Zeme language

Zeme
Zeliang
Region	Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura
Ethnicity	Zeliangrong (Zeme Naga, Liangmai Naga, Rongmei Naga)
Native speakers	130,000 (2001 census)[1]
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Zeme languages Zeme
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Variously: nzm – Zeme nbu – Rongmai njn – Liangmai (Kwoireng) nkd – Kwoireng (Koireng)
Glottolog	zeme1240  (Zeme Naga)[2] rong1266  (Rongmei Naga)[3] koir1240  (Koireng)[4] lian1251  (Liangmai Naga)[5]

Zeme is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in northeastern India. It is part of a dialect continuum that includes Rongmei and Liangmei.

Locations

Zeme (dialects: Paren, Njauna) is spoken in (Ethnologue):

• Upper Barak valley, northern Cachar district, Assam
• Tamenglong district, Manipur
• Kohima district, Nagaland: Jalukie, Peren, Medzephima blocks

Rongmei (dialects: Songbu) is spoken in 35 villages of Cachar district, Assam, as well as in northwestern Manipur and Nagaland (Ethnologue).

Liangmei is spoken in Jalukie, Peren, and Medzephima blocks of Kohima district, Nagaland (Ethnologue).

Koireng is spoken in (Ethnologue):

• 5 villages in Saikul and Kangpokpi subdivisions, Senapati district, Manipur
• 3 villages south of Moirang in Bishnupur district, Manipur
• 2 villages near Palel in Chandel district, Manipur
• Nagaland

Singh (2011:52)^[6] reports 11 Koireng villages in Saikul and Kangpokpi sub-divisions of Sadar Hills

• Utonglok, Sadu Koireng, Nurathel, Iril Mapal, Ekpan, Tarung, Kamu Koireng, Longa Koireng, Awang Longa Koireng in Senapati District
• Tarung in Thangmeiband and Lamphel Koireng in Imphal West district.

The "purest" Koireng is spoken in Satu and Utonglo (Ethnologue).

There are Koireng 8 clans (phung), namely Shong, Yei, Tieltu, Thamthu, Virei, Khonglung, Mreiem, and Mikan.^[6]

References

1. Zeme at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
   Rongmai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
   Liangmai (Kwoireng) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
   Kwoireng (Koireng) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
2. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2016). "Zeme Naga". Glottolog 2.7. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
3. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2016). "Rongmei Naga". Glottolog 2.7. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
4. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2016). "Koireng". Glottolog 2.7. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
5. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2016). "Liangmai Naga". Glottolog 2.7. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
6. Singh, Ch. Yashawanta. 2011. "Linguistic Ecology of Koireng." In Singh, Shailendra Kumar (ed). Linguistic Ecology of Manipur. Guwahati: EBH Publishers.