Mihaq
Kusunda
Language isolate
Kusunda (Mihaq, गिलंगदेइ) is a critically endangered language isolate of mid-western Nepal, traditionally spoken by the formerly nomadic Kusunda hunter-gatherer community of the Mahabharat foothills (Dang, Surkhet, Pyuthan, Tanahu districts). The last fully fluent L1 speaker, Gyani Maiya Sen, died in 2020 (her sister Kamala Khatri died 2024); ~3 partial speakers remain. Documented by Hodgson in 1857 and decisively as an isolate by David Watters (Notes on Kusunda Grammar, 2006). Tribhuvan University and the Language Commission of Nepal currently run revitalization classes in Dang for several Kusunda youth.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kusunda
Water
tang
/tɑŋ/
Fire
yu
/ju/
Sun
nəm
/nəm/
Moon
pom
/pom/
Mother
—
/—/
Father
ama
/ama/
Eat
təim
/təim/
Drink
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Tree
cigi
/t͡siɡi/
House
gepa
/ɡepa/
Dog
agəi
/aɡəi/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
gisi
/ɡisi/
Eye
gam
/ɡam/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
nu
/nu/
Good
—
/—/
Sources
- Watters (2006) Notes on Kusunda Grammar
- Glottolog: kusu1250
- Ethnologue: kgg
Words compared
Compared with related Language isolate languages
| Meaning | Kusunda | Neko | Goryeo Korean | Messapic | Pyu | Goguryeo | Nicaraguan Sign Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | tang /tɑŋ/ | wai /wai/ | 沒 /*mwol/ | — /—/ | ʔuy /uj/ | 買 /*mai/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | yu /ju/ | titɛ /titɛ/ | 孛 /*pwol/ | — /—/ | vyaŋ /wjaŋ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | nəm /nəm/ | aatʌ /aːtʌ/ | 姮 /*hai/ | — /—/ | ño /ɲo/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | pom /pom/ | — /—/ | 突 /*twol/ | — /—/ | hla /hla/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | na /na/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Father | ama /ama/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ana /ˈana/ | paʔ /paʔ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | təim /təim/ | nei /nei/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | cyaʔ /tɕaʔ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | cigi /t͡siɡi/ | tei /tei/ | 南記 /*namki/ | — /—/ | siŋ /siŋ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | gepa /ɡepa/ | — /—/ | 集 /*tɕip/ | — /—/ | vaiŋ /waiŋ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | agəi /aɡəi/ | gonʌ /ɡonʌ/ | 家稀 /*kahi/ | — /—/ | kwiy /kwij/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | gisi /ɡisi/ | — /—/ | 遜 /*swon/ | — /—/ | lak /lak/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | gam /ɡam/ | ta /ta/ | 嫩 /*nwun/ | — /—/ | mik /mik/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | nu /nu/ | — /—/ | 河屯 /*hatwun/ | — /—/ | te /te/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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