From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ao
Central Naga
Ethnicity Ao Naga
Geographic
distribution
Nagaland, India
Linguistic classification Sino-Tibetan
Subdivisions
ISO 639-3 njo
Glottolog aona1235

The Ao language is a Naga language spoken by the Ao Naga in Nagaland of northeast India. It is written in Latin script.

Ao language cluster

Ethnologue lists the following varieties of Ao.

Chongli and Mongsen are nearly mutually unintelligible.

Mills (1926) lists the Ao Naga tribes of Nagaland as speaking three languages: Chungli, Mongsen, and Changki. Chungli Ao and Mongsen Ao are spoken in majority of the Ao villages, whereas Changki speakers form the minor speakers.

Mongsen Ao is spoken primarily in the western part of Ao territory.

Changki Ao is spoken only in 3 villages - Changki, Japu and Longjemdang - which is poorly documented though reportedly related to Mongsen Ao. Some Changki speakers can fluently converse in both Mongsen and Chungli, but a Mongsen Ao cannot speak Changki or understand it, whereas a Chungli can hardly understand or speak Changki. Chungli Ao and Mongsen Ao are not mutually intelligible. [1]

The speech of each Ao village has its own distinctive characteristics. Many villages contain both Chungli and Mongsen speakers.

Phonology

[1] [2]

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i ɯ u
Mid e ə o
Open a ɔ

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Retroflex Dorsal Glottal
Nasal m n ŋ
Plosive plain p t k ʔ
voiced b d g
aspirated
Affricate voiceless t͡s t͡ɕ
voiced d͡ʑ
Fricative voiceless s ɕ
voiced z ɭ˔
Tap ɾ
Approximant w l j

Tones

This language has 3 tones, mid tone ˧ rising tone ˩˥ and falling tone ˥˩.

References

  1. ^ Escamilla, R. M. (2012). An Updated Typology of Causative Constructions: Form-Function Mappings in Hupa (California Athabaskan), Chungli Ao (Tibeto-Burman), and Beyond. Unpublished PhD dissertation, U.C. Berkeley.