Raji–Raute | |
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Geographic distribution | Nepal, India |
Linguistic classification | Sino-Tibetan
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Subdivisions | |
Glottolog | raji1239 |
Raji–Raute is a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family that includes the three closely related languages, namely Raji, Raute, and Rawat. They are spoken by small hunter-gatherer communities in the Terai region of Nepal and in neighboring Uttarakhand, India.
Like some other Tibeto-Burman languages, Raji–Raute languages have voiceless sonorants.[1]
Classification[edit]
Raute and Rawat are closely related; Raji is more distantly related.[1] Fortier classifies the Raji–Raute languages as follows.[1] Note that language varieties that classify within the Rawat subgroup are known by various names; Raute of Dadeldhura/Darchula is taxonomically a Rawat language, and is not to be confused with Raute proper.
- Raji–Raute
- Raute–Rawat
- Raji
- Naukule
- Bandale, Purbia
Schorer (2016)[edit]
Schorer (2016:293)[2] classifies Raji–Raute as part of his newly proposed Greater Magaric group.
Fortier (2012)[edit]
A database of 700 words for items from households of Raute and Ban Rawat speakers (Fortier 2012) indicates a largely Sino-Tibetan language ancestry. Deep Root[clarification needed] items include 58 words of Sino-Tibetan origin and 7 of Austroasiatic origin. Proto-family[clarification needed] items include 281 morphemes of Proto-Tibeto-Burman origin. Meso-root,[clarification needed] or subfamily items include 34 words of Proto-Kuki-Chin origin, 23 of Proto-Tani origin, 6 of Proto-Tangkulic origin, and 1 of Northern Chin origin. The database omits most loans of Indo-Aryan origin although 43 items were of Sanskrit origin. Work remains on identifying etymologies of the remaining 247 items in the Raute–Rawat database.
Distribution[edit]
Raji-Raute varieties are spoken in the following areas of Nepal and India.[1]
- Dadeldhura/Darchula Raute: Darchula District and Dadeldhura District, Nepal
- Ban Raji/Rawat: Pithoragarh District, Uttarakhand, India
- Khirdwari Rajwar: Champawat District, Uttarakhand, India
- Raute: nomadic, 10 districts of western Nepal
- Bandale Raji: Surkhet District and Kailali District, Nepal
- Naukule Raji: Kailali District, Nepal
- Purbia Raji: Bardia District, Nepal
Vocabulary[edit]
The comparative vocabulary lists of Raji and Raute below are from Rastogi & Fortier (2005). Rastogi & Fortier (2005) also provide Purbia Raji and Janggali Raute forms.
Swadesh list[edit]
The following is a 100-word Swadesh list from Rastogi & Fortier (2005).
No. | English gloss | Rawati (Raji) | Khamci (Raute) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | I | naa | ngaa |
2 | you, thou | nang | naa, nhhang |
3 | we | naani jammaa | ngaa, na, nani |
4 | this | ai | ii |
5 | that | aiyaa | he |
6 | who | chuin | 'se; tse, nhhamʔ |
7 | what | hu | hai, hang |
8 | not | haa | nai, nā (as verb suffix: -re/rai) |
9 | all | jammaa ~ jammal | mwalyae |
10 | many | jikkal | bo-kani, bo, buoh |
11 | one | daa, ga | daa |
12 | two | nii ~ nhii | nhi |
13 | big | bai-inaa | ghaare |
14 | long | lang | |
15 | small | ʈuhaa, chui-ce | lhhaʔ |
16 | woman | maʈhialaa | umaakhala, umaa |
17 | man | manjha | ba, s'ye; s'yela, māukyaa |
18 | person | manca | mi: mur; murka, mukala |
19 | fish | boraa | gaah, gap |
20 | bird | gidhaa | bwaah, buaʔ |
21 | dog | kuii | kwui |
22 | louse | sira | shuhroh |
23 | tree | shiing | s'iu; tsiu, shing |
24 | seed | biye | |
25 | leaf | huwaah, huwaa-aa, khuaa | hwaah, waʔ |
26 | root | jadao | goy, nyuri (wild yams), dz'ra |
27 | bark | siing khallaw | thaapa, thakpa |
28 | skin | khallyai | kiri; kriakaa, kirikyae |
29 | flesh (meat) | sya | s'yaa, yaa, pyaa, s'iu, shiaeʔ |
30 | blood | khui | s'ui, ks'ap |
31 | bone | haɖang | haare, haar'm |
32 | grease | ge; gela | |
33 | egg | anɖaa | bhi; bhibhiya, bhiya |
34 | horn | sioang | sikk'm |
35 | tail | pucheraa | muahta, mukyae |
36 | feather | pakhaa | phakaa, pwohx |
37 | hair | haamuu | rung |
38 | head | gaɽaa | garaah, g'rhha |
39 | ear | ghunaa, hunaa | gunaah |
40 | eye | mhiike, niike | mikaah; mhiiga |
41 | nose | shinaa | 'sinaah, shinga |
42 | mouth | khaaber | chyu(re), mu |
43 | tooth | daaɽo | s'wāah, tshwa |
44 | tongue | jibaiɽo | laale, muuhm, mhhwOm |
45 | fingernail | nhiang | leehm, lhhel |
46 | foot | bhaa, panjaa | bhaah |
47 | knee | puhai | phukh, gaʈho |
48 | hand | hakai | aakhaa |
49 | belly (stomach) | laado | guduu, gudong, photo ('entrails') |
50 | neck | gardhan | manto, m'nthu, ghaature |
51 | breast | cucca | susi |
52 | heart | paatii, mutu | |
53 | liver | mulyaa | kharabdaah, bara |
54 | drink | tung | jhum, jaaya, hum, ti-I, tì |
55 | eat | jaako, jale, jaa-aa | jaa; jaaku; jaaya, ka; kaare |
56 | bite | kai | ka; kaiyaa, k'I |
57 | see | guhe | bigaap, bighhae |
58 | hear | huung-ye | guno, gunaare |
59 | know | dahau | |
60 | sleep | iishe | s'ii; s'iyaah, she, kwih |
61 | die | shiiya | s'i; s'iya |
62 | kill | haate-ko | ath-oh |
63 | swim | raa pe | kha-buwa, bou-kha-buwa, bowti |
64 | fly | bo | bwaah (n.?), pharaei (v.?) |
65 | walk | hwaa-I, khwa | |
66 | come | biir/hi-ir | bi; biye, bi-e, pi-ye |
67 | lie | jhuʈi-haa-syaa | lat (lie down) |
68 | sit | khuung yaa | sweh, sweh guni; aysapha, dzuye |
69 | stand | yeki | phuyo; phayaah, phuyu |
70 | give | bai-y, baiko | nyaa; bayaa, khaalu |
71 | say | neko | khaama (to speak); thi-i, shi dhaami |
72 | sun | diiho | bel, berh, dhāmu |
73 | moon | dunnaa | jhyunna, bair, berh (not exact terms for moon, not comp.) |
74 | star | taaraa | tui-tui |
75 | water | tii, chi | tsi |
76 | rain | barkhaa | s'gyae, tii-i |
77 | stone | ||
78 | sand | ballyaa | bolyaa |
79 | earth | dexa | desha [< Nepali], samsar |
80 | cloud | diiho | dewaah, dewaʔ |
81 | smoke | dhukaāh, dhuma | |
82 | fire | bhåoy / mhai | mhe:h, muhèi |
83 | ash | dhuli | kuhli, duhri, dhulo |
84 | burn | lung (vi.) | |
85 | path | yong | yaun-khyaa-nu, yung |
86 | mountain | biʈʈaa; dhaɽe (peak) | manam (hill); malam, kheɖ' |
87 | red | ʈulhariyaa | tui, sha |
88 | green | hariyo / hariya | hwaa (dark green - gagina), kamaiyo, k'm'iu |
89 | yellow | pero, piilè | byaalo, hwi-byelo, p'rhho |
90 | white | dhaurya | dhyaulyaa, dhyaurya, dhauɽia, ghouraya |
91 | black | tuknahaa | tokaanye, namaro |
92 | night | gaire | gadhir |
93 | hot | gamma [< IA] | chunu, ghohnohw |
94 | cold | ʈhanɖa [< IA] | jungha, dzung |
95 | full | bharata | jimai (filled), bwohb |
96 | new | nong | niu, nhu; n'u |
97 | good | nhikah | namar (person), lagalo |
98 | round | baʈulo | |
99 | dry | kaarau we (vi.) | karaao |
100 | name | naam | miĩhga |
Body parts[edit]
Rastogi & Fortier (2005) list the following body part terms.
No. | English gloss | Rawati (Raji) | Khamci (Raute) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | arm | pa:ti [< IA] | arkha:, wa:u |
2 | belly | la:do (Purbia Raji dang) | 1. photo (belly); 2. gudu ~ gudong; (Janggali gudang) (“intestines”?) |
3 | blood | khui | 1. s'ui:; 2. kshap (kshap recorded by C. Bandhu (pers. comm.)) |
4 | breast | cucci | susi |
5 | ear | ghuna ~ huna | guna: |
6 | eye | ni:hke | mi:hka |
7 | finger | aguliya | hubela |
8 | fingernail | nihang | lem ~ le:hng ~ li:hm |
9 | foot | bhaa | bhaa |
10 | hair | haamu ~ hamo ~ ha ngo | [< Nepali] |
11 | hand | haake (Purbia Raji yak) | a:khaa, la:ku (Janggali ha:kai) |
12 | head | garaa | garaa |
13 | hip, buttocks | s'yi-li | |
14 | goiter | kok | |
15 | knee, joint | puhei ~ puhai ~ puher | phuk |
16 | leg | bhaa | |
17 | lip | autha [< IA] | cyure; cyura |
18 | mouth | khaaber | 1. cyure; 2. mu ~ mu:hm: ~ mum |
19 | neck | gardhan [< IA] (Purbia Raji tuk) | 1. manto; mani; 2. ghaature [< Nepali] |
20 | nipple, breast | chuchu | |
21 | nose | s'inna | tsinaa ~ sinaa |
22 | nostrils | dhodo | |
23 | shoulders | kadhang [< IA] | kum [< Nepali] |
24 | skin | khallyai | kiriki ~ kiliki ~ kikaa |
25 | teeth, tooth | swaa | swaåh; chuwaa; miu |
26 | thighs | jangaa | 1. kare, 2. bhaa |
27 | vulva | pi |
Footnotes[edit]
References[edit]
- George van Driem (2001) Languages of the Himalayas: An Ethnolinguistic Handbook of the Greater Himalayan Region. Brill.
- Fortier, Jana (2012) "Annotated Dictionary of Raute and Rawat Languages" [1]
- Rastogi, Kavita and Jana Fortier. 2005. Daa, Nii, Sum/Khung: Comparative Vocabulary of the West-Central Himalayan Languages Rawati (Raji) and Khamci (Raute). Indian Linguistics 66. 105–115.
Further reading[edit]
- Fortier, Jana. 2019. A Comparative Dictionary of Raute and Rawat: Tibeto-Burman Languages of the Central Himalayas. Harvard Oriental Series 88. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674984349
- Krishan, Shree. 2003. Darma, Chaudangsi, and Raji. In: Randy J. LaPolla (ed.), Tibeto-Burman Languages of Uttar Pradesh, pp. 139–272.
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