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Nhai Language

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Nhai
Phasieng Nhai
Native toRhavaFlag4.jpg Rhava
EthnicityNhai, Rhavanese
Native speakers
3,500,052
Indonadisi
  • Rhavic
    • Nhai
Standard forms
Northern
Dialects
  • Northern
  • Southern
Official status
Official language in
Rhava
Language codes
ISO 639-3

Nhai is a regional language of Rhava, and the sole official language of the Nhai ethnic group and used daily in Nokornhai.


Nhai Phonology

Consonants

Labial Dental/
Alveolar
Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m [m] m [m] nh [ɲ] ng [ŋ]
Stop/
Affricate
tenuis p, ph ([p]) t [t] tr [ʈ] dy []
ch []
k [k] (awh ([ʔ])
aspirated th
ts
tl []
glottalized b [ɓ] d [ɗ]
Fricative voiceless ph [f] [s] sh [ʂ] kh [x] h [h]
voiced [v]/y/ z [z] gh [ɣ]
Approximant l [l] y [j] qu [w]
Rhotic r [ɹ]
  - only found in the Northern Dialect
  - only found in the Southern Dialect

Vowels

Nhai has many different vowels. Though not labeled in the chart, there are also added long vowels such as; aa, and ee.

  Front Central Back
Centering iah [iə̯] uah, uoh [ɨə̯] ua/uô [uə̯]
Close iv, ee, y [i] wuh [u]
Close-mid/
Mid
ey, ay, eh [e] uh [əː]
â [ə]
oh [o]
Open-mid/
Open
e a [aː]
ah [a]
o [ɔ]


In addition to Nhai's many vowels, there are also diphthongs and triphthongs. The closing diphthongs and triphthongs consist of a main vowel component followed by a shorter semivowel wikipedia:offglide /j/ or /w/.

  /w/ offglide /j/ offglide
Centering iew [iə̯w uouh [ɯə̯w uy [ɯə̯j uyohiv [uə̯j
Close iu [iw] u'u [ɯw] uiv, uiy [ɯj] uiv, uee [uj]
Close-mid eu [ew]
âu [ʌw]
uhy, uyhiv [ɤj]
ay [ʌj]
oi, oy [oj]
Open-mid eo [ɛw] oi [ɔj]
Open   ao [aw]
au [ɐw]
ai [aj]
ay [ɐj]
 

</ref> There are restrictions on the high offglides: /j/ cannot occur after a front vowel (i, ê, e) nucleus and /w/ cannot occur after a back vowel (u, ô, o) nucleus.

  /w/ offglide /j/ offglide
Front Central Back
Centering iew [iə̯w] uouh [ɨə̯w] uhy, uhuy [ɨə̯j] uy [uə̯j]
Close iu [iw] u'u [ɨw] eiv, uhyiv [ɨj] ui [uj]
Close-mid/
Mid
eu [ew]
âu[əw]
uyh [əːj]
ay [əj]
oiv, ohwiv [oj]
Open-mid/
Open
eo [ɛw] ao [aːw]
au [aw]
ai [aːj]
ay [aj]
oi [ɔj]

Nhai Phonetics

In Nhai latinization most tones are not shone in actual writing, with the exception of the tieptuhk tone, which is sometimes shown with the word mā or mah.

A sentence such as;

Tuy Hak Yeo Lom Me Mā Tuy

would be pronounced as

Tuy Hak Yểo Lòm Mẹ Mā Tuy

Name Description Diacritic Example
ngang   'level' mid level (no mark) ma  'ghost'
huyen   'deep' low falling (often breathy) ◌̀ (wikipedia:grave accent)  'but'
sakhun   'sharp' high rising ◌́ (wikipedia:acute accent)  'cheek, mother (southern)'
hoi   'questioning' mid dipping-rising ◌̉ (wikipedia:hook above) mả  'tomb, grave'
nga   'tumbling' creaky high breaking-rising ◌̃ (wikipedia:tilde)  'horse
naknanh   'heavy' falling ◌̣ (dot below) mạ  'rice seedling'
tieptuhk   'continuation' straight tone (medium length) ◌̣ (straight line above)  'used before Tuy to symbolize ownership of subject'


Personal Pronouns

Number Word Definition
Singular
1st Tuy I, me
2nd Lanh you (older male)
2nd Lom you (older female)
2nd Kasonh you (younger male)
2nd Kasanh you (younger female)
2nd Nawh you (close friend)
3rd Lanh Nan he (older male)
3rd Lom Nan she (older female)
3rd Kasonh Nan he (younger male)
3rd Kasanh Nan She (younger female)
3rd Hawh They

[1]

Rhavanese Numerals

Literary Rhavanese
1 Mot
2 Thaoh
3 Phat
4 Bom
5 Khi
6 Khoh
7 Sab
8 Thapad
9 Thikhao
10 Muy
11 Muymot
12 Muythaoh
13 Muyphat
14 Muybom
15 Muykham
16 Muykhoh
17 Muysab
18 Muythapad
19 Muythikhao
20 Thaohmuy
21 Thaohmuy mot
30 Phatmuy
40 Bommuy
50 Khimuy
60 Khohmuy
70 Sabmuy
80 Thapadmuy
90 Thikhaomuy
100 Mot Tram

[2] [3]

Language Examples

Basic greetings and phrases

Rhavanese Translation Notes
Greetings
Namchao! Hello! A formal way of saying hello
Chao! Hey/ whats up Less formal way of saying hello
Chao Chasao Good Morning
Chao Amaelnh Good Night
Cham Welcome
Khivsam Sabit Goodbye/see you again
Dep Chonleuok Hello and Welcome Very formal, directly translates to; beautiful opportunities
Namchao Khoediv How are you?
Useful Expressions
Khobonh Thanks You can add a pronoun to the back, you can also say Shukran, or Khonaar
Kalinh Please
Kalinh Saoilai Please Say it Again
Kalinh Laplai Please repeat
Ntxua Nawh Lah How old are you You can put any pronoun at the beginning
Kalinhkao Sorry Alternative is Kaling-tlao
Kalinhkao, Nhai Mā Tuy Laemn Boun Khandiv Sorry, My Rhavanese is not good
Banay Souaphomnh Khatroi What time is it
Tuy Nahivtom I am hungry
Honh-am Naiuhdao Where is the bathroom?
Kalinh Hawivdee Please stop

Universal Decleration of Human Rights: article 1:

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.
Thanhmop Nguy Sinra Dopniv Ya Kintheoathiam Naiuh Phamkyiv Ya Quyen. Hawh Chawbhai Livphon Ya Lungsoanuk Ya Kuanhpativ Zhaikap Ntxoeng-au Naiuh Tinhchai Lamntxanh.

  1. you can add to any personal pronoun and it will change the meaning to have ownership
  2. 3 and 7 in some regions are also referred to as Sap and Sapa
  3. 5 before 10 is Khi and after 10 is Kham, however in numbers like 51 it would be Khimuy mot