Raji is a small Sino-Tibetan language of Nepal and Uttarakhand, India spoken by the Raji people. Speakers were until recently nomadic.
Distribution
Raji is spoken in the following areas of southwestern Nepal:
It is also spoken by Raji people of Uttarakhand, India, primarily living in Pithoragarh district.
In Pithoragarh district, Rastogi (2015) reports that Raji is spoken in the hamlets of Kimkhola, Bhogtirua, Ganagaon, Chipaltara, Madanbori, Kutachaurani, Altodi, Jamtadi, Khirdwari and Chakarpur.
Dialects
Khatri (2008) divides Raji into 3 main regional dialects, for which he also provides word lists.
- Barabandale: spoken in Jyotinagar, Katasi, Lalbojhi, Kuti, Bhuruwa, Solta, Khairehi, and Keodi of Kailali District; Sundarpur, Bandevi Sibir, Daiji, Krishanpur and Chela Sibir of Kanchanpur District; and Rajigaun, Galfa, and Babiyachaur of Surkhet District.
- Purbiya: Shankarpur, Machhagadh, Baniyabhar, Rambhapur, Dhakela, Dhadhawar, Sanoshree, Gulariya Municipality and Phanphena of Bardiya District.Also Speak in Chhinchu of Surkhet District.
- Naukule : Spoken in Jhil and Kuchaini of Chaumala, Shankarpur of Masuriya, Jarahi of Sadepani, Dhangaghi Municipality and Manera. All are located within Kailali District.
Phonology
References
External links
- Raji Language Resource collection of Raji language documentation in the Computational Resource for South Asian Languages (CoRSAL) archive