Trēgāmī
Tregami
Indo-European
Tregami (Trēgāmī, "people of the three villages") is a Nuristani language of the small Nuristani family within Indo-Iranian, spoken by ~3,500 people in the Tregam Valley of Nuristan Province, Afghanistan. The Nuristani family (Kati, Waigali, Tregami, Ashkun, Prasuni — 5 languages, total ~125,000 speakers) shows distinctive features that distinguish it from both Indo-Aryan and Iranian: retention of certain Indo-European laryngeals lost elsewhere, unique vowel system, and Caucasus-area glottal stops. Morgenstierne's 1973 reference grammar (Notes on Tregami) is the foundational documentation. Religious context: Nuristanis converted from Kafiri (pre-Islamic) practice to Islam in the late 19th century after Afghan conquest of "Kafiristan".
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Tregami
Water
wo
/wo/
Fire
agni
/aɡni/
Sun
suri
/suɾi/
Moon
mas
/mas/
Mother
nani
/nani/
Father
tata
/tata/
Eat
ji
/dʒi/
Drink
piti
/piti/
Love
ošti
/oʃti/
Heart
hridaya
/hɾidaja/
Tree
vrkṣa
/vɾkʃa/
House
kuti
/kuti/
Dog
šva
/ʃva/
Cat
biri
/biɾi/
Hand
hasta
/hasta/
Eye
nayan
/najan/
Hello
salaam
/salaːm/
Thank you
shukria
/ʃukɾia/
One
ek
/ek/
Good
shari
/ʃaɾi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European languages
| Meaning | Tregami | Pashai | Sylheti | Pedagogical Pali (Theravada monastic) | Sanskrit | Rohingya | Pali |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wo /wo/ | واری /waːri/ | পানি /pani/ | udaka /udaka/ | जलम् /dʑalam/ | fani /fani/ | उदक /udaka/ |
| Fire | agni /aɡni/ | انگاری /aŋɡaːri/ | আগুন /aɡun/ | aggi /aɡːi/ | अग्निः /aɡniɦ/ | aág /aːɡ/ | अग्गि /aɡːi/ |
| Sun | suri /suɾi/ | سور /sur/ | সুরুজ /suruz/ | suriya /suɾija/ | सूर्यः /suːɾjaɦ/ | beil /beil/ | सुरिय /surija/ |
| Moon | mas /mas/ | مس /mas/ | চান /tʃan/ | canda /tɕanda/ | चन्द्रः /tɕandɾaɦ/ | sán /sãn/ | चन्द /tɕanda/ |
| Mother | nani /nani/ | نا /naː/ | মা /ma/ | mātā /maːtaː/ | माता /maːtaː/ | maa /maː/ | माता /maːtaː/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | تاتا /taːtaː/ | বাফ /baf/ | pitā /pitaː/ | पिता /pitaː/ | baba /baba/ | पिता /pitaː/ |
| Eat | ji /dʒi/ | کخن- /kxn/ | খাইন /xaɪn/ | bhuñjati /bʱuɲd͡ʒati/ | खादति /kʰaːdati/ | háwa /kʰaowa/ | खादति /kʰaːdati/ |
| Drink | piti /piti/ | پی- /piː/ | ফিন /fin/ | pivati /pivati/ | पिबति /pibati/ | piya /pija/ | पिवति /pivati/ |
| Love | ošti /oʃti/ | پیار /pjaːr/ | মহব্বত /mohobbot/ | mettā /metːaː/ | प्रेम /preːma/ | muhabbat /muhabːat/ | पेम /pema/ |
| Heart | hridaya /hɾidaja/ | دل /dil/ | দিল /dil/ | hadaya /hadaja/ | हृदयम् /hr̩dajam/ | dil /dil/ | हदय /hadaja/ |
| Tree | vrkṣa /vɾkʃa/ | درغ /darʁ/ | গাছ /ɡatʃʰ/ | rukkha /rukːʰa/ | वृक्षः /vr̩kʂaɦ/ | gas /ɡas/ | रुक्ख /rukːʰa/ |
| House | kuti /kuti/ | جوغ /dʒoʁ/ | ঘর /ɡʱor/ | gehā /ɡehaː/ | गृहम् /ɡr̩ham/ | gór /ɡɔr/ | घर /ɡʱara/ |
| Dog | šva /ʃva/ | کوتا /kotaː/ | কুত্তা /kuttʰa/ | sunakha /sunakʰa/ | श्वा /ɕvaː/ | kúkkur /kukːur/ | सुनख /sunakʰa/ |
| Cat | biri /biɾi/ | بلور /baloːr/ | বিলাই /bilai/ | biḷāra /biɭaːɾa/ | मार्जारः /maːɾdʑaːɾaɦ/ | bilai /bilai/ | बिळाल /biɭaːla/ |
| Hand | hasta /hasta/ | دست /dast/ | হাত /hat/ | hattha /hatːʰa/ | हस्तः /hastaɦ/ | hát /hat/ | हत्थ /hatːʰa/ |
| Eye | nayan /najan/ | اچی /atʃiː/ | ছকু /ʃoku/ | cakkhu /tɕakːʰu/ | नेत्रम् /neːtɾam/ | sui /sui/ | चक्खु /tɕakːʰu/ |
| Hello | salaam /salaːm/ | سلام /salaːm/ | আদাব /adab/ | namo /namo/ | नमस्ते /namasteː/ | assalam /assalam/ | नमो /namo/ |
| Thank you | shukria /ʃukɾia/ | شکریه /ʃukrija/ | শুকরিয়া /ʃukria/ | anumodanā /anumodanaː/ | धन्यवादः /dʱanjaʋaːdaɦ/ | shukoría /ʃukria/ | अनुमोदामि /anumodaːmi/ |
| One | ek /ek/ | ایک /eːk/ | এক /ek/ | eka /eka/ | एकः /eːkaɦ/ | ek /ek/ | एक /eka/ |
| Good | shari /ʃaɾi/ | شو /ʃoː/ | ভালা /bʱala/ | kusala /kusala/ | साधु /saːdʱu/ | bála /baːla/ | सुन्दर /sundara/ |
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