Kūvi

Kuvi

Dravidian (South-Central, Gondi-Kui)

FamilyDravidian (South-Central, Gondi-Kui) Speakers~155K ScriptOdia / Latin / Telugu (varies by region) CountriesIndia (Odisha — Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi; northern Andhra Pradesh) Official inNo (Scheduled Tribe language; some Odia-script literacy) ISO 639-3kxv Glottocodekuvi1243

Kuvi (also Khondi, Kondh) is a South-Central Dravidian language closely related to Kui and Gondi, spoken by the Kondh people across the Eastern Ghats of Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh. Like its sister languages it preserves the Dravidian gender system that distinguishes male, non-male animate and inanimate in the verb, and shows the characteristic Gondi-Kui apical/retroflex sibilant contrasts.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Kuvi

Water

ēju

eːju

Fire

—

—

Sun

wēḍa

ʋeːɖa

Moon

lēnʒu

leːndʒu

Star

hukka

hukka

Night

nekeri

nekeri

Rain

bela

bela

Wind

gāli

ɡaːli

Earth

irā

iɾaː

Stone

vali

ʋali

Mountain

hōru

hoːru

Mother

talli

talli

Father

tanzi

tandʒi

Daughter

māŋga

maːŋɡa

I

nānu

naːnu

You

nīnu

niːnu

We

māru / māmbu

maːru / maːmbu

Name

dōru

doːru

Head

trāyu

traːju

Eye

kanu

kanu

Ear

kiriyu

kiɾiju

Nose

mungeli

muŋɡeli

Mouth

guti

ɡuʈi

Tooth

pallu

palːu

Tongue

wenḍaru

wendaru

Hand

kēju

keːju

Foot

kālu

kaːlu

Heart

gunde

ɡunde

Bone

prēnu

preːnu

Blood

netteri

netːeri

Love

—

—

Tree

mrānu

mraːnu

Dog

nēyi

neːji

Cat

—

—

Fish

mīnu

miːnu

Bird

paṭa

paʈa

Egg

tala

tala

Bear

ouḍi

ouɖi

House

illu

illu

Milk

pālu

paːlu

Honey

krīya

kriːja

Salt

hāru

haːru

Wine

anguri rāsā

aŋɡuri raːsaː

Book

pati

pati

Eat

tinba

tinba

Drink

unba

unba

One

rondi

rondi

Two

rīndi

riːɳɖi

Three

mūndi

muːndi

Hello

—

—

Thank you

—

—

Good

nehi

nehi

New

puni

puni

Red

neturi

neturi

White

vella

ʋella

Black

kadia

kadia

Blue

nili

nili

Cuckoo

kuhu paṭa

kuɦu paʈa

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Dravidian (South-Central, Gondi-Kui)

Meaning KuviProto-DravidianIrulaKodavaGondiKannadaBadaga
Water ēju /eːju/ *nīr /nīr/ nīr /niːɾ/ ನೀರ್ /niːrɨ/ येर /jeːr/ ನೀರು /niːɾu/ neeru /neːru/
Fire — /—/ *tī /tī/ tī /tiː/ ತಿತ್ತ್ /tittɨ/ तड्मि /taɖmi/ ಬೆಂಕಿ /beŋki/ kitcha /kitʃɑ/
Sun wēḍa /ʋeːɖa/ *poẓutu /poɻutu/ čūriyen /tʃuːɾijen/ ಸೂರ್ಯ /suːrja/ पोड़्द /poːɽd/ ಸೂರ್ಯ /suːɾja/ hottu /hɔtːu/
Moon lēnʒu /leːndʒu/ *nilā /nilā/ niḷā /niɭaː/ ನೆಲಚಿ /nelatʃi/ नेलेंज /nelːeːndʒ/ ಚಂದ್ರ /tʃandɾa/ thinguva /t̪iŋɡuvɑ/
Star hukka /hukka/ *cukkV /tʃukkV/ naṭčattiram /naʈtʃatːiɾam/ ನಕ್ಷತ್ರ /nakʂatra/ सुक्कुम /sukkum/ ನಕ್ಷತ್ರ /nakʂat̪ra/ sukki /sukːi/
Night nekeri /nekeri/ *irā /iraː/ ravu /ravu/ ಬಯಿಟ್ /bajiʈɨ/ राति /raːti/ ರಾತ್ರಿ /raːt̪ri/ raatri /raːtri/
Rain bela /bela/ *maẓ- /maẓ/ — ಮಳೆ /maɭe/ पिर्रु /pirru/ ಮಳೆ /ˈmaɭe/ me /me/
Wind gāli /ɡaːli/ *waḷi /waɭi/ — ಗಾಳಿ /ɡaːɭi/ — ಗಾಳಿ /ɡaːɭi/ —
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