Tangut in Horpa: Documentation, Integration, Accessibility, Diachrony – TangHorDIA

This Access-ERC ANR project generates key preliminary results for a successful ERC proposal in October 2026. It is structured around the three core research strands of the future ERC project (integration of Tangut and Horpa linguistics), each divided into specific work packages, with additional efforts dedicated to reputation-building activities that will strengthen the application.

The first strand focuses on fieldwork and linguistic description of Horpa languages and Tangut grammar. The first work package (S1WP1) will conduct fieldwork on Jiaju Horpa, documenting at least two hours of recordings and producing a linguistic sketch. This pilot study will serve as a landmark to the ERC project, which aims to document the entire Horpa language family with a team of leading fieldwork experts. The second work package (S1WP2) will lay the foundation for the first comprehensive grammar of Tangut, focusing on peer-reviewed papers on synchronic syntax. The ERC will then integrate fieldwork results from Horpa languages into Tangut grammar, complementing diachronically the findings of my PhD on phonology and morphology and those of these papers.

The second strand enhances digital accessibility for Tangut and Horpa research, fostering open-access resources. The first work package (S2WP1) will upload Jiaju Horpa and two other Sino-Tibetan languages' texts and recordings to the Pangloss Collection, providing a tangible archival record for the committee. Additionally, I will develop a prototype for integrating Tangut manuscripts into Pangloss as a proof of concept for broader ERC implementation. The second work package (S2WP2) will produce a searchable, Unicode-compliant, and glossed edition of Leilin, the most voluminous Tangut secular document, serving as a model for similar ERC work on three additional Tangut documents. The third work package (S2WP3) will expand a personal FileMaker database I have maintained for five years, creating a structured digital repository for Tangut characters and phonological data. The database will be adapted to XML TEI standards to ensure long-term usability and interoperability. I will train in SQL, Python, and Machine Learning during the ANR phase to strengthen my technical expertise, facilitating effective collaboration with database specialists in the ERC project. Additionally, I will identify a suitable repository to allow for future database upgrades beyond the project's duration.

The third research strand focuses on reconstructing linguistic history, providing a diachronic perspective on the evolution of Tangut and Horpa phonology. I will publish key papers on the reconstruction of Proto-Horpa, Pre-Tangut, and Tangut, co-authored with future ERC collaborators. The approach underlying our work is both innovative and easy to implement, as detailed in the summary.

The project prioritizes high-impact publications and academic event organization. Planned contributions include three papers on linguistic reconstruction, two studies on Tangut syntax, an edited volume, Medieval Tibeto-Burman Languages 5, and a scholarly edition of Leilin, in collaboration with Guillaume Jacques (ideally with Language Science Press). Before the ERC interviews, I also aim to publish another edited volume, Tangut Language and Culture, along with two additional papers on Tangut syntax and a Jiaju Horpa language sketch. The project will host two major events: the first Burmo-Qiangic Linguistics Conference and the Rencontres de Tangoutologie III. Finally, project results will be widely disseminated through talks at three other conferences.

This ANR project strategically balances linguistic documentation, digital accessibility, and historical reconstruction, ensuring a high publication rate and strong research credentials for the ERC application. By the time of submission, each research strand will be backed by concrete results, providing proof of concept for the ERC proposal's scientific value and feasibility.