Sümi language
# Sümi language

Sümi, also Sema, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Nagaland, India. It is spoken by the Sümi Naga people. It differs from every other Naga languages due to the presence of guttural sounds.

## Geographical distribution

Sümi is spoken in central and southern Nagaland, mainly in Zünheboto District and parts of Niuland District, Dimapur District, Chümoukedima District, Kohima District, Mokokchung District and Kiphire District, as well as in 7 villages of Tinsukia District, Assam (Ethnologue).

## Dialects

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Sümi.

* Dayang (Western Sümi)
* Lazami
* Jimomi
* Zumomi

## Phonology

The transcriptions in this section use the International Phonetic Alphabet.

### Vowels

The vowels of Sümi are as follows:

| | Front | Central | Back |
| - | - | - | - |
| Close | i | ɨ | u |
| Mid | e | | o |
| Open | | a | |

Notes:

* The close front and the close central vowels have been variously described as near-close [i̞, ɨ̞] and close [i, ɨ]. The close back vowel has only been described as close [u].
   * In the word-medial position, /ɨ/ can be realized as mid [ə].
* The mid vowels /e, o/ can be realized as either close-mid [e, o] or open-mid [ɛ, ɔ].
   * Teo (2012) describes the close-mid allophone of /o/ as slightly advanced [o̟].
* /a/ has been variously described as near-open [ɐ] and open [ä].
   * After uvular stops, /a/ can be realized as open back unrounded [ɑ].

### Consonants

The consonants of Sümi are as follows:

| | | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nasal | plain | m | n | | ŋ | | |
| Nasal | aspirated | mʱ | nʱ | | | | |
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | | k | q | |
| Plosive | aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | | kʰ | qʰ | |
| Plosive | voiced | b | d | | ɡ | | |
| Affricate | voiceless | | tʃ ~ ts | tʃ ~ ts | | | |
| Affricate | aspirated | | tʃʰ ~ tsʰ | tʃʰ ~ tsʰ | | | |
| Fricative | voiceless | f | ʃ ~ s | ʃ ~ s | x | | h |
| Fricative | voiced | v ~ w | ʒ ~ z | ʒ ~ z | ɣ | | |
| Approximant | Approximant | v ~ w | ɹ | j | | | |
| Lateral | plain | | l | | | | |
| Lateral | aspirated | | lʱ | | | | |
