The language has 244,000 speakers in the state (as of the 2011 census); most of these (237,000) are in Mon district, with smaller populations in the districts of Dimapur (2,900), Kohima (2,000), Mokokchung (1,100), and Longleng (900).[2] There are also an estimated 2,000 speakers in neighbouring Myanmar, specifically in Hkamti District and in Lahe township.[1]
Dialects
Konyak (2021)
A list of Konyak dialects from Hoipo Konyak (2021:5) is given below.[3]
Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Konyak.
Angphang
Hopao
Changnyu
Chen
Chingkao
Chinglang
Choha
Gelekidoria
Jakphang
Longching
Longkhai
Longmein
Longwa
Mon
Mulung
Ngangching
Sang
Shanlang
Shunyuo
Shengha
Sima
Sowa
Shamnyuyanga
Tableng (Angwangku, Kongon, Mohung, Wakching)
Tabu
Tamkhungnyuo
Tang
Tobunyuo
Tolamleinyua
Totok
Hongphoi
Tableng is the standard dialect spoken in Wanching and Wakching.
Phonology
There are three lexically contrastive contour tones in Konyak – rising (marked in writing by an acute accent – á), falling (marked by a grave accent – à) and level (unmarked).[5]
The stops/p/ and /k/ contrast with the aspirated/pʰ/ and /kʰ/. /p/ and /c/ become voiced intervocalically across morpheme boundaries. The dental /t/ is realised as an alveolar if preceded by a vowel with a rising tone. The approximants/w/ and /j/ are pronounced laxer and shorter after vowels; /w/ becomes tenser initially before high vowels. If morpheme-initial or intervocalic, /j/ is pronounced with audible friction.[6]/pʰ/, /kʰ/, /c/, /ɲ/, /s/, /h/ and /l/ do not occur morpheme-finally, while /ʔ/ does not appear morpheme-initially. Except for morpheme-initial /kp/ and /kʰl/, consonant clusters occur only medially.[7]
