Ajithkumardas6 at 17:14, 26 March 2026

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{{Short description|Kiranti language of India}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Khaling
|altname=khāliṅ
|nativename=खालिङ
|states=[[Nepal]]
|region=[[Solukhumbu District|Solukhumbu]] and [[Khotang District|Khotang]] districts
|speakers=14,467 in Nepal
| ethnicity= [[Rai people|Khaling Rai]]
|date=2011 census
|ref=e18
|speakers2=unknown number in India<ref name=e18/>
|familycolor=Sino-Tibetan
|fam2=[[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman]]
|fam3=[[Mahakiranti languages|Mahakiranti]] (?)
|fam4=[[Kiranti languages|Kiranti]] |fam5=Western
|fam6=Upper Dudhkosi
|script=[[Devanagari]]
|iso3=klr
|glotto=khal1275
|glottorefname=Khaling
}}

'''Khaling''' (kʰɛ̂l brâː ख्या:ल् ब्रा:) is a [[Kiranti language]] spoken in [[Solukhumbu district]], Nepal and [[Sikkim]], [[Darjeeling]], and [[Kalimpong]] in India. It is one of the few Kiranti languages with [[Tone (linguistics)|tonal]] contrasts, which are of secondary origin.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jacques |first1=Guillaume |last2=Lahaussois |first2=Aimée |last3=Michailovsky |first3=Boyd |last4=Rai |first4=Dhan Bahadur |title=An Overview of Khaling Verbal Morphology |journal=Language and Linguistics |date=2012 |volume=13 |issue=6 |pages=1095–1170 |id={{ProQuest|1525426362}} }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Jacques |first1=Guillaume |editor1-last=Palancar |chapter=Tonogenesis and tonal alternations in Khaling |pages=41–66 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wka7CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA41 |editor1-first=Enrique L. |editor2-last=Léonard |editor2-first=Jean Léo |title=Tone and Inflection: New Facts and New Perspectives |date=2016 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |isbn=978-3-11-045275-4 }}</ref>

Khaling has approximately 15,000 speakers and is therefore considered a vulnerable language. Khaling has a complex system of stem alternations: as many as 10 distinct stems have to be posited for a word (Jacques et al. 2012). Khaling is very unusual in having an auditory demonstrative (see Jacques and Lahaussois 2014). Khaling is also known as [[Rai languages|Rai]], Khalinge Rai, Khael Bra, and Khael Baat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/4408|title=Did you know Khaling is vulnerable?|website=Endangered Languages|access-date=2016-05-01|archive-date=2016-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610131624/http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/4408|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==General information==
Khaling is still being acquired by children who live in Khaling-speaking areas, as well as non-Khaling children who happen to live in that area.

==Geographical distribution==
Khaling is spoken in the following VDC's of Nepal (''[[Ethnologue]]'').

*[[Solukhumbu District]], [[Province No. 1]]: [[Kaku, Nepal|Kanku]], [[Basa, Nepal|Basa]], [[Baku, Nepal|Waku]], Buksa, [[Jubing]], [[Pawai]] and [[Phuleli]] villages
*[[Khotang District]], [[Province No. 1]]: [[Buipa]] Fuleli and [[Kharmi]] villages
*[[Udayapur District]], [[Province No. 1]]: Triyuga Municipality Gaighat, Basaha, Belter, Rampur city.
*[[Sankhuwasabha District]], [[Province No. 1]]: Tungkhaling village
*[[Sunsari District]], [[Province No. 1]]: [[Dharan, Nepal|Dharan]]
*[[Ilam District]], [[Province No. 1]]: [[Pyang|Pang]], [[Sumbek]], and [[Mai Pokhari]] villages

==Phonology==
===Vowels===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Vowel phonemes
! rowspan="3" |
! colspan="2" |[[Front vowel|Front]]
! colspan="4" |[[Central vowel|Central]]
! colspan="2" |[[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
!colspan=2 |[[unrounded vowel|unrounded]]
!colspan=2 |[[rounded vowel|rounded]]
!colspan=2 |[[unrounded vowel|unrounded]]
!colspan=2 |[[rounded vowel|rounded]]
|-
!short
!long
!short
!long
!short
!long
!short
!long
|-
![[high vowel|High]]
|{{IPA link|i}} {{angbr|इ}}
|{{IPA link|iː}}
|{{IPA link|ʉ}} {{angbr|अ्यु}}
|{{IPA link |ʉː}}
|
|
|{{IPA link |u}} {{angbr|उ}}
|{{IPA link |uː}}
|- align="center"
![[high-mid vowel|High-mid]]
|{{IPA link |e}} {{angbr|ए}}
|{{IPA link |eː}}
|{{IPA link |ɵ}} {{angbr|अ्यो}}
|{{IPA link |ɵː}}
|
|
|{{IPA link |o}} {{angbr|ओ}}
|{{IPA link |oː}}
|- align="center"
![[low-mid vowel|Low-mid]]
|{{IPA link |ɛ}} {{angbr|अ्या}}
|{{IPA link |ɛː}}
|
|
|{{IPA link |ʌ}} {{angbr|अ}}
|
|{{IPA|oɔ}} {{angbr|अ्वा}}
|
|- align="center"
![[low vowel|Low]]
|
|
|
|
|{{IPA link |ä}} {{angbr|आ}}
|{{IPA link |äː}}
|
|
|}
*Khaling language has rising-falling is denoted by using / ः/ while using Devanagari script.
*/ʌ/ and /oɔ/ do not appear as long vowels.
*Long vowels are denoted by ⟨ऽ⟩.

===Consonants===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Khaling consonant phonemes
! colspan="3" |
! [[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
! [[Dental consonant|Dental]]
! [[Alveolar consonant|alveolar]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}} {{angbr|म}}
|
| {{IPA link|n}} {{angbr|न}}
| {{IPA link|ŋ}} {{angbr|ङ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[Affricate]]
! rowspan="2"| [[Voicelessness|voiceless]]
! [[unaspirated]]
| {{IPA link|p}} {{angbr|प}}
| {{IPA link|t̪}} {{angbr|त}}
| {{IPA link|ts}} {{angbr|च}}
| {{IPA link|k}} {{angbr|क}}
|{{IPA link|ʔ}} {{angbr|अ्}}
|-
! [[aspirated consonant|aspirated]]
| {{IPA link|pʰ}} {{angbr|फ}}
| {{IPA link|t̪ʰ}} {{angbr|थ}}
| {{IPA link|tsʰ}} {{angbr|छ}}
| {{IPA link|kʰ}} {{angbr|ख}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2"| [[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]
! [[unaspirated]]
| {{IPA link|b}} {{angbr|ब}}
| {{IPA link|d̪}} {{angbr|द}}
| {{IPA link|dz}} {{angbr|ज}}
| {{IPA link|ɡ}} {{angbr|ग}}
|
|-
! [[aspirated consonant|aspirated]]
| {{IPA link|bʱ}} {{angbr|भ}}
| {{IPA link|d̪ʱ}} {{angbr|ध}}
| {{IPA link|dzʱ}} {{angbr|झ}}
| {{IPA link|ɡʱ}} {{angbr|घ}}
|
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Fricative]]
|
| {{IPA link|s}} {{angbr|स}}
|
| {{IPA link|h}} {{IPA link|x}} {{angbr|ह}}
|
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
| {{IPA link|r}} {{angbr|र}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Lateral consonant|Lateral]]
|
| {{IPA link|l}} {{angbr|ल}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="3" | [[Continuant consonant|Frictionless continuant]]
| {{IPA link|w}} {{angbr|व}}
|
| {{IPA link|j}} {{angbr|य}}
|
|
|}

* Glotta stop {{IPAblink|ʔ}} is one of the consonants of Koyu/Koyee(Koi) language which is represent by using {{angbr|अ्}}.
* To write Khaling language Devanagari lipi or Kirat Sirijungga lipi is used.

==See also==
* [[Rai people]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Hale, Austin, editor. 1973. Collected papers on Khaling, Kulung, Darai, Newari, Chitwan Tharu. Nepal Studies in Linguistics, 1. Kirtipur: Summer Institute of Linguistics and Institute for Nepal and Asian Studies. vii, 87 p.
* {{cite journal |last1=Jacques |first1=Guillaume |last2=Lahaussois |first2=Aimée |last3=Michailovsky |first3=Boyd |last4=Rai |first4=Dhan Bahadur |title=An Overview of Khaling Verbal Morphology |journal=Language and Linguistics |date=2012 |volume=13 |issue=6 |pages=1095–1170 |id={{ProQuest|1525426362}} }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Jacques |first1=Guillaume |last2=Lahaussois |first2=Aimée |title=The auditory demonstrative in Khaling |journal=Studies in Language |date=22 August 2014 |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=393–404 |doi=10.1075/sl.38.2.05jac |url=https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01244878/file/tikim.pdf }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Jacques |first1=Guillaume |title=Derivational verbal morphology in Khaling |journal=Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics |date=2015 |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=78–85 |doi=10.1163/2405478X-00801005 |doi-access=free }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Jacques |first1=Guillaume |last2=Lahaussois |first2=Aimée |last3=Rai |first3=Dhan Bahadur |title=Reflexive paradigms in Khaling |journal=Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area |date=8 July 2016 |volume=39 |issue=1 |pages=33–48 |doi=10.1075/ltba.39.1.02jac |s2cid=124825481 |url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01356782/file/Reflexive_paradigms_in_Khaling_Lahaussois.pdf }}
*Jacques, Guillaume, Aimée Lahaussois, Dhan Bahadur Rai & Yadav Kumar. 2015. Khaling-Nepali-English Dictionary, version 1.0. Paris: Projet HimalCo. http://himalco.huma-num.fr/.
*Toba, Sueyoshi and Ingrid Toba. 1972. Khaling phonemic summary. Tibeto-Burman Phonemic Summaries, 12. Kirtipur: Summer Institute of Linguistics and Institute of Nepal Studies, Tribhuvan University. 73 p.
*Toba, Ingrid. 1973. "The Khaling verb." Nepal Studies in Linguistics 1: 1-14.
*Toba, Sueyoshi and Ingrid Toba. 1975. A Khaling-English, English-Khaling glossary. Kathmandu: Summer Institute of Linguistics and Institute of Nepal and Asian Studies. xiii, 86 p.
* {{cite journal |last1=Toba |first1=Ingrid |title=Folk Art and Culture Change as Observed in a Khaling Village |journal=Kailash |volume=5 |issue=1 |date=1977 |pages=13–27 |url=https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/227132 }}
*Toba, Sueyoshi. 1981. Khaling texts. Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa. 97 p.
*Toba, Sueyoshi. 1983. Khaling Texts. YAK 7. Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa
*Toba, Sueyoshi. 1984. Khaling. Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa
* {{cite journal |last1=Ross |first1=Caughley |title=Review of: The structure of Kiranti languages: comparative grammar and texts, by Karen Ebert {{!}} SIL Nepal |journal=Journal of Nepalese Studies |date=1996 |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=243–246 }}
*Hansson, G. (1991). ''The Rai of Eastern Nepal, Ethnic and Linguistic Grouping: Findings of the Linguistic Survey of Nepal''. Linguistic Survey of Nepal and Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies, Tribhuvan University.
* {{cite journal |last1=Hodson |first1=T. C. |title=Note on the Numeral Systems of the Tibeto-Burman Dialects |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland |date=1913 |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=315–336 |doi=10.1017/S0035869X00044592 |jstor=25188969 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Matisoff |first1=James A. |title=Handbook of Proto-Tibeto-Burman: System and Philosophy of Sino-Tibetan Reconstruction |date=2003 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-09843-5 |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/19d79619 |page=174 }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Michailovsky |first1=Boyd |last2=Mazaudon |first2=Martine |title=Notes on the Hayu Language |journal=Kailash |volume=1 |date=1973 |pages=135–152 |url=https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/227137 }}
* {{cite journal |last1=van Driem |first1=George |title=The Fall and Rise of the Phoneme /r/ in Eastern Kiranti: Sound Change in Tibeto-Burman |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London |date=1990 |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=83–86 |doi=10.1017/S0041977X00021273 |jstor=618970 |s2cid=128967034 }}

== External links ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KJIvfHOWbk Khaling Rai Song; स्याल थन्न्य मो अो स्यो]

{{Sino-Tibetan languages}}
{{Kiranti languages}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kiranti languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Nepal]]
[[Category:Languages of Koshi Province]]
[[Category:Languages written in Devanagari]]

Khaling language - Revision history

Ajithkumardas6 at 17:14, 26 March 2026