Ho
Austroasiatic (Munda)
Ho is a Munda language closely related to Mundari (unr) and Santali (sat), native to the Singhbhum region of Jharkhand and Odisha. It is unique among Munda languages in having its own indigenous script — Warang Citi, invented by Lako Bodra in the early 20th century as a vehicle of Ho cultural autonomy and now encoded in Unicode (U+118A0-U+118FF). Ho speakers retain rich oral traditions of seasonal song, agricultural ritual, and spirit-possession healing.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Ho
Water
daa
/daː/
Fire
sengel
/seŋɡel/
Sun
singi
/siŋɡi/
Moon
chando
/tʃando/
Mother
ayu
/aju/
Father
apu
/apu/
Eat
jom
/dʒom/
Drink
nu
/nu/
Love
dulaiya
/dulaija/
Heart
jiu
/dʒiu/
Tree
daru
/daru/
House
oraa
/oraː/
Dog
seta
/seta/
Cat
pusi
/pusi/
Hand
ti
/ti/
Eye
med
/med/
Hello
johar
/dʒohar/
Thank you
dhanybad
/dʱanjbad/
One
miyad
/mijad/
Good
bugin
/buɡin/
Words compared
Compared with related Austroasiatic (Munda) languages
| Meaning | Ho | Mundari | Santali | Tokelauan | Bodo | Samoan | Tuvaluan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | daa /daː/ | daa /daː/ | ᱫᱟᱜ /daːk/ | vai /vai/ | दै /dai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | sengel /seŋɡel/ | sengel /seŋɡel/ | ᱥᱮᱝᱜᱮᱞ /seŋɡel/ | afi /afi/ | वाथार /watʰaɾ/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | singi /siŋɡi/ | singi /siŋɡi/ | ᱥᱤᱸᱜᱤ /siŋɡi/ | la /la/ | सान /san/ | lā /laː/ | laa /laː/ |
| Moon | chando /tʃando/ | chando /tʃando/ | ᱪᱟᱸᱫᱳ /tʃãndo/ | malama /malama/ | ओखाफोर /okʰapʰoɾ/ | māsina /maːsina/ | masina /masina/ |
| Mother | ayu /aju/ | ayo /ajo/ | ᱟᱭᱳ /ajo/ | matua /matua/ | आय /aj/ | tinā /tinaː/ | maatua /maːtua/ |
| Father | apu /apu/ | apu /apu/ | ᱟᱯᱟᱹ /apə/ | tamana /tamana/ | आफा /apʰa/ | tamā /tamaː/ | tamana /tamana/ |
| Eat | jom /dʒom/ | jom /dʒom/ | ᱡᱳᱢ /d͡ʒom/ | kai /kai/ | जा /dʒa/ | ʻai /ʔai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | nu /nu/ | nu /nu/ | ᱧᱩ /ɲu/ | inu /inu/ | लोङ /loŋ/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| Love | dulaiya /dulaija/ | dularaa /dularaː/ | ᱫᱩᱞᱟᱲᱤ /dulaɽi/ | alofa /alofa/ | मोनदोङ /mondoŋ/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ |
| Heart | jiu /dʒiu/ | jiu /dʒiu/ | ᱢᱳᱱ /mon/ | fatu /fatu/ | फिथा /pʰitʰa/ | loto /loto/ | fatu /fatu/ |
| Tree | daru /daru/ | daru /daru/ | ᱫᱟᱨᱮ /dare/ | lakau /lakau/ | बिजि /bidʒi/ | laʻau /laʔau/ | laakau /laːkau/ |
| House | oraa /oraː/ | oraa /oraː/ | ᱳᱲᱟᱜ /oɽaːk/ | fale /fale/ | नो /no/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ |
| Dog | seta /seta/ | seta /seta/ | ᱥᱮᱛᱟ /seta/ | kuli /kuli/ | सैमा /saima/ | maile /maile/ | kuli /kuli/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | ᱯᱩᱥᱤ /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | मौजि /maudʒi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Hand | ti /ti/ | ti /ti/ | ᱛᱤ /tiː/ | lima /lima/ | आखाइ /akʰai/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Eye | med /med/ | med /med/ | ᱢᱮᱫ /met/ | mata /mata/ | मेगन /meɡon/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | johar /dʒohar/ | johar /dʒohar/ | ᱡᱳᱦᱟᱨ /d͡ʒohar/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | खुलुमबाय /kʰulumbai/ | talofa /talofa/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ |
| Thank you | dhanybad /dʱanjbad/ | dhonyobad /dʱoɲobad/ | ᱫᱷᱚᱱᱭᱚᱵᱟᱫ /dʱonjobad/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | साबार /sabaɾ/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ |
| One | miyad /mijad/ | mid /mid/ | ᱢᱤᱫ /mit/ | tahi /tahi/ | से /se/ | tasi /tasi/ | tasi /tasi/ |
| Good | bugin /buɡin/ | bes /bes/ | ᱵᱮᱥ /bes/ | lelei /lelei/ | मोजां /modʒaŋ/ | lelei /lelei/ | lei /lei/ |
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