Kūvi
Kuvi
Dravidian (South-Central, Gondi-Kui)
Kuvi (also Khondi, Kondh) is a South-Central Dravidian language closely related to Kui and Gondi, spoken by the Kondh people across the Eastern Ghats of Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh. Like its sister languages it preserves the Dravidian gender system that distinguishes male, non-male animate and inanimate in the verb, and shows the characteristic Gondi-Kui apical/retroflex sibilant contrasts.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kuvi
Water
ēru
/eːru/
Fire
nēsi
/neːsi/
Sun
vēla
/ʋeːla/
Moon
lēnʒu
/leːnd͡ʒu/
Mother
āva
/aːʋa/
Father
bāva
/baːʋa/
Eat
tinba
/tinba/
Drink
unba
/unba/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
gunde
/ɡunde/
Tree
mara
/mara/
House
illu
/illu/
Dog
nēyi
/neːji/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
key
/kei̯/
Eye
kannu
/kannu/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
ōnte
/oːnte/
Good
nēha
/neːha/
Sources
- Burrow, T. & Bhattacharya, S. (1962) Comparative vocabulary of the Gondi dialects (incl. Kuvi). Journal of the Asiatic Society.
- Israel, M. (1979) A Grammar of the Kuvi Language. Annamalai University.
- Glottolog: Kuvi
Words compared
Compared with related Dravidian (South-Central, Gondi-Kui) languages
| Meaning | Kuvi | Kodava | Bukar-Sadong Bidayuh | Walmajarri | Hittite | Matsés | Hajong |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ēru /eːru/ | ನೀರ್ /niːr/ | piin /piːn/ | ngapa /ˈŋapa/ | 𒉿𒀀𒋻 /waːtar/ | mapi /maˈpi/ | pani /pa.ni/ |
| Fire | nēsi /neːsi/ | ಬೆಂಕಿ /beŋki/ | apui /aˈpui/ | warlu /ˈwaɭu/ | 𒉺𒄩𒄴𒄯 /paxːur/ | tsibo /tsiˈbo/ | ag /aɡ/ |
| Sun | vēla /ʋeːla/ | ಪೊತ್ತ್ /pottɨ/ | biduh /biˈduh/ | ngalyarra /ŋaˈʎara/ | — /—/ | šëdo /ʂɨˈdo/ | bela /be.la/ |
| Moon | lēnʒu /leːnd͡ʒu/ | ತಿಂಗಳ್ /tiŋɡəɭ/ | bulan /buˈlan/ | pira /ˈpira/ | 𒀀𒅈𒈠 /arma/ | use /uˈse/ | jon /dʒon/ |
| Mother | āva /aːʋa/ | ಅವ್ವ /avva/ | sindo /sinˈdoʔ/ | ngamaji /ŋaˈmaɟi/ | 𒀭𒈾 /anːa/ | ëna /ɨˈna/ | ma /ma/ |
| Father | bāva /baːʋa/ | ಅಪ್ಪಯ್ಯ /appajja/ | samah /saˈmah/ | kirta /ˈkiɭa/ | 𒀜𒋫 /atːa/ | papa /paˈpa/ | baba /baba/ |
| Eat | tinba /tinba/ | ತಿನ್ನ್ /tinnɨ/ | kuman /kuˈman/ | nga- /ŋa/ | 𒅕𒀀𒀜 /ed/ | pe- /pe/ | kha /kʰa/ |
| Drink | unba /unba/ | ಕುಡಿ /kuɖi/ | ŋinum /ŋiˈnum/ | nga- /ŋa/ | 𒅔𒆪 /eku/ | ak- /ak/ | pi /pi/ |
| Love | — /—/ | ಪ್ರೀತಿ /priːti/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𒀸𒅆𒅀𒀭 /asːijant/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | gunde /ɡunde/ | ಎದೆ /ede/ | — /—/ | kurturlu /kuɭˈtuɭu/ | 𒆗𒁕 /kard/ | šobi /ʂoˈbi/ | mon /mon/ |
| Tree | mara /mara/ | ಮರ /mara/ | kayuh /kaˈjuh/ | watiya /waˈtija/ | 𒋫𒊒 /taru/ | mado /maˈdo/ | gas /ɡas/ |
| House | illu /illu/ | ಮನೆ /mane/ | ramin /raˈmin/ | ngurra /ˈŋura/ | 𒉺𒅕 /per/ | šobo /ʂoˈbo/ | ghor /ɡʱoɾ/ |
| Dog | nēyi /neːji/ | ನಾಯಿ /naːji/ | kaso /kaˈsoʔ/ | kunyarr /kuˈɲar/ | 𒆪𒉿𒀭 /kuwan/ | opa /oˈpa/ | kuthura /kutʰuɾa/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | key /kei̯/ | ಕೈ /kai/ | təŋən /tə̆ˈŋən/ | marnin /ˈmaɳin/ | 𒆠𒅖𒊭𒅈 /kesːar/ | mëbi /mɨˈbi/ | hat /hat/ |
| Eye | kannu /kannu/ | ಕಣ್ /kaɳ/ | baten /baˈten/ | purlka /ˈpuɭka/ | 𒊭𒆪𒉿 /ʃakuwa/ | bëdi /bɨˈdi/ | চকু /sɔku/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | ಧನ್ಯವಾದ /dʱanjavɑːda/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | ōnte /oːnte/ | ಒಂದ್ /ondɨ/ | isaʔ /iˈsaʔ/ | kanyjarra /kaɲˈɟara/ | 𒁹 /as/ | pazë /paˈzɨ/ | ek /ek/ |
| Good | nēha /neːha/ | ಒಳ್ಳೆ /oɭɭe/ | biis /biːs/ | ngurnu /ˈŋuɳu/ | 𒀸𒋗 /asːu/ | — /—/ | bhalo /bʱalo/ |
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