Dhimalish languages

The Dhimalish languages, Dhimal and Toto, are a small group of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in Nepal, Bhutan, and the Jalpaiguri division of West Bengal, India.

Dhimalish
Dhimal–Lhokpu–Toto
Geographic distribution	India, Nepal
Linguistic classification	Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman? Kiranti? Dhimalish
Subdivisions	Dhimal Lhokpu Toto
Language codes
Glottolog	dhim1247
Map of the Dhimalish languages

Classification

Hammarström, et al.^[1] note in Glottolog that Dhimalish is best considered to be a separate Sino-Tibetan branch rather than as a subgroup of Brahmaputran (Sal), and consider Dhimalish as failing to show sufficient Brahmaputran diagnostic vocabulary. Sotrug (2015)^[2] considers Dhimalish to be particularly closely related to the Kiranti languages rather than to the Sal languages.

Grollmann & Gerber (2017)^[3] consider Lhokpu to have a particularly close relationship with Dhimal and Toto.

Gerber & Grollmann (2018)^[4] group Dhimal, Toto, and Lhokpu within Central-Eastern Kiranti.

Comparative vocabulary

Sanyal (1973:77–81) provides a comparative word list of Toto from Sunder (1895)^[5] and George Abraham Grierson's Linguistic Survey of India,^[6] and Dhimal from Brian Houghton Hodgson.^[7][8]

English gloss	Toto (Sunder)	Toto (Grierson)	Dhimal (Hodgson)	Page no.
air	bingah	–	–	77
ass	–	pangbu	–	77
brother	eh	apu; e	yolla	77
belly	–	pa-ma	hemang	77
back	–	ju-ma	gandi	77
brinjal	bengini	–	–	77
bird	–	bakhi	jiha	77
behind	–	no	–	77
blood	viti	–	–	77
beat	–	sapu	–	77
before	–	dongangta	–	77
bullock	pekah-dambe	–	–	77
cat	minki	minki	dankha-menko	77
cock	odangpa	keka	dhangai-kai	77
come quickly	to-to-wa-wang	le-le	dhi-dhi	77
cow	–	pika	mahani-pia	77
daughter	memi-cheng	chai-me	chamdi	77
devil	–	jishang	–	77
duck	hangsa	hangsa	hangs	77
die	–	sipuna	sili	77
dog	kia	kia	khia	77
down	–	lijuing	–	77
door	lafoong	–	duar	77
eat	–	char	chabi	77
eye	michu	–	mi	77
eyebrow	mimu	–	–	77
elephant	hati	–	–	77
elder sister	anna	–	–	77
evening	jilong	–	–	78
ear	nanoong	–	naha-thong	78
far	–	hinda-mina	–	78
fire	meh	megue	mau	78
forehead	ting-ang	–	–	78
foot	tang-ba	–	kokoi	78
father	appa	apa	aba	78
of father	–	apak	–	78
two fathers	–	apa-nisa	–	78
fish	ngya	–	–	78
fever	haina	–	–	78
good	–	entana	–	78
give	–	picha	–	78
girl	chame	–	–	78
god	–	iswal	–	78
go north	enta-vatu	–	–	78
go east	nuta-vatu	–	–	78
go south	leta-vatu	–	–	78
go west	dita-vatu	–	–	78
go	vatu; hatu	chhapur	hadeli	78
hair	puring	puring	poshom	78
he	–	–	wa	78
he-goat	edang	–	–	78
horse	onyah	aia	–	78
high	–	hinda-nina	–	78
hand	kooe	kui	khur	78
his	uko	–	oko, wang	78
head	pudung	pudang	purin	78
house	–	sa	sa	78
I	kug-ve	kate	ka	78
iron	–	chaka	chir	78
jackfruit	dangse	–	–	79
jungle bamboo	–	–	–	79
lips	megoe	–	–	79
leg	kok-koi	–	khokoi	79
lime	churai	–	–	79
man	–	deya	waved	79
mother	aeu	aio	amma	79
mouth	noohgung	–	–	79
monkey	nokka	–	–	79
milk	yoti	–	–	79
moon	tari	tari	tali	79
morning	habkong	–	–	79
nose	nabboh	–	–	79
nails	kushing	–	–	79
near	–	abeto	–	79
night	lishong	–	–	79
no	–	ma-koe	–	79
orange	santra	–	–	79
our	kongo	–	king	79
pig	pakka	–	–	79
pan leaf	parai	–	–	79
plantain	eungpi	–	–	79
plantain tree	eungpi	–	–	79
paddy	mabe	–	–	79
river	tihana	–	–	79
rain	vathi	–	–	79
rice	unku	–	–	79
rice-beer	eu	–	–	79
run	–	tui	–	79
rupee	tanka	–	–	79
sister	–	ing	rima	79
sun	sani	chhani	bela	79
son	chung	chao, chaoa	chau	79
stand	–	lo-lo	–	79
star	puima	–	–	79
salt	ngi	–	–	80
sit	–	iyung	yongli	80
tiger	koogah	–	–	80
thigh	vybe	–	–	80
thou	–	na-ga	–	80
tree	singe	–	–	80
tooth	shitang	–	sitong	80
tongue	lebek	–	detong	80
up	–	jujuntaye	–	80
water	ti	ti	chi	80
we	–	na-te	kyel	80
woman	–	mem-bi	beval	80
wife	–	me	be	80
who	–	ha	jeti-siti	80
why	–	ha-ranga	haipali	80
younger sister	ing	–	–	80
yes	–	ke	he	80
you	naga	–	nye	80
1	eoo	che	e-long	80
2	nih-hu	ne	gne-long	80
3	soongu	sung	sum-long	80
4	diu	ji	dia-long	80
5	ngyu	nga	na-long	80
6	tuu	tu	tu-long	80
7	niu	dun	nhu-long	80
8	yau	ge, ne	ye-long	80
9	kuu	gu	kuha-long	80
10	thau	chu-tamba	te-long	80
20	chuniso	nisa	e-long-bisha	81
100	nakai	nga-kai	na-long-bisha	81

See also

• Dhimalish comparative vocabulary list (Wiktionary)