Nhai Language
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| Nhai | |
|---|---|
| Phasieng Nhai | |
| Native to |  Rhava |
| Ethnicity | Nhai, Rhavanese |
Native speakers | 3,500,052 |
Indonadisi
| |
Standard forms | Northern
|
| Dialects |
|
| 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 [dʒ] ch [tʃ] |
k [k] | (awh ([ʔ]) |
| aspirated | th tʰ ts tl [tɬ] |
||||||
| 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/
Midey, ay, eh [e] uh [əː]
â [ə]oh [o] Open-mid/
Opene 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/
Mideu [ew] –
âu[əw]uyh [əːj]
ay [əj]oiv, ohwiv [oj] Open-mid/
Openeo [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) | mà 'but' |
| sakhun 'sharp' | high rising | ◌́ (wikipedia:acute accent) | má 'cheek, mother (southern)' |
| hoi 'questioning' | mid dipping-rising | ◌̉ (wikipedia:hook above) | mả 'tomb, grave' |
| nga 'tumbling' | creaky high breaking-rising | ◌̃ (wikipedia:tilde) | mã 'horse |
| naknanh 'heavy' | falling | ◌̣ (dot below) | mạ 'rice seedling' |
| tieptuhk 'continuation' | straight tone (medium length) | ◌̣ (straight line above) | mā '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 |
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 |
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.
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