Kusunda (मिहाक / कुसान्डा)

Kusunda is a language isolate spoken in southern Rolpa District Lumbini province in west-central Nepal. In 2014 there were 87 speakers of Kusunda. By 2018 there was only one known speaker Rajamama Kusunda, who died on 19 April 2018 and it was thought that the language had become extinct. However, there are still a few speakers, who are working with Uday Raj Aaley, an author and researcher, to teach the language to children and adults.

There were some studies of the language in the 19th and 20th centuries. A grammar of Kusunda was published in 2005, and a dictionary in 2017. There are a few other publications on the languages as well.

Devanagari alphabet for Kusunda

Download an alphabet chart for Kusunda (Excel)

Sample text

टिक सवट्टै नु प्रतिष्ठा कफेरा अधिकार ककेजे जिबेजी अगन्जी । गिना ग्याओ चिय कफेरा मागभया नाङ्टे अङी ।

Transliteration

ṭik sawaṭṭe nu pratiṣṭhā kapherā adhikār kakeje jibejī aganjī. ginā gyāo ciy kapherā māgbhayā nāṅʼṭe aṅī.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Translation

Details provided by Biswajit Mandal

Sample videos in and about Kusunda

Links

Information about the Kusunda language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusunda_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/kgg
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/83v8d1wv
https://theofdn.org/film/gyani-maiya/
https://www.pnas.org/content/101/15/5692
http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/kusunda.htm
https://linguae.weebly.com/kusunda.html

Language isolates

Adaizan,Ainu,Basque,Burushaski,Candoshi-Shapra,Chitimacha,Eskayan,Hadza,Haida,Karuk,Kawésqar,Keres,Kuot,Kusunda,Kutenai,Maybrat,Natchez,Nihali,Nivkh,Páez,Purepecha,Sandawe,Seri,Sumerian,Tartessian,Ticuna,Tiwi,Tonkawa,Tunica,Urarina,Waorani,Warao,Wardaman,Washo,Yaghan,Yele,Yuchi/Euchee,Zuni

Languages written with theDevanāgarī alphabet

Aka-Jeru,Angika,Athpare,Avestan,Awadhi,Bahing,Balti,Bantawa,Belhare,Bhili,Bhumij,Bilaspuri,Bodo,Bhojpuri,Braj,Car,Chamling,Chhantyal,Chhattisgarhi,Chambeali,Danwar,Dhatki,Dhimal,Dhundari,Digaro Mishmi,Dogri,Doteli,Gaddi,Garhwali,Gondi,Gurung,Halbi,Haryanvi,Hill Miri,Hindi,Ho,Jarawa,Jaunsari,Jirel,Jumli,Kagate,Kannauji,Kham,Kangri,Kashmiri,Khaling,Khandeshi,Kharia,Khortha,Korku,Konkani,Kullui,Kumaoni,Kurmali,Kurukh,Kusunda,Lambadi,Limbu,Lhomi,Lhowa,Magahi,Magar,Mahasu Pahari,Maithili,Maldivian,Malto,Mandeali,Marathi,Marwari,Mewari,Mundari,Nancowry.Newar,Nepali,Nimadi,Nishi,Onge,Pahari,Pali,Pangwali,Rajasthani,Rajbanshi,Rangpuri,Sadri,Sanskrit,Santali,Saraiki,Sirmauri,Sherpa,Shina,Sindhi,Sunwar,Sylheti,Tamang,Thakali,Thangmi,Wambule,Wancho,Yakkha,Yolmo

Page created: 03.10.21. Last modified: 15.02.26

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