Kullui (Kullū, also known as Kulvi, Takri: 𑚊𑚰𑚥𑚷𑚱𑚃/𑚊𑚰𑚥𑚷𑚱𑚦𑚯) is a Western Pahari language spoken in the Kullu District of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
Kullui | |
---|---|
𑚊𑚰𑚥𑚷𑚱𑚃, कुळूई, kuḷūī | |
Native to | India |
Region | Himachal Pradesh |
Native speakers | 196,295 (2011)[1] |
Takri, Devanagari | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | kfx |
Glottolog | kull1236 |
Phonology
editConsonants
editFor the stops and affricates there is a four-way distinction in phonation between tenuis /p/, voiced /b/, aspirated /pʰ/ and breathy voiced /bʱ/ series. Thakur (1975, pp. 175–8) lists as separate phonemes aspirated correlates of /ŋ/, /n/, /m/, /j/, /r/, /ɽ/, /l/ and /ɭ/, but describes the aspiration as a voiceless pharyngeal friction. /n̪/ is dental, but becomes alveolar if the next syllable contains a retroflex consonant. /ŋ/ and /ɲ/ are rare, but contrast with the other nasals word-medially between vowels. /ɳ/, /ɭ/ and /ɽ/, together with their aspirated correlates, don't occur in the beginning of words.[2] The glottal stop occurs only between a vowel and /ɳ/, /n/, /r/ or /l/, e.g. [kɑːʔɭ] "a trumpet", which contrasts with [kɑːɭ] "famine". The pharyngeal fricative /ħ/ historically derives from /s/ and occurs word-finally, e.g. [ɡʱɑːħ] "grass", [biːħ] "twenty".[3]
Script
editThe native script of the language is a variety of the Takri script.
Status
editThe language is commonly called Pahari or Himachali.[citation needed] The language has no official status. According to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the language is of definitely endangered category, i.e. many Kulluvi children are not learning Kulluvi as their mother tongue any longer.[4]
Notes
edit- ^ "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
- ^ Thakur 1975, p. 180. An exception is the word [ɽəbɑːɳɑː] "to throw".
- ^ Thakur 1975, p. 181.
- ^ "Endangered languages".
Bibliography
edit- Thakur, Mauluram (1975), Pahāṛī bhāṣā, Delhi: Sanmarg Prakashan
External links
edit- Pahari-languages.ru, a Kullui documentation project