A comprehensive description of Pangkhua: An endangered Tibeto-Burman language of Bangladesh

Abstract

This thesis offers a description of Pangkhua, an underdocumented and underdescribed Tibeto-Burman language spoken by about 2000 people in Rangamati district, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. This description is based on a corpus that was created during a total of twelve months of original fieldwork in Pangkhua Para village in Rangamati district, Chittagong Hill Tracts. Written in a broadly functional-typological standpoint, the thesis consists of twelve chapters covering phonology, morphology, syntax, and discourse. Some of the typologically notable features in Pangkhua include lexical tones, sesquisyllabicity, absence of a fully dedicated word class of ‘adjectives’, elaborate person marking on verbs, verb stem alternation, and the grammaticalization of t̪i ‘say’ verb as a marker of future time. As the first ever attempt at a comprehensive description of Pangkhua, this work will not only put Pangkhua on the linguistic map but will also contribute positively to comparative Tibeto-Burman linguistics by laying the groundwork for follow-on studies locating Pangkhua in its genealogical, areal, and typological contexts. As a reference grammar, it will serve linguists, more specifically language typologists and historical comparative linguists. It will also serve as a foundation from which further documentary and pedagogical materials may be developed to aid in the maintenance and revitalization of Pangkhua language and culture. Lastly, it will be a reliable source for interdisciplinary studies including linguistic anthropology, ethnic studies, cultural studies, and phylogenetics.