Introduction

Khasi and Karbi, each belonging to a distinct major language family, have a full and independent system of numerals. Khasi (Mon-Khmer) exhibits SVO syntax accompanied by prefixal morphology that differs vastly from the Tibeto-Burman pattern seen in Karbi with SOV syntax and a good repertoire of suffixes and prefixes. However, several Khasi lexical items turn up in Karbi. In particular, Karbi i-nut ‘one (person)’ can be seen as derived from Khasi *shi-ngut ∼ *chi-ngut ‘one-cl(humnan)’.

Both languages have a classifier system of their own. Khasi, more specifically, Pnar spoken in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, and Karbi have shared in the past and continue to share today the same geographic space to a considerable extent. In spite of the different linguistic trees they have grown on, geographic overlapping has given rise to a shared linguistic area, even if very small. Could part of the synchronic behaviour of the numeral ‘one’ in Khasi and Karbi point to an area of their shared linguistic space?

Transcription

For this study, apart from the small amount of Boro, Garo, Tiwa and Rabha data used in Table 8.3, data have been drawn mainly from Standard Karbi (the Karbi Anglong variety) and Standard Khasi (Ktien Sohra). Some data is also from Pnar (as spoken in Raliang), Nongtung (a variety of Pnar), Khyrwang (a variety of Pnar), Tkong Chong-mu-Chen (a variety of War Pnar or War Jaintia) and War Mawlong (a variety of War Sohra).