Kullui (Kullū, also known as Kulvi, Takri: 𑚊𑚰𑚥𑚷𑚱𑚃/𑚊𑚰𑚥𑚷𑚱𑚦𑚯) is a Western Pahari language spoken in the Kullu District of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

Kullui
𑚊𑚰𑚥𑚷𑚱𑚃, कुळूई, kuḷūī
Kuḷūī written in Takri Script
Native toIndia
RegionHimachal Pradesh
Native speakers
196,295 (2011)[1]
Takri, Devanagari
Language codes
ISO 639-3kfx
Glottologkull1236
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.

Phonology

edit

Consonants

edit
Bilabial Dental Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Pharyngeal Glottal
Plosive p
b

t̪ʰ

d̪ʱ
ʈ
ʈʰ
ɖ
ɖʱ
k
ɡ
ɡʱ
ʔ
Affricate ts
tsʰ
dz
dzʱ
c͡ç
c͡çʰ
ɟ͡ʝ
ɟ͡ʝʱ
Fricative s ɕ ħ ɦ
Nasal m ɳ ɲ ŋ
Trill/Flap r ɽ
Lateral l ɭ
Approximant j

For the stops and affricates there is a four-way distinction in phonation between tenuis /p/, voiced /b/, aspirated /pʰ/ and breathy voiced /bʱ/ series. Thakur (1975, pp. 175–8) lists as separate phonemes aspirated correlates of /ŋ/, /n/, /m/, /j/, /r/, /ɽ/, /l/ and /ɭ/, but describes the aspiration as a voiceless pharyngeal friction. /n̪/ is dental, but becomes alveolar if the next syllable contains a retroflex consonant. /ŋ/ and /ɲ/ are rare, but contrast with the other nasals word-medially between vowels. /ɳ/, /ɭ/ and /ɽ/, together with their aspirated correlates, don't occur in the beginning of words.[2] The glottal stop occurs only between a vowel and /ɳ/, /n/, /r/ or /l/, e.g. [kɑːʔɭ] "a trumpet", which contrasts with [kɑːɭ] "famine". The pharyngeal fricative /ħ/ historically derives from /s/ and occurs word-finally, e.g. [ɡʱɑːħ] "grass", [biːħ] "twenty".[3]

Script

edit

The native script of the language is a variety of the Takri script.

 
Sample text in Takri

Status

edit

The language is commonly called Pahari or Himachali.[citation needed] The language has no official status. According to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the language is of definitely endangered category, i.e. many Kulluvi children are not learning Kulluvi as their mother tongue any longer.[4]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  2. ^ Thakur 1975, p. 180. An exception is the word [ɽəbɑːɳɑː] "to throw".
  3. ^ Thakur 1975, p. 181.
  4. ^ "Endangered languages".

Bibliography

edit
  • Thakur, Mauluram (1975), Pahāṛī bhāṣā, Delhi: Sanmarg Prakashan
edit