Exploring the Verb Agreement System in the Lohorung Language

This article analyzes the verb agreement system in Lohorung, a Kirat Rai language belonging to the Tibeto-Burman family. Using elicitation methods with a native speaker and textual analysis, we find that Lohorung verbs exhibit simultaneous agreement with both subject and object pronouns, marked by <-ŋ>, <-nɑ>, <-u>, <- sti>, <-i> and <-kɑ>. The key findings reveal that: (a) present tense verbs with unmarked ergative subjects show single agreement, (b) clusivity is marked exclusively (inclusive forms remain unmarked), and (c) agreement undergoes assimilation (e.g., portmanteau<-u> for third person singular past. Notably, the system does not show gender or honorific distinctions. These results demonstrate Lohorung's complex yet rule-governed agreement morphology, contributing to Tibeto-Burman typology and endangered language documentation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Indigenous Knowledge and Practice
Published
2025-08-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3126/jikap.v1i1.82476
Primary Topic
Multilingual Education and Policy
Type
article
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article

Exploring the Verb Agreement System in the Lohorung Language

Diwas Rai
Journal of Indigenous Knowledge and Practice
Multilingual Education and Policy
article

Exploring the Verb Agreement System in the Lohorung Language

Diwas Rai
article en

Abstract

This article analyzes the verb agreement system in Lohorung, a Kirat Rai language belonging to the Tibeto-Burman family. Using elicitation methods with a native speaker and textual analysis, we find that Lohorung verbs exhibit simultaneous agreement with both subject and object pronouns, marked by <-ŋ>, <-nɑ>, <-u>, <- sti>, <-i> and <-kɑ>. The key findings reveal that: (a) present tense verbs with unmarked ergative subjects show single agreement, (b) clusivity is marked exclusively (inclusive forms remain unmarked), and (c) agreement undergoes assimilation (e.g., portmanteau<-u> for third person singular past. Notably, the system does not show gender or honorific distinctions. These results demonstrate Lohorung's complex yet rule-governed agreement morphology, contributing to Tibeto-Burman typology and endangered language documentation.

Journal of Indigenous Knowledge and PracticeVol. 1(1)
Grammar School (SK)
Openalex Percentile: Top 79%
Multilingual Education and Policy
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