Koho language

In this article, we will explore various aspects related to Koho language, a topic that has captured the attention of people and experts in different fields. From its historical origins to its relevance today, Koho language has sparked debates and reflections around its impact on society, culture and everyday life. Through detailed analysis, we will examine the many facets of Koho language, delving into its meaning, influence, and possible implications for the future. In addition, we will delve into the various perspectives and positions that have been generated around Koho language, providing the reader with a comprehensive and enriching vision of this fascinating topic.

Sre
Kơho
Native toVietnam
Native speakers
200,000 (2019 census)
Latin script
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
kpm – Kơho
cma – Maa
Glottologkoho1243

Koho or K'Ho is a South Bahnaric language spoken by the Koho people and Mạ people, mainly in the Lâm Đồng Province of Vietnam. It is very close to the Mnong language.

The autonym of the Kơho people is kon cau (IPA [kɔn.caw]) while Koho (IPA [kəˈhɔ]) is a Cham exonym.

Subgroups and dialects

There are at least twelve Kơho dialect groups for the area: Chil (Cil, Til); Kalop (Tulop); Kơyon (Kodu, Co-Don); Làc (Làt, Lach); Mà (Mạ, Maa); Nồp (Nop, Xre Nop, Noup); Pru; Ryông Tô (Riồng, Rion); Sop, Sre (Chau Sơre, Xrê); Talà (To La); and Tring (Trinh). Although Mạ/Maa is a Koho dialect group, the Mạ people identify as a separate ethnic group.

Phonology

Data below are from Olsen (2015).

Consonants

Initial consonants

Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Stop Voiceless p t c k ʔ
Aspirated pʰ tʰ cʰ kʰ
Voiced b d ɟ g
Implosive ɓ ɗ
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Fricative s h
Rhotic r
Approximant w l j
  • The phoneme /r/ is commonly a voiced alveolar trill but also often reduces to a flap when it occurs as the second segment in a consonant cluster.

Final consonants

Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Stop p t c k ʔ
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Fricative s h
Rhotic r
Approximant w l j
  • Before the palatal finals /c/ and /ɲ/, there is an audible palatal offglide after the vowel , so that /pwac/ ‘flesh’ is pronounced as and /ʔaɲ/ ‘I (1st person singular)’ as .

Vowels

  Front Central Back
High /i/ /ɨ~ɯ/ /u/
Close-mid /e/ /ǝ/ /o/
Open-mid /ɛ/ /ɔ/
Low /a/ /ɑ/

Morphology

Compounding

Compounding is a common way of coining new words in Koho. Some examples:

  • muh mat ‘face’ < muh () ‘nose’ + mat () ‘eye’
  • phe mbar ‘sticky rice’ < phe () ‘husked rice’ + mbar () ‘sticky’
  • ôi ao ‘clothes’ < ôi () ‘blanket’ + ao () ‘shirt’

Affixing

One of the more productive prefixes in Sre is the causative tơn- , converts intransitive verbs to causative verbs. If the prefixed verbs have a nasal initial, then the nasal cluster avoidance rule applied.

Word Meaning Prefixed form Meaning
duh to be hot tơnduh to make hot
chơt to die tơnchơt to kill
ring to be flat, level, equal tơnring to equalize, make right
mut to enter tơmut to make enter
muu to descend, go down tơmuu to make descend, to lower

Cultural References

  • The Vietnamese acrobatic show Teh Dar by Lune Productions uses the Koho language.

References

  1. ^ Kơho at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Maa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b c Olsen, Neil H. (2015). "Kơho-Sre". In Jenny, Mathias; Sidwell, Paul (eds.). The Handbook of Austroasiatic Languages. Leiden: Brill.
  3. ^ Le, Tan Duong (2003). A phonological comparison of Maa and Koho varieties (Master’s thesis). Payap University.

Sources

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia