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Which Tibeto-Burman languages have complex verb agreement systems?
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Tibeto-Burman languages
Relationships among the Tibeto-Burman languages.
Within the Tibeto-Burman language family, complex verb agreement systemsâwhere the person and number of the subject and/or object are marked on the verbâare primarily found in what are known as pronominalized languages.
Notable examples include:
- Jingpo: This language exhibits conjugation patterns that reflect the person and number of the subject, such as in the variations for "I will go," "you will go," and "he will go."1
- Kiranti group: Located in eastern Nepal, these languages feature agreement systems that can rival the complexity of those found in the Algonquian language family, incorporating distinctions such as first- and second-person inclusive and exclusive, as well as dual number.1
While these systems are highly intricate, it remains a subject of linguistic debate whether they were present in Proto-Tibeto-Burman or if they developed independently across different branches of the family.1