Northern Kuki-Chin languages
Northern Kuki-Chin (or Northeastern Kuki-Chin) is a branch of Kuki-Chin languages. It is called "Northeastern Kuki-Chin" by Peterson (2017) to distinguish it from the Northwestern Kuki-Chin languages. VanBik (2009:31) also calls the branch "Northern Chin" or "Zo". Except for Thado speakers, most Northern Kuki-Chin speakers self-identify as part of a wider Zomi ethnic group. Lingua francas. Tedim is the local lingua franca of northern Chin State, Myanmar, while Thado (also known as Kuki) is the local lingua franca of much of southern Manipur State, India. Languages. VanBik (2009) includes  the following languages as Northern Kuki-Chin languages. The positions of Ngawn and Ralte are not addressed by VanBik (2009), but they are classified as Northern Kuki-Chin in Glottolog. Zomi languages. The "Zomi" languages refer to most of the Northern Kuki-Chin languages, excluding Thado (Kuki) and a few other peripheral languages. "Zomi" is a cultural cover term that refers to speakers of languages such as Tedim, Paite, Simte, Zou, and Vaiphei. Organizations such as the Zomi Language & Literature Society (ZOLLS) in Churachandpur, Manipur, India are currently working on developing a unified standard "Zomi" language. Classification. VanBik (2009:31) divides  the Northern Kuki-Chin branch into two major language clusters, namely the "Thado" cluster and "Sizang" cluster. Sound changes. VanBik (2009) lists the following sound changes from Proto-Kuki-Chin to Proto-Northern Chin.