Raji–Raute languages

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.

Raji–Raute
Geographic
distribution		Nepal, India
Linguistic classificationSino-Tibetan
Subdivisions
Glottolograji1239

Like some other Tibeto-Burman languages, Raji–Raute languages have voiceless sonorants.[1]

Classification

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
    • Raute (nomadic groups)
    • Rawat
      • Rajwar (spoken in Khirdwari)
      • Rawat
        • Rawat (also known as Ban Raji)
        • Raute of Dadeldhura/Darchula
  • Raji
    • Naukule
    • Bandale, Purbia

Schorer (2016)

Schorer (2016:293)[2] classifies Raji–Raute as part of his newly proposed Greater Magaric group.

Greater Magaric

Fortier (2012)

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 items include 58 words of Sino-Tibetan origin and 7 of Austroasiatic origin. Proto-family items include 281 morphemes of Proto-Tibeto-Burman origin. Meso-root, 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

Raji-Raute varieties are spoken in the following areas of Nepal and India.[1]

Vocabulary

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

The following is a 100-word Swadesh list from Rastogi & Fortier (2005).

No.English glossRawati (Raji)Khamci (Raute)
1Inaangaa
2you, thounangnaa, nhhang
3wenaani jammaangaa, na, nani
4thisaiii
5thataiyaahe
6whochuin'se; tse, nhhamʔ
7whathuhai, hang
8nothaanai, nā (as verb suffix: -re/rai)
9alljammaa ~ jammalmwalyae
10manyjikkalbo-kani, bo, buoh
11onedaa, gadaa
12twonii ~ nhiinhi
13bigbai-inaaghaare
14longlang
15smallʈuhaa, chui-celhhaʔ
16womanmaʈhialaaumaakhala, umaa
17manmanjhaba, s'ye; s'yela, māukyaa
18personmancami: mur; murka, mukala
19fishboraagaah, gap
20birdgidhaabwaah, buaʔ
21dogkuiikwui
22lousesirashuhroh
23treeshiings'iu; tsiu, shing
24seedbiye
25leafhuwaah, huwaa-aa, khuaahwaah, waʔ
26rootjadaogoy, nyuri (wild yams), dz'ra
27barksiing khallawthaapa, thakpa
28skinkhallyaikiri; kriakaa, kirikyae
29flesh (meat)syas'yaa, yaa, pyaa, s'iu, shiaeʔ
30bloodkhuis'ui, ks'ap
31bonehaɖanghaare, haar'm
32greasege; gela
33egganɖaabhi; bhibhiya, bhiya
34hornsioangsikk'm
35tailpucheraamuahta, mukyae
36featherpakhaaphakaa, pwohx
37hairhaamuurung
38headgaɽaagaraah, g'rhha
39earghunaa, hunaagunaah
40eyemhiike, niikemikaah; mhiiga
41noseshinaa'sinaah, shinga
42mouthkhaaberchyu(re), mu
43toothdaaɽos'wāah, tshwa
44tonguejibaiɽolaale, muuhm, mhhwOm
45fingernailnhiangleehm, lhhel
46footbhaa, panjaabhaah
47kneepuhaiphukh, gaʈho
48handhakaiaakhaa
49belly (stomach)laadoguduu, gudong, photo ('entrails')
50neckgardhanmanto, m'nthu, ghaature
51breastcuccasusi
52heartpaatii, mutu
53livermulyaakharabdaah, bara
54drinktungjhum, jaaya, hum, ti-I, tì
55eatjaako, jale, jaa-aajaa; jaaku; jaaya, ka; kaare
56bitekaika; kaiyaa, k'I
57seeguhebigaap, bighhae
58hearhuung-yeguno, gunaare
59knowdahau
60sleepiishes'ii; s'iyaah, she, kwih
61dieshiiyas'i; s'iya
62killhaate-koath-oh
63swimraa pekha-buwa, bou-kha-buwa, bowti
64flybobwaah (n.?), pharaei (v.?)
65walkhwaa-I, khwa
66comebiir/hi-irbi; biye, bi-e, pi-ye
67liejhuʈi-haa-syaalat (lie down)
68sitkhuung yaasweh, sweh guni; aysapha, dzuye
69standyekiphuyo; phayaah, phuyu
70givebai-y, baikonyaa; bayaa, khaalu
71saynekokhaama (to speak); thi-i, shi dhaami
72sundiihobel, berh, dhāmu
73moondunnaajhyunna, bair, berh (not exact terms for moon, not comp.)
74startaaraatui-tui
75watertii, chitsi
76rainbarkhaas'gyae, tii-i
77stone
78sandballyaabolyaa
79earthdexadesha [< Nepali], samsar
80clouddiihodewaah, dewaʔ
81smokedhukaāh, dhuma
82firebhåoy / mhaimhe:h, muhèi
83ashdhulikuhli, duhri, dhulo
84burnlung (vi.)
85pathyongyaun-khyaa-nu, yung
86mountainbiʈʈaa; dhaɽe (peak)manam (hill); malam, kheɖ'
87redʈulhariyaatui, sha
88greenhariyo / hariyahwaa (dark green - gagina), kamaiyo, k'm'iu
89yellowpero, piilèbyaalo, hwi-byelo, p'rhho
90whitedhauryadhyaulyaa, dhyaurya, dhauɽia, ghouraya
91blacktuknahaatokaanye, namaro
92nightgairegadhir
93hotgamma [< IA]chunu, ghohnohw
94coldʈhanɖa [< IA]jungha, dzung
95fullbharatajimai (filled), bwohb
96newnongniu, nhu; n'u
97goodnhikahnamar (person), lagalo
98roundbaʈulo
99drykaarau we (vi.)karaao
100namenaammiĩhga

Body parts

Rastogi & Fortier (2005) list the following body part terms.

No.English glossRawati (Raji)Khamci (Raute)
1armpa:ti [< IA]arkha:, wa:u
2bellyla:do (Purbia Raji dang)1. photo (belly); 2. gudu ~ gudong; (Janggali gudang) (“intestines”?)
3bloodkhui1. s'ui:; 2. kshap (kshap recorded by C. Bandhu (pers. comm.))
4breastcuccisusi
5earghuna ~ hunaguna:
6eyeni:hkemi:hka
7fingeraguliyahubela
8fingernailnihanglem ~ le:hng ~ li:hm
9footbhaabhaa
10hairhaamu ~ hamo ~ ha ngo[< Nepali]
11handhaake (Purbia Raji yak)a:khaa, la:ku (Janggali ha:kai)
12headgaraagaraa
13hip, buttockss'yi-li
14goiterkok
15knee, jointpuhei ~ puhai ~ puherphuk
16legbhaa
17lipautha [< IA]cyure; cyura
18mouthkhaaber1. cyure; 2. mu ~ mu:hm: ~ mum
19neckgardhan [< IA] (Purbia Raji tuk)1. manto; mani; 2. ghaature [< Nepali]
20nipple, breastchuchu
21noses'innatsinaa ~ sinaa
22nostrilsdhodo
23shoulderskadhang [< IA]kum [< Nepali]
24skinkhallyaikiriki ~ kiliki ~ kikaa
25teeth, toothswaaswaåh; chuwaa; miu
26thighsjangaa1. kare, 2. bhaa
27vulvapi

Footnotes
  1. Fortier, Jana. Creating an Orthography for the Raute and Rawat.
  2. Schorer, Nicolas. 2016. The Dura Language: Grammar and Phylogeny. Leiden: Brill.

References
  • 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"
  • 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
  • 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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