Waves Across the Himalayas: On the Typological Characteristics and History of the Bodic Subfamily of Tibeto-Burman

The Bodic group of Tibeto-Burman consists of close to 100 languages, fanned across the Himalayas, Tibet, and China. The existence of a 'Bodic' branch is somewhat contentious within Tibeto-Burman, though scholars do tend to agree that Tibetan and its closest relatives belong within this branch. This article assumes that the Bodic languages discussed in this article may eventually prove to be genetically related, but at present, this has not been proven. These languages show considerable diversity with regard to phonology and morphosyntax. The aim of this article is to provide a typological overview of these languages. Some of the more salient issues addressed include tonogenesis, ergativity, and evidential-like systems.