Kham language

Geographical distribution

• Nishel dialect: Nisi, Bhalkot, and Budhathok villages
• Bhujel dialect: Kuku, Diza, Kang, Masbang, Musuri, and Sukurdung villages

• Rukum District, Rapti Zone
• Rolpa District, Rapti Zone
• Dolpa District, Karnali Zone

• Rolpa District, Rapti Zone
• Baglung District, Dhawalagiri Zone

• Western hills of Rolpa District, Rapti Zone: in Jangkot, Kotgaon, Rimsek, Korcabang, Dangdung, Hwama, Dhangsi, Bhabang, and Ghapa villages.

  Dialects

• Sheshi
• *Tapnangi
• *Jangkoti
• Gamale
• *Tamali
• *Ghusbangi
• Parbate
• *Eastern Parbate
• **Nishel
• **Bhujel
• *Wester Parbate
• **Maikoti
• **Takale
• **Lukumel
• **Thabangi
• **Wale

  Phonology

Consonants

• The rhotic is realized as a trill at the end of words. Otherwise, it is a flap.

  Vowels

• length
• nasalization
• diphthongs
• vowel harmony

  Tone

• voice register

  Reconstruction

• *r-dzəŋ ~ *b-dzəŋ 'back'
• *yep 'back '
• *phuː 'belly'
• *dziːh 'blood'
• *klaŋ 'body'
• *s-rus 'bone'
• *nun 'breast'
• *sək 'breath'
• *r-mehsiŋ 'buttocks'
• *r-tso 'cheek'
• *r-na 'ear'
• *r-zut 'egg'
• *mik 'eye'
• *s-ŋa 'face'
• *sot 'fat'
• *r-sin 'fingernail'
• *kəŋ 'foot'
• *r-nihl 'gums'
• *r-ta 'guts'
• *muhl 'hair '
• *p-tsem 'hair '
• *kut 'hand'
• * *r-la 'the under-arm area; side of the body'
• *s-r-ŋat 'head'
• *s-yiŋ 'heart'
• *b-rəhŋ 'horn'
• *sya 'animal'
• *r-khap 'jawbone'
• *kəl 'kidney'
• *p-sin 'liver'
• *yaːh 'mouth'
• *s-məŋ 'mustache'
• *r-dehŋ 'neck'
• *s-nat 'nose'
• *r-dzihs 'piss'
• *s-nis 'pus'
• *b-rəhm 'rib'
• *p-s-til 'saliva'
• *kli 'shit'
• * *r-kək 'excrement in the intestine of a slaughtered animal'
• *s-pum 'shoulder'
• *r-sa 'sinew'
• *l-kota 'skin'
• *r-nahp 'snot'
• *r-meh 'tail'
• *r-pihl 'tears'
• *r-b-yah 'thigh '
• *p-s-le 'tongue'
• *ha-p-sya 'tooth'
• *wohs 'vomit'
• *hwaŋ 'waist'
• *r-mil ~ *s-mil 'wind pipe'
• *kər 'wing'

• *dahpa 'bachelor'
• *za 'child'
• *nan 'friend'
• *b-re 'husband'
• *dahme 'maiden'
• *r-min 'name'
• *r-mi; *ruː 'person'
• * *s-lepa 'man, male human'
• * *miːma 'woman, female human' < *mi 'person' + *ma 'female'
• *nana 'sister '
• *nam 'sister '
• *nəŋ 'thou'
• *dzya 'wife'

• *bəhres 'bread'
• *tsip 'curry'
• *r-zəm 'food'
• *s-ŋən 'herbs'
• *raŋrəi 'millet'
• *r-mo 'mushroom'
• *hek 'parched grain'
• *tuk 'poison'
• *kaŋ 'rice '
• *plima 'wheat'

• *səhr 'antelope'
• *nim 'bear'
• *r-pen 'bedbug'
• *b-zin 'bee'
• *bwa 'bird'
• * *s-puŋ 'chick'
• *gəl 'boar '
• *b-s-rut 'bug'
• *s-raŋ 'cat'
• *har 'cow'
• *kaːh 'dog'
• *ŋah 'fish'
• *tek 'frog'
• *ra 'goat'
• *r-ta 'horse'
• *r-pəti 'leech'
• *la 'leopard'
• *syar 'louse'
• *s-p-yu; *s-p-ya 'monkey'
• *srəm 'otter'
• *b-rəhŋ 'pheasant'
• *wə 'pig'
• *bi 'rat'
• *luk 'sheep'
• *guhl 'snake'
• * *daŋ 'python, constricting snake'
• *p-s-yap 'squirrel '
• *s-kyar 'woodpecker'
• *p-sən 'wool'

• *r-plah 'ashes'
• *kər 'branch'
• *r-pup 'cave'
• *la 'day'
• * *tshyam 'a certain day'
• *b-rih 'dirt'
• *r-gəm 'earth'
• *rihm 'evening'
• *ehŋ 'field'
• * *baŋ 'a field, meadow, bowl shaped valley'
• *meh 'fire'
• *p-set 'fruit'
• *tshi 'grass'
• *kuŋ 'hole'
• *dzəhŋ 'iron'
• *s-la 'leaf'
• *r-nahm 'low country'
• *p-s-ya + *hwot 'moon'
• *goŋ 'mountain'
• *rik; *mun 'night'
• *r-wa 'rain'
• *bəih 'river'
• *yem 'road'
• *s-rin 'root'
• *sa + *pik 'salt'
• *nup 'set '
• *saŋ 'shadow'
• *nəm 'sky'
• *mihkut 'smoke' < *meːh 'fire' + *ku 'smoke'
• *r-pom 'snow'
• *səro 'star'
• *r-dzuht 'stick'
• *luŋ 'stone'
• *nəmi 'sun'
• *b-zu 'thorn'
• *siŋ 'tree'
• *riːh 'water'
• * *rihmun 'cooking water' < *riːh 'water' + *mun 'warm'
• *rəhm 'weed'

• *r-wan 'arrowhead'
• *r-wa 'axe'
• *r-beh 'basket'
• *li 'bow'
• *tshəm 'bridge'
• *pəsi 'broom'
• *kwa 'cloth'
• *yahm 'door'
• *b-rihŋ 'drum'
• *'gor 'circle'
• *muhthap 'hearth' < *muh 'burn' + *thap 'hearth'
• *zihm 'house'
• * *r-bəŋ 'lower storey of house; cattle byre'
• *khor 'knife'
• *gur 'load'
• *tən 'sleeping mat'
• *b-lo 'large bamboo mat'
• *tshum 'mortar'
• *r-gəp 'a small needle'
• *r-khap 'a large needle'
• *b-zəhn 'net'
• *r-gum 'pillow'
• *gohr 'plow'
• *b-dza 'pot'
• *p-sip 'sheath'
• *tsihŋ 'snare'
• *gel 'spirit'
• *naŋkhar; *nam 'village'
• *ehn 'work'
• *kum 'yoke'

• *glahŋ 'across'
• *chin 'behind'
• *khar 'center'
• *me 'down'
• *s-ŋa 'front'
• *thək 'upright'
• *a-sniŋ 'year'
• * *rta-sniŋ 'last year'
• * *pərniŋ 'next year'

• *tə 'one'
• *nehs 'two'
• *sohm 'three'
• *b-zi 'four'
• *r-ŋa 'five'

• *sən; *so 'awaken'
• *klik 'cry'
• *eh 'defecate'
• *si 'die'
• *b-yi 'fart'
• *sas 'laugh'
• * *p-s-rat 'to play'
• * *b-s-res 'toy, plaything'
• *nah 'rest'
• *tsuŋ 'sit'
• *r-ŋəhl; *em; *ruk ~ *ru-t 'sleep'
• * *s-ip 'to put to sleep'
• *p-tshis 'sneeze'
• *s-paŋ 'speak'
• *tsyahŋ 'stand'
• *kəlet 'tickle'
• *r-dzihs 'urinate'
• *woh-t 'vomit' < CAUS. of wohs 'to spurt out'
• *gəhr 'weep'

• *kles 'arrive'
• *rə-t 'bring'
• *plu-s 'climb'
• *huŋ 'come'
• *plu-s 'emerge'
• * *s-plu-t 'cause to emerge, expel'
• *te-s 'fall'
• *s-bur 'fly'
• *z-ba 'go'
• *b-la 'graze'
• *mohŋ 'hide'
• *zok 'run'

• *r-məŋ 'dream'
• *p-tshet 'fear'
• *s-meŋ 'forget'
• *that 'hear'
• * *thas 'to be heard, audible'
• *sən 'know'
• *r-ses 'something, to know how'
• *r-sək 'proud'
• *rəhŋ 'see'
• * *p-tsyu 'to look'
• *s-ŋər; *s-nəm 'smell'
• *b-ris 'tingle'

• *məhŋ 'drunk'
• *sot 'fat'
• *kre 'hunger'
• *na 'ill'
• *so 'itchy'
• *tshaŋ 'pure'
• *tsos 'thirst'

• *pək 'bad'
• *li 'be'
• *p-se 'bear fruit'
• *s-ta-s 'become'
• *ka 'bitter'
• *pak 'broken'
• *mom 'bud'
• *p-set 'bud'
• *r-pu-s 'burst'
• *zihm; *gim 'cold'
• *s-ta 'collapsed'
• *s-kluŋ 'detach'
• *thəŋ 'dried'
• *yək 'full'
• *p-tsa 'good'
• *s-len 'greasy'
• *piŋ 'green'
• *gis < *s-lis 'heavy'
• *s-gwaŋ 'hole'
• *b-rah 'hot'
• *wyi 'leak'
• *bom 'light'
• *s-lo; *b-re 'long'
• *dzöhl 'loose'
• *mah 'lost'
• *s-dem ~ *them 'low'
• *khət 'matched'
• *sahr 'new'
• *gyahm 'red'
• *mihn 'ripe'
• *tsik 'rotten'
• *lum 'round'
• *p-tsha 'sharp'
• *tun 'short'
• *zim 'small'
• *b-sir 'sour'
• *tuk 'spicy'
• *sli-s 'stale'
• *b-rehk 'sweet'
• *ruhŋ 'thick'
• *plek 'thin'
• * *wa 'to be thin '
• *mun 'warm'
• *pal 'white'
• * *plaŋ 'bright, illuminated'

• *s-po 'beat'
• *ŋih 'beg'
• *kəi 'bite'
• *s-mut 'blow'
• * *phut 'to blow with bellows'
• *r-lap 'bore'
• *s-kle 'break'
• *hip 'burn'
• *r-duhp 'butt'
• *ləhŋ 'buy'
• * *b-lot 'to lend to someone'
• * *b-los 'to borrow'
• *guhr 'carry'
• *kloh 'catch'
• *kwa-t 'clothe'
• *r-sat 'comb'
• *phin 'cook'
• * *mihn 'to cook until done'
• * *tso 'to boil'
• *kəp 'cover'
• *pəl 'cut'
• * *kri 'to cut meat'
• *p-syah 'dance'
• *goh 'dig'
• *gəp 'draw water'
• *zya 'eat'
• * *kəi 'to eat things which require chewing'
• *hat 'extract'
• *z-dət 'find'
• *z-dup 'gather'
• *ya 'give'
• *p-set 'grind'
• *r-guh 'guard'
• *tup 'hammer'
• *tsho 'herd'
• *phok 'husk'
• *lut 'insert'
• *tak 'install'
• *r-then 'kick'
• *saht 'kill'
• *kek 'ladle'
• *b-rihm 'lay wall'
• *lep 'lick'
• *dzət 'make'
• *pek 'milk'
• *z-bra-t 'mix'
• *pho-t 'open'
• *phok 'pay'
• *tik 'pick up'
• *s-krəp 'pin closed'
• *p-tsil 'pinch'
• *p-sut 'plug'
• *tek 'press'
• *dzəhk 'put'
• * *nat 'to set down, place'
• *ra-s 'release'
• *phit 'remove from fire'
• *tsep 'ride'
• *s-ŋo 'roast'
• *b-zu 'rub'
• * *p-sil 'to scrub'
• *s-lom 'scald'
• *sim 'scoop'
• *s-pik 'scrape'
• * *pur 'to scratch'
• *s-nan 'seize'
• *p-yet 'sell'
• *s-priŋ 'send'
• *ruhp 'sew'
• *p-yen 'shave'
• *gap 'shoot'
• *s-tən 'show'
• *kok 'skin, peel'
• *phyak 'snap'
• *tshim 'soak'
• *was 'sow seed'
• *khəl 'spin wool'
• *p-si 'split firewood'
• *tser 'squeeze'
• *ku 'steal'
• * *rok 'to ransack, rummage'
• *r-wal 'stir'
• *on 'stop'
• *sit 'sweep'
• *p-sik ~ *p-sis 'teach'
• *p-tsit 'tear'
• *khya 'throw'
• *s-ki 'tie'
• *s-to 'trade'
• *kil 'twist'
• *s-krup 'unfold'
• *bohk 'uproot'
• *tse 'wash'
• * *r-za 'to wash hair'
• *rəhk 'weave'
• * *rihn 'to set up a loom'
• *hul 'whet'