Kinnauri language

Encyclopedia : K : KI : KIN : Kinnauri language

Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. See IPA chart for English for a pronunciation key.

Kinnauri, also known as Kanauri, Kanor, Koonawur, or Kunawar is a Tibeto-Burman language (Sino-Tibetan stock) spoken in the Kinnaur district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh by approximately 49,000 native speakers.

Contents

1 Sounds

1.1 Consonants
1.2 Vowels
1.3 Syllables

2 Grammar
3 Bibliography

Sounds

This description is of the Pangi dialect of Kinnauri.

Consonants

Bilabial Labio-Velar Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottal
Stop voiced b d ɖ ɡ
voiceless p t ʈ k
aspirated pʰ tʰ ʈʰ kʰ
Affricate voiced ʣ ʤ
voiceless ʦ ʧ
aspirated ʦʰ ʧʰ
Nasal m n ȵ ŋ
Trill r
Fricative s ʃ h
Approximant w l j

	Bilabial	Labio-Velar	Alveolar	Retroflex	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Stop	voiced	b		d	ɖ		ɡ
voiceless	p		t	ʈ		k
aspirated	pʰ		tʰ	ʈʰ		kʰ
Affricate	voiced			ʣ		ʤ
voiceless			ʦ		ʧ
aspirated			ʦʰ		ʧʰ
Nasal		m		n		ȵ	ŋ
Trill				r
Fricative				s		ʃ		h
Approximant			w	l		j

Note on palatals: /ʤ/, /ʧ/, /ʧʰ/, and /ʃ/ are post-alveolar. /ȵ/ is alveolo-palatal.

Vowels

Front Central Back
High i / iː ɨ / ɨː
Mid e / eː o / oː
Low a / aː

	Front	Central	Back
High	i / iː	ɨ / ɨː
Mid	e / eː		o / oː
Low		a / aː

Kinnauri has phonemic short and long vowels.

Syllables

/h/, aspirated obstruents (i.e. /pʰ/, /tʰ/, /ʈʰ/, /kʰ/, /ʦʰ/, /ʧʰ/), and glides (i.e. /w/, /j/) do not occur in syllable codas.

All consonants may occur in onsets and word-medially.

Kinnauri has the following types of syllables:

(C)V(C)(C)(C)
CCV(C)
CCCVC

Grammar

Bibliography

Grimes, Barbara F. (Ed.). (2000). Ethnologue: Languages of the world, (14th ed.). Dallas, TX: SIL International. ISBN 1-5567-1106-9. (Online edition: http://www.ethnologue.com/).
Nagano, Yasuhiko; & LaPolla, Randy J. (Eds.). (2001). New research on Zhangzhung and related Himalayan languages. Bon studies 3, Senri ethnological reports 19. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology.
Takahashi, Yoshiharu. (2001). A descriptive study of Kinnauri (Pangi dialect): A preliminary report. In Y. Nagano & R. J. LaPolla (Eds.), New research on Zhangzhung and related Himalayan languages. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology.

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