas, in traditional dress
Mhpang Gumgai (Ja Awn Kaw), a singer of traditional Singpho songs
Our project has two key aims:
• to provide a comprehensive documentation of the varieties of Tangsa language spoken in the Margherita Subdivision of Upper Assam, India, and as much as possible into the neighbouring Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh
• to provide a comprehensive documentation of the traditional songs, and poetry of the Singpho and Tangsa (both Tibeto-Burman languages) and the Tai (Tai-Kadai), including a study of Tai traditional manuscripts, which are highly relevant for language and culture maintenance among the Tai.
Tileswar Mohan, traditional Ahom priest, reading an Ahom manuscript.
The project will give highest priority to the documentation of the most endangered aspects of Tai, Singpho and Tangsa: the traditional songs and poetry of these communities. There are fewer than 40 individuals across the three communities that have the knowledge of traditional culture, language and poetics to be able to compose and sing traditional songs/poetry. In these societies, no clear distinction can be drawn between song and poetry.
Hakhun dancers, Malou Pahar village
These genres are linguistically rich, reflecting semantic fields relevant for each of the three cultures, and employing a large vocabulary not much used in everyday language, vocabulary that may represent examples of earlier phases of the languages. This deep and thorough study of songs enriches our knowledge of these languages at every level.
Lukam Tonglum (Loekyam Cholim), elder of the Cholim Tangsa Nagas, in traditional dress