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 has 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
31 core words in Ho
Water
daa
/daː/
Fire
sengel
/seŋɡel/
Sun
singi
/siŋɡi/
Moon
chando
/tʃando/
Star
ipil
/ipil/
Mother
ayu
/aju/
Father
apu
/apu/
I
aiñ
/aiɲ/
You
am
/am/
Name
nutum
/nutum/
Eye
med
/med/
Hand
ti
/ti/
Heart
jiu
/dʒiu/
Love
dulaiya
/dulaija/
Tree
daru
/daru/
House
oraa
/oraː/
Dog
seta
/seta/
Cat
pusi
/pusi/
Eat
jom
/dʒom/
Drink
nu
/nu/
One
miyad
/mijad/
Two
bariya
/barija/
Hello
johar
/dʒohar/
Thank you
dhanybad
/dʱanjbad/
Good
bugin
/buɡin/
Words compared
Compared with related Austroasiatic (Munda) languages
| Meaning | Ho | Mundari | Santali | Sora language | Bodo | Fiji Hindi | Tokelauan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | daa /daː/ | daa /daː/ | ᱫᱟᱜ /daʔ/ | daŋa /daŋa/ | दै /dai/ | paani /paːni/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | sengel /seŋɡel/ | sengel /seŋɡel/ | ᱥᱮᱝᱜᱮᱞ /seŋɡel/ | tin /tin/ | वाथार /watʰaɾ/ | aagi /aːɡi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | singi /siŋɡi/ | singi /siŋɡi/ | ᱥᱤᱸᱜᱤ /siŋɡi/ | dag /dag/ | सान /san/ | suraj /suːrədʒ/ | la /la/ |
| Moon | chando /tʃando/ | chando /tʃando/ | ᱪᱟᱸᱫᱳ /tʃãndo/ | dian /dian/ | ओखाफोर /okʰapʰoɾ/ | chaand /tʃãːd/ | malama /malama/ |
| Star | ipil /ipil/ | ipil /ipil/ | ᱤᱯᱤᱞ /ipil/ | tərɖaŋ /tərɖaŋ/ | हाथोरखि /hatʰorkʰi/ | taaraa /taːraː/ | fetu /fetu/ |
| Mother | ayu /aju/ | ayo /ajo/ | ᱟᱭᱳ /ajo/ | ayo /ajo/ | आय /aj/ | amma /əmːaː/ | mātua /maːtua/ |
| Father | apu /apu/ | apu /apu/ | ᱟᱯᱟᱹ /apə/ | aba /aba/ | आफा /apʰa/ | baap /baːp/ | tamana /tamana/ |
| I | aiñ /aiɲ/ | aiñ /aiɲ/ | ᱤᱧ /iɲ/ | ɲen /ɲɛn/ | आं /aŋ/ | ham /ɦəm/ | au /au/ |
| You | am /am/ | am /am/ | ᱟᱢ /am/ | am /am/ | नों /nɯŋ/ | tum /tʊm/ | koe /koe/ |
| Name | nutum /nutum/ | nutum /nutum/ | ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢ /ɲutum/ | ɲum /ɲum/ | मुं /muŋ/ | naam /naːm/ | igoa /iŋoa/ |
| Eye | med /med/ | med /med/ | ᱢᱮᱫ /met/ | siʔi /siʔi/ | मेगन /meɡon/ | aankhi /ãːkʰi/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | ti /ti/ | ti /ti/ | ᱛᱤ /tiː/ | si /si/ | आखाइ /akʰai/ | haath /haːtʰ/ | lima /lima/ |
| Heart | jiu /dʒiu/ | jiu /dʒiu/ | ᱢᱳᱱ /mon/ | suʔun /suʔun/ | फिथा /pʰitʰa/ | dil /dɪl/ | fatu /fatu/ |
| Love | dulaiya /dulaija/ | dularaa /dularaː/ | ᱫᱩᱞᱟᱲᱤ /dulaɽi/ | adi /adi/ | अननाय /onːai/ | pyaar /pjaːr/ | alofa /alofa/ |
| Tree | daru /daru/ | daru /daru/ | ᱫᱟᱨᱮ /dare/ | dar /dar/ | बिजि /bidʒi/ | perr /peɽ/ | lakau /lakau/ |
| House | oraa /oraː/ | oraa /oraː/ | ᱳᱲᱟᱜ /oɽaːk/ | suʔuŋ /suʔuŋ/ | नो /no/ | ghar /ɡʱər/ | fale /fale/ |
| Dog | seta /seta/ | seta /seta/ | ᱥᱮᱛᱟ /seta/ | sua /sua/ | सैमा /saima/ | kutta /kʊtːaː/ | kuli /kuli/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | ᱯᱩᱥᱤ /pusi/ | biri /biri/ | मौजि /maudʒi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Eat | jom /dʒom/ | jom /dʒom/ | ᱡᱳᱢ /dʒom/ | kay /kaj/ | जा /dʒa/ | khao /kʰaːo/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | nu /nu/ | nu /nu/ | ᱧᱩ /ɲu/ | pim /pim/ | लोङ /loŋ/ | pio /pio/ | inu /inu/ |
| One | miyad /mijad/ | mid /mid/ | ᱢᱤᱫ /mit/ | aboy /aboj/ | से /se/ | ek /ek/ | tahi /tahi/ |
| Two | bariya /barija/ | baria /baria/ | ᱵᱟᱨ /bar/ | baguu /baɡu/ | नै /nɯi/ | dui /dʊi/ | lua /lua/ |
| Hello | johar /dʒohar/ | johar /dʒohar/ | ᱡᱳᱦᱟᱨ /dʒohar/ | limtam /limtam/ | खुलुमबाय /kʰulumbai/ | namaste /nəməste/ | malo ni /malo ni/ |
| Thank you | dhanybad /dʱanjbad/ | dhonyobad /dʱoɲobad/ | ᱫᱷᱚᱱᱭᱚᱵᱟᱫ /dʱonjobad/ | surai /surai/ | साबार /sabaɾ/ | dhanbaad /dʱənbaːd/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ |
| Good | bugin /buɡin/ | bes /bes/ | ᱵᱮᱥ /bes/ | mando /mando/ | मोजां /modʒaŋ/ | achchha /ətʃtʃʰaː/ | lelei /lelei/ |
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