Mihaq
Kusunda
Language isolate
Kusunda (Mihaq) is a critically endangered language isolate of mid-western Nepal, traditionally spoken by the formerly nomadic Kusunda hunter-gatherer community of the Mahabharat foothills (Dang, Surkhet, Pyuthan, Tanahu districts). The last fully fluent L1 speaker, Gyani Maiya Sen, died in 2020 (her sister Kamala Khatri died 2024); ~3 partial speakers remain. Documented by Hodgson in 1857 and decisively as an isolate by David Watters (Notes on Kusunda Grammar, 2006). Tribhuvan University and the Language Commission of Nepal currently run revitalization classes in Dang for several Kusunda youth.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Kusunda
Sources
- Watters (2006) Notes on Kusunda Grammar
- Glottolog: kusu1250
- Ethnologue: kgg
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Language isolate
| Meaning | Kusunda | Bukar-Sadong Bidayuh | Walmajarri | Lardil | Proto-Tungusic | Oscan | Yangkaal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | taŋ /taŋ/ | umoʼ /umoʔ/ | ngapa /ˈŋapa/ | nguka /ŋuka/ | *mū /mū/ | — /—/ | nguku /ŋuku/ |
| Fire | dza /dza/ | apui /aˈpui/ | warlu /ˈwaɭu/ | nyuda /ɲuda/ | *tawa /tawa/ | — /—/ | ngida /ŋida/ |
| Sun | iŋ /iŋ/ | batŭh andu /batəh andu/ | purangu /puɻaŋu/ | warrka /waɾka/ | *sigūn /sigūn/ | — /—/ | warrku /waɾku/ |
| Moon | niku /niku/ | bulan /buˈlan/ | yakarn /jakaɳ/ | kirdikir /kiɖikir/ | *bēga /bēga/ | — /—/ | waldarra /waldaɾa/ |
| Star | sam /sam/ | bintŭʼ /bintəʔ/ | wirl /wiɭ/ | kuwa thungal /kuwa θuŋal/ | *xōsikta /xoːsikta/ | — /—/ | miburlda thungalda /mibuɭda t̪uŋalda/ |
| Night | iŋao /iŋao/ | bengaru /bəŋaru/ | pukanya /pukaɲa/ | nata /nata/ | *dolbo /dolbo/ | — /—/ | ngimi /ŋimi/ |
| Rain | taŋ /taŋ/ | — | yurrikarra /jurikara/ | — | *tigde /tiɡde/ | — | — |
| Snow | yaq /jaq/ | — | — | — | *imana /imana/ | — | — |
| Wind | qaːi /qaːi/ | — | walypa /ˈwaʎpa/ | — | *xedün /xedyn/ | — | — |
| Earth | dum /dum/ | tanaʼ /tanaʔ/ | nguwa /ˈŋuwa/ | — | *nā /naː/ | teras /teras/ | — |
| Stone | yeŋgu /jeŋɡu/ | batu /baˈtu/ | pamarr /ˈpamar/ | — | *ǯolo /dʒolo/ | — | — |
| Mother | məi /məi/ | andŭ /andə/ | ngamaji /ŋaˈmaɟi/ | ngama /ŋama/ | *eńi /eńi/ | maatúf /maːtof/ | ngamathu /ŋamat̪u/ |
| Father | yəi /jəi/ | amang /amaŋ/ | ngarpu /ŋaɻpu/ | kantha /kan̪t̪a/ | *ama /ama/ | patír /patiːr/ | kanthathu /kant̪at̪u/ |
| I | tsi /tsi/ | aku /aku/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | ngada /ŋada/ | *bi /bi/ | egom /eɡom/ | ngada /ŋada/ |
| You | nu /nu/ | amuʼ /amuʔ/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | nyingki /ɲiŋki/ | *si /si/ | tú /tuː/ | nyingka /ɲiŋka/ |
| We | tok /tok/ | ami /ami/ | ngalimpa / nganimpa /ŋalimpa / ŋanimpa/ | ngakuli / nyali /ŋakuli / ɲali/ | *münti / *büe /mynti / bye/ | — /—/ | ngakulda / ngalda /ŋakulda / ŋalda/ |
| Name | gidzi /ɡidzi/ | ganan /ɡanan/ | yini /jini/ | nyunda /ɲunda/ | *gerbū /gerbū/ | númen /nuːmen/ | nida /nida/ |
| Person | niu /niu/ | — | piyirn /ˈpijiɳ/ | — | *ńārī /ɲaːriː/ | — | — |
| Head | ipi /ipi/ | — | jurlu /ˈɟuɭu/ | — | *dili /dili/ | — | — |
| Eye | inəŋ /inəŋ/ | bateh /baˈteh/ | mil /mil/ | kuwa /kuwa/ | *ńāsa /ńāsa/ | — /—/ | miburlda /mibuɭda/ |
| Ear | iyu /iju/ | kaping /kaˈpiŋ/ | pina /ˈpina/ | — | *sian /sian/ | — | — |
| Nose | inu /inu/ | undung /unduŋ/ | punul /ˈpunul/ | — | — | — | — |
| Mouth | ata /ata/ | bebaʼ /bəbaʔ/ | — | — | *amŋa /amŋa/ | — | — |
| Tooth | uhu /uhu/ | jipeu /dʒipeu/ | lirra /lira/ | kadma leman /kadma leman/ | *iːkte /iːkte/ | — /—/ | damanda /damanda/ |
| Tongue | iŋdzũ /iŋdzũ/ | jeli /dʒeli/ | jalany /ɟalaɲ/ | jalda leman /dʒalda leman/ | *ilŋu /ilŋu/ | fangva /faŋɡwa/ | jalngantha /ɟalŋant̪a/ |
| Hand | awi /awi/ | tangan /taŋan/ | kurrapa /kurapa/ | marlda /maɭda/ | *ŋāla /ŋāla/ | manim /manim/ | — /—/ |
| Foot | yen /jen/ | — | jina /ˈɟina/ | jaa /dʒaː/ | *palgan /palgan/ | — | — |
| Heart | gobloq /ɡobloq/ | sintung /sintuŋ/ | kurturlu /kuɭˈtuɭu/ | bulja /buldʒa/ | *mēwan /mēwan/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Bone | guhu /ɡuhu/ | turang /turaŋ/ | kiji /kiɟi/ | kadma /kadma/ | *giramsa /ɡiramsa/ | — /—/ | julda /ɟulda/ |
| Blood | ləpa /ləpa/ | daya /daja/ | nungu /nuŋu/ | kanda /kanda/ | *sekse /sekse/ | — /—/ | kandu /kandu/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | yi /ji/ | kayuh /kaˈjuh/ | mana /mana/ | thungal /θuŋal/ | *mō /mō/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | agəi /aɡəi/ | kasung /kasuŋ/ | kunyarr /kuˈɲar/ | ngawa /ŋawa/ | *ŋinda /ŋinda/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | nəsa /nəsa/ | ekan /ekan/ | kapi /kapi/ | yaka /jaka/ | *ollo /ollo/ | — /—/ | yakuri /jakuɾi/ |
| Bird | qotu /qotu/ | — | jiriki /ˈɟiɻiki/ | — | *gasa /gasa/ | — | — |
| Egg | gwa /ɡwa/ | — | kampiny /kampiɲ/ | — | *umukta /umukta/ | — | — |
| Horse | pʰyaksəm /pʰjaksəm/ | — | dimana /ˈdimana/ | — | *murin /murin/ | — | — |
| House | uhi /uhi/ | ramin /raˈmin/ | mayaru /majaɻu/ | ngambirr /ŋambir/ | *ʒūg /dʒuːɡ/ | trííbúm /triːbom/ | — /—/ |
| Salt | huki /huki/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eat | am /am/ | maʼan /maʔan/ | nga- /ŋa/ | jitha /dʒiθa/ | *ǰep- /ǰep/ | edum /edum/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | qon /qon/ | nyihŭp /ɲihəp/ | nga- /ŋa/ | kurdama /kuɖama/ | *umi- /umi/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sleep | iptɔː /iptɔː/ | — | manyan /ˈmaɲan/ | — | *ām- /aːm/ | — | — |
| One | qasti /qasti/ | indi /indi/ | layi /laji/ | warnge /waɾŋe/ | *emun /emun/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Two | dukhu /dukʰu/ | duɔh /duɔh/ | kurriny /kuriɲ/ | kiyarrng /kijaɾŋ/ | *ǰör /ǰör/ | dús /duːs/ | kiyarrngka /kijaɾŋka/ |
| Three | dahat /dahat/ | taruh /taːruh/ | mungkartu /muŋkaʈu/ | mungkalan /muŋkalan/ | *ilan /ilan/ | trís /triːs/ | — /—/ |
| Four | pigu /piɡu/ | umpat /umpat/ | — | — | *dügin /dyɡin/ | pettiur /pettiur/ | — |
| Five | pãgo /pãɡo/ | rimah /riməh/ | — | — | *tuńga /tuńga/ | — | — |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | wen /wen/ | paaguh /paːɡuh/ | wulyu /wuʎu/ | kuba /kuba/ | *aya /aja/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| New | dzəŋən /dzəŋən/ | — | jalangjalang /ˈɟalaŋɟalaŋ/ | — | *xirkekǖn /xirkekyːn/ | — | — |
| Red | khərgun /kʰərɡun/ | bidayak /bidajak/ | ngirljarti /ŋiɭɟaʈi/ | kandukan /kandukan/ | *pula /pula/ | — /—/ | kandukandu /kandukandu/ |
| White | kasi /kasi/ | — | parpjarti /ˈpaɻpɟaɻti/ | — | — | — | — |
| Black | soksogərəm /soksoɡərəm/ | — | kurnkurn /kuɳkuɳ/ | — | *sakalīn /sakaliːn/ | — | — |
| Green | hərgun /hərɡun/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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