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Raji language
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<h2 id="distribution">Distribution</h2> <p>Raji is spoken in the following areas of southwestern Nepal:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Lumbini_Province/wABvHjtv">Lumbini Province</a>: <a href="/facts/Banke_District/olSQtGzu">Banke</a> and <a href="/facts/Bardiya_District/E96sFhLy">Bardiya</a> districts</li> <li><a href="/facts/Karnali_Province/CU4f92nL">Karnali Province</a>: <a href="/facts/Surkhet_District/HAab4C66">Surkhet</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Sudurpashchim_Province/BH6jQ3GP">Sudurpashchim Province</a>: <a href="/facts/Kailali_District/EeHIwRR1">Kailali</a> and <a href="/facts/Kanchanpur_District/aBaTNcBu">Kanchanpur</a> districts</li></ul> <p>It is also spoken by <a href="/facts/Raji_people/mIx4p1AE">Raji people</a> of <a href="/facts/Uttarakhand/n3juS1z4">Uttarakhand</a>, <a href="/facts/India/1kKHcnxM">India</a>, primarily living in <a href="/facts/Pithoragarh_district/xMv3FRaB">Pithoragarh district</a>. </p><p>In <a href="/facts/Pithoragarh_district/xMv3FRaB">Pithoragarh district</a>, Rastogi (2015)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> reports that Raji is spoken in the hamlets of Kimkhola, Bhogtirua, Ganagaon, Chipaltara, Madanbori, Kutachaurani, Altodi, Jamtadi, Khirdwari and Chakarpur. </p> <h2 id="dialects">Dialects</h2> <p>Khatri (2008)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> divides Raji into 3 main regional dialects, for which he also provides word lists. </p> <ul><li>Barabandale: spoken in Jyotinagar, Katasi, Lalbojhi, Kuti, Bhuruwa, Solta, Khairehi, and Keodi of <a href="/facts/Kailali_District/EeHIwRR1">Kailali District</a>; Sundarpur, Bandevi Sibir, Daiji, krishanpur and Chela Sibir of <a href="/facts/Kanchanpur_District/aBaTNcBu">Kanchanpur District</a>; and Rajigaun, Galfa, and Babiyachaur of <a href="/facts/Surkhet_District/HAab4C66">Surkhet District</a>.</li> <li>Purbiya: Shankarpur, Machhagadh, Baniyabhar, Rambhapur, Dhakela, Dhadhawar, Sanoshree, Gulariya Municipality and Phanphena of <a href="/facts/Bardiya_District/E96sFhLy">Bardiya District</a>.Also Speak in Chhinchu of <a href="/facts/Surkhet_District/HAab4C66">Surkhet District</a>.</li> <li>Naukule : Spoken in Jhil and Kuchaini of Chaumala, Shankarpur of Masuriya, Jarahi of Sadepani, Dhangaghi Municipality and Manera. All are located within <a href="/facts/Kailali_District/EeHIwRR1">Kailali District</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="phonology">Phonology</h2> Consonants<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th colspan="2"></th><th><a href="/facts/Labial_consonant/bv4MqTMf">Labial</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Alveolar_consonant/B6VkW2EX">Alveolar</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Retroflex_consonant/lsBdJD4V">Retroflex</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Palatal_consonant/KLcKyXE8">Palatal</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Velar_consonant/blWClp79">Velar</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Glottal_consonant/rMdEdLxH">Glottal</a></th></tr><tr><th rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Plosive/okC9pztc">Plosive</a></th><th>plain</th><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_bilabial_plosive/w4M9Igp6">p</a> <a href="/facts/Voiced_bilabial_plosive/6ReC9arR">b</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_alveolar_plosive/1GaDe2Vy">t</a> <a href="/facts/Voiced_alveolar_plosive/A6hNvmCp">d</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_retroflex_plosive/o2FrLeV9">ʈ</a> <a href="/facts/Voiced_retroflex_plosive/SQT2LTNM">ɖ</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_postalveolar_affricate/14FYMJvN">tʃ</a> <a href="/facts/Voiced_postalveolar_affricate/o7oYJUqz">dʒ</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_velar_plosive/dDppVb6e">k</a> <a href="/facts/Voiced_velar_plosive/f6udTvfQ">g</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Aspirated_consonant/Kat42tA6">aspirated</a></th><td><a href="/facts/Aspirated_consonant/Kat42tA6">pʰ</a> <a href="/facts/Breathy_voice/ynD4GYNn">bʱ</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Aspirated_consonant/Kat42tA6">tʰ</a> <a href="/facts/Breathy_voice/ynD4GYNn">dʱ</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Aspirated_consonant/Kat42tA6">ʈʰ</a> <a href="/facts/Breathy_voice/ynD4GYNn">ɖʱ</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Aspirated_consonant/Kat42tA6">tʃʰ</a> <a href="/facts/Breathy_voice/ynD4GYNn">dʒʱ</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Aspirated_consonant/Kat42tA6">kʰ</a> <a href="/facts/Breathy_voice/ynD4GYNn">gʱ</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Fricative/1FQuuhfX">Fricative</a></th><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_alveolar_fricative/WLKtEYDe">s</a></td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_velar_fricative/mrKPhobk">x</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_glottal_fricative/lfRB7CPW">h</a></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Nasal_consonant/m6D3cVhe">Nasal</a></th><th>plain</th><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_bilabial_nasal/1pd7NK2x">m</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_alveolar_nasal/0CEs8314">n</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_retroflex_nasal/P7M5mWw6">ɳ</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_velar_nasal/r6v5q92L">ŋ</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Preaspiration/QDst88ku">preaspirated</a></th><td><a href="/facts/Breathy_voice/ynD4GYNn">ʱm</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Breathy_voice/ynD4GYNn">ʱn</a></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Approximant/SXrlw7zY">Approximant</a></th><th>plain</th><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_labial%E2%80%93velar_approximant/HLDqbrvr">w</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_alveolar_lateral_approximant/dgbHhqeK">l</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_alveolar_trill/rDplJobc">r</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_palatal_approximant/v0NVCbUh">j</a></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Preaspiration/QDst88ku">preaspirated</a></th><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Breathy_voice/ynD4GYNn">ʱl</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Breathy_voice/ynD4GYNn">ʱr</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Breathy_voice/ynD4GYNn">ʱj</a></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> Vowels<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th></th><th><a href="/facts/Front_vowel/htKQs3AT">Front</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Central_vowel/IFSaKUe9">Central</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Back_vowel/gyHoGCH0">Back</a></th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Close_vowel/Ne6tHQHR">High</a></th><td><a href="/facts/Close_front_unrounded_vowel/rSUdlCPU">i</a> <a href="/facts/Nasal_vowel/E8MYuu0T">ĩ</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Close_back_rounded_vowel/gqlQLfse">u</a> <a href="/facts/Nasal_vowel/E8MYuu0T">ũ</a></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Mid_vowel/uzjGLRhf">Mid</a></th><td><a href="/facts/Close-mid_front_unrounded_vowel/e9YNLF97">e</a> <a href="/facts/Nasal_vowel/E8MYuu0T">ẽ</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Mid_central_vowel/CCx0wYy3">ə</a> <a href="/facts/Nasal_vowel/E8MYuu0T">ə̃</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Close-mid_back_rounded_vowel/VwS9cKWJ">o</a> <a href="/facts/Nasal_vowel/E8MYuu0T">õ</a></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Open_vowel/roS0Y7lA">Low</a></th><td><a href="/facts/Open-mid_front_unrounded_vowel/aDRvwE46">ɛ</a> <a href="/facts/Nasal_vowel/E8MYuu0T">ɛ̃</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Open_front_unrounded_vowel/s80pvmYh">a</a> <a href="/facts/Nasal_vowel/E8MYuu0T">ã</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/RAJLR">Raji Language Resource</a> collection of Raji language documentation in the Computational Resource for South Asian Languages (CoRSAL) archive</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Raji at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required) <a href="https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/rji/" target="_blank">https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/rji/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Rastogi, Kavita. 2015. Raji Orthography Development. Himalayan Linguistics, Vol. 14(2): 39–48. doi:10.5070/H914224947 <a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/74h7j2p6" target="_blank">https://escholarship.org/uc/item/74h7j2p6</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Khatri, Ramesh. 2008. The structure of verbs and sentences of Raji. MA thesis, Kirtipur: Tribhuvan University. <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Krishan, Shree (2001). Nagano, Yasuhiko; Lapolla, Randy J. (eds.). "A Sketch of Raji Grammar". New Research on Zhangzhung and Related Himalayan Languages. 3. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology: 449–497. doi:10.15021/00002153. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Krishan, Shree (2001). Nagano, Yasuhiko; Lapolla, Randy J. (eds.). "A Sketch of Raji Grammar". New Research on Zhangzhung and Related Himalayan Languages. 3. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology: 449–497. doi:10.15021/00002153. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>