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The Syllable Structure of Poula: A Descriptive Overview

Vibeituonuo Mere, Ph.D.

Abstract

Poula is one of the three varieties of languages spoken by the Chakhesang tribe of Nagaland, with majority of the speakers residing in parts of Manipur. The other two languages spoken by the tribe are Chokri and Khezha. This study will lay emphasis on the variety of Poula spoken in Phek district of Nagaland. It is descriptive in nature and the data were collected from native speakers in and around Phek district. The syllable structure of Poula is moderately complex. It is basically monosyllabic with V, CV, CCV structures. Interestingly, polysyllabic words are mostly compound words. All languages require syllable nuclei and, in most languages, onsets are preferred yet optional. As in the case of Poula, it permits both opened syllable and closed syllable, however, closed syllables are not very productive. Minimally, syllables in Poula consist of a vowel as in /?/ 'we' and maximally it consists of a complex onset of two consonants and a vowel nucleus C1C2V.

Keywords:Syllable Structure, Closed Syllable, Open Syllable, Poula, Nagaland

Introduction This paper attempts to discuss the different types of syllables and syllable structure in Poula. The syllable structure of Poula is moderately complex. It is basically monosyllabic with V, CV, CCV structures. Interestingly, polysyllabic words are found to be mostly compound word forms. All languages require syllable nuclei and, in most languages, onsets are preferred yet optional. As in the case of Poula, it permits both opened syllable and closed syllable, however, closed syllables are not very productive. Minimally, syllables in Poula consist of a vowel as in /?/ ?we? and maximally it consists of a complex onset of two consonants and a vowel nucleus C1C2V.

Research Methodology This study adopts a qualitative research methodology, utilizing both primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data were collected during field visits to Zhavame village and from Poula speakers residing in Kohima district. The researcher employed both structured and unstructured interviews conducted in natural settings, complemented by participant observation. Secondary data were sourced from books, journals, articles, websites, souvenirs, and dissertations, offering a broad range of perspectives relevant to the topic.

Linguistic Ethnography of Poula The Chakhesangs are a Naga tribe who primarily inhabit the Phek district of Nagaland along with Pochury tribe who consider the district their tribal headquarters. The name Chakhesang itself reflects three abbreviations; 'Cha' which stands for Chokri, 'Khe' for Khezha and 'Sang' for Sangtam. This present study focusses on Razeba range as a point of departure for studying the Poula language. The range is a small one consisting of only three villages and a town who identify ethnically as Poumai. They are Zhavame, Zelome, Ts?pf?me, and the town of Razeba with approximately only 6,000-10,000 Poula speakers in Nagaland itself. The Poumais are classified as a sub-group of Chakhesang who in turn are further classified as a sub-group of the larger Tenyimia community. Poula language behaves differently from the slightly bigger languages of Chakesangs - Khezha and Chokri, both morphologically and syntactically.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Vibeituonuo Mere, Ph.D.
Nagaland University, Kohima Campus Meriema,
Kohima 797001, Nagaland India
vibeituonuomerer@gmail.com Contact- +91 9077261626

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