Sunwar language

{{Short description|Kiranti language of Nepal and India}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox language | name = Sunuwar | nativename = {{lang|suz|सुनुवार, कोइँच, किराँती-कोइँच, मुखिया}} | region = Nepal;<br /> India (Sikkim and West Bengal) | ethnicity = Sunuwar | speakers = 37,898 | imagecaption = {{tlit|suz|Kõica}} in Jenticha script; {{tlit|suz|Sunuwar}} in Tikamuli and Devanagari script | image = {{Photomontage|position=center | photo1a = Shukla Sunuwar.svg | photo2a = Shukla Sunuwar II.svg | photo3a = Shukla Sunuwar III.svg | size = 200 | spacing = 2 | color = 0 | border = 0 | foot_montage =}} | date = 2011 | ref = <ref>[https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf 2011 Nepal Census, Social Characteristics Tables]</ref> | familycolor = Sino-Tibetan | fam2 = Tibeto-Burman | fam3 = Mahakiranti (?) | fam4 = Kiranti | fam5 = Western | fam6 = Northwestern | script = Devanagari<br /> Sunuwar (Sikkim, India)<br /> Tikamuli (2005) | nation = {{flag|India}} * Sikkim<ref name="sikkimofficial">{{cite web |title=The Sikkim Official Languages Act |url=https://www.sikkim.gov.in/uploads/Gazette/1977_THE_SIKKIM_OFFICIAL_LANGUAGES_ACT_20221029.pdf |website=sikkim.gov.in |publisher=Government of Sikkim |access-date=27 June 2025}}</ref> | iso3 = suz | glotto = sunw1242 | glottorefname = Sunwar | dia1 = Surel | altname = Kiranti-Kõits }}

thumb|right|Sunwar greeting

'''Sunuwar''', or '''Koinch''' ({{Lang|suz|कोइँच}}; {{Transliteration|suz|ISO|kõich}}; other spellings are Koinch and Koincha), is a Kiranti language of the Sino-Tibetan language family spoken in Nepal and India by the Sunuwar people. It was first comprehensively attested by the Himalayan Languages Project. It is also known as '''Kõits Lo''' ({{Lang|suz|कोइँच लो}} ; {{Transliteration|suz|ISO|kõica lo}}), '''Kiranti-Kõits''' ({{Lang|suz|किराँती-कोइँच}} ; {{Transliteration|suz|ISO|kirā̃tī-kõich}}), and '''Mukhiya''' ({{Lang|suz|मुखिया}} ; {{Transliteration|suz|ISO|mukhiyā}}).<ref name="Borchers 1–2">{{Cite book|last1=Borchers|first1=Dörte|title=A grammar of Sunwar: descriptive grammar, paradigms, texts and glossary|date=2008|publisher=Brill|location=Leiden|isbn=978-90-04-16709-4|pages=1–2|edition=[Online-Ausg.].}}</ref>

The Sunuwar language is one of the smaller members of the Tibeto-Burman language family. About 40,000 speakers are residing in eastern Nepal.

== Names == The language is commonly known as ''Koic,'' for many ethnic Sunuwar speakers also refer to the language as “''Sunuwar, Koinch, Koinch'' or ''Koincha'' (कोइँच); ''Kõits Lo'' (कोइँच लो), ''Kiranti-Kõits'' (किराँती-कोइँच) or ''Mukhiya'' (मुखिया).”

Moreover, most Sunwar speakers have the surname (सुनुवार), ''Sunuvār'' in Latin script.<ref name="Borchers-2008">{{Cite book|last=Borchers|first=Dörte|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYA7CpILphoC|title=A Grammar of Sunwar: Descriptive Grammar, Paradigms, Texts and Glossary|date=2008|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-16709-4|language=en}}</ref>

== Geographic distribution == thumb|317x317px|Small groups of Sunwar speakers located in Nepal thumb|Likhu Khola river

The Sunuwar language is commonly spoken in a cluster of Sunuwar villages, located around the region of the core spoken language. These villages are scattered alongside the river banks of Likhu Khola, in two bordering central-eastern districts of Nepal, distant from the main Nepalese road system:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> in the Okhaldhū۠ngā District (part of Koshi Province), around the village of Vacul; and in the Rāmechāp District (part of Bagmati Province), around the villages of Pahare and of Kũbhu Kãsthālī for a smaller group of Sunwar speakers. The majority of the Sunwar speakers live on the southern border area of this region, between the villages of Pahare and Vacul.

Located 1,800 meters above sea level, their fields aren’t all fallow from year round cultivation<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> (Borchers, 2008). Therefore, many Sunwar households are farmers, own a small lot of land and livestock. Moreover, each village often visits their neighboring village markets to purchase inaccessible goods such as spices, sugar, tea, and salt. In the winter, they experience no snow but freezing temperatures. In warmer weather, they experience a lot of rainfall, in the summer, monsoon rainfall. Especially between June and August, it is when they experience the most rain, more so monsoon rainfall.

According to Borchers, there are other villages located outside of the core region. The Surel are claimed to be Sunwar speakers, however, there are no certainties that it is true. {{Clear}}

== Phonology == Sunwar phonology is significantly influenced by the language of Nepali.

=== Consonants === The Sunwar language has a mid-sized arrangement of thirty-two consonantal phonemes:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" | ! Labial ! Dental ! Alveolar ! Retroflex ! Palatal ! Velar ! Glottal |- ! colspan="2" | Nasal | {{IPA link|m}} {{angbr|m}} | {{IPA link|n}} {{angbr|n}} | | | | {{IPA link|ŋ}} {{angbr|ṅ}} | |- ! rowspan="5" | Plosive ! {{small|voiceless}} | {{IPA link|p}} {{angbr|p}} | {{IPA link|t̪}} {{angbr|t}} | | {{IPA link|ʈ}} {{angbr|ṭ}} | {{IPA link|c}} {{angbr|c}} | {{IPA link|k}} {{angbr|k}} | {{IPA link|ʔ}} {{angbr|ʔ}} |- ! {{small|aspirated}} | {{IPA link|pʰ}}~{{IPA link|ɸ}} {{angbr|ph}} | {{IPA link|t̪ʰ}} {{angbr|th}} | | {{IPA link|ʈʰ}} {{angbr|ṭh}} | ({{IPA link|cʰ}} {{angbr|ch}}) | {{IPA link|kʰ}} {{angbr|kh}} | |- ! {{small|voiced}} | {{IPA link|b}} {{angbr|b}} | {{IPA link|d̪}} {{angbr|d}} | | ({{IPA link|ɖ}} {{angbr|ḍ}}) | {{IPA link|ɟ}} {{angbr|j}} | {{IPA link|ɡ}} {{angbr|g}} | |- !{{small|breathy}} |({{IPA link|bʱ}} {{angbr|bh}}) |({{IPA link|d̪ʱ}} {{angbr|dh}}) | |({{IPA link|ɖʱ}} {{angbr|ḍh}}) |({{IPA link|ɟʱ}} {{angbr|jh}}) |({{IPA link|ɡʱ}} {{angbr|gh}}) | |- ! {{small|implosive}} | {{IPA link|w}}~{{IPA link|b}} {{angbr|ɓ}} | | | | | | |- ! rowspan="2" | Fricative !{{small|sibilant}} | | | {{IPA link|s}} {{angbr|s}} | | {{IPA link|ʃ}} {{angbr|ʃ}} | | |- !{{small|plain}} | | | | |[{{IPA link|ç}}] |[{{IPA link|x}}] |{{IPA link|h}} {{angbr|h}} |- ! colspan="2" | Approximant | {{IPA link|w}}~{{IPA|wʱ}} {{angbr|w}} | {{IPA link|l̪}} {{angbr|l}} | | [{{IPA link|ɭ}}] | {{IPA link|j}} {{angbr|y}} | | |- ! colspan="2" | Tap | | | {{IPA link|ɾ}} {{angbr|r}} | | | | |}

* Sound in parentheses only are heard in words borrowed from Nepali. Sounds in brackets are only heard as allophones.<ref name="Borchers-2008" /> * The implosive sound [{{IPA link|ɓ}}] was heard phonemically until recently among dialects. It is now heard as a plosive [{{IPA link|b}}] in the village of Saipu, and as an approximant [{{IPA link|w}}] in the village of Kũbhu. It is only heard rarely in word-initial position among the speakers of Saipu.<ref name="Borchers-2008" />

=== Vowels === According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> there are eleven vowel phonemes in Sunwar:

{{angbr|a}} [a~ɑ], /ā / [aː], /e/ [e~ɛ], /i/ [i], /o/ [o], /u/ [u], / ū/ [uː~y], /ã/ [ã~ɑ̃], /ã̄/ [ãː], /ẽ/ [ẽ~ɛ̃], /ĩ/ [ĩ]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! !scope="col"| Front !scope="col"| Central !scope="col"| Back |- !scope="row"| High | /i/ [i], /ū/ [y]<br /> /ĩ/ [ĩ] | | /ū/ [uː~y], /u/ [u] <br /> (ũ) |- !scope="row"| Mid | /e/ [e~ɛ]<br /> /ẽ/ [ẽ~ɛ̃] | | /o/ [o] <br /> (õ) |- !scope="row"| Low | | /a/ [a~ɑ], /ā / [aː]<br /> /ã/ [ã~ɑ̃], /ã̄/ [ãː] | |} * Vowels with bar - Represents long vowels * Vowels with tilde - Represents short nasalized vowels * Vowels with bar and tilde - Represents long and nasalized vowels

=== Diphthongs === There are a total of eight diphthongs in Sunuwar: /ai/ [aɪ], /aĩ/ [aɪ̃], /au/ [au], /eu/ [eu], /oi/ [oi], /oĩ/ [oĩ], /ui/ [ui], /uĩ/ [uĩ]

According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> a principled way to distinguish diphthongs from a sequence of two monophthongs does not exist in the Sunwar language.

As exemplified by Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> this table consists of examples of contrasts between diphthongs: {| class="wikitable" |/joi/ |[ɟoi] |‘tiger’ |- |/joĩ/ |[ɟoĩ] |‘younger sister’s husband’ |- |/muicā/ |[muicaː] |‘wear shoes’ |- |/puĩcā/ |[puĩcaː] |‘ask for, beg’ |- |/goi/ |[ɡoi] |‘you’ |- |/gui/ |[ɡui] |‘hand’ |- |/reu/ |[ɾeu] |‘rain’ |- |/roi/ |[ɾoi] |‘ill’ |}

=== Syllable structure === Syllable Structure of Sunuwar: C(C)V(V)(C)(C)

== Written language == === {{Anchor|Sunuwar-script}} Sunuwar alphabet (Koĩts) === {{Further|Sunuwar alphabet}} {{Infobox writing system | type = Alphabet | name = Sunuwar | altname = {{large|{{Script|sunu|𑯆𑯑𑯃̐𑯌 𑯎̭𑯂𑯒𑯂}}}}<br><small>Jenticha script • Kõits script</small> | native_name = {{script|sunu|𑯆𑯑𑯃̐𑯌 𑯎̭𑯂𑯒𑯂}} | sample = {{Switcher | 250px|Sunuwar Alphabet chart officially used in Sikkim | Sunuwar Alphabet chart (Sikkim) | 250px|Sunuwar Alphabet chart officially used in Nepal | Sunuwar Alphabet chart (Nepal) }} | imagesize = | caption = | creator = Krishna Bahadur Jenticha | date = 1942 | time = 1942 to present | fam1 = Original invention | iso15924 = Sunu | unicode = [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U11BC0.pdf U+11BC0–U+11BFF] | direction = left to right | official script = Yes | region = Nepal, Sikkim | language = Sunuwar language }} The '''Sunuwar alphabet''' (<small>Sunuwar: </small>{{lang|suz|{{script|deva|कोइँच}}}} , {{lang|suz|{{Script|sunu|𑯆𑯑𑯃̐𑯌 𑯎̭𑯂𑯒𑯂}}}}), also known as '''Jenticha''' script, or '''Koĩts''' script, was promoted in 1932 by Karna Bahadur Sunuwar (1926-1991), and got official recognition in Sikkim and Eastern Nepal where it is taught in schools. Sunuwar speakers from Nepal and Sikkim, northeastern India, use the Sunuwar alphabet for printed materials such as newspapers and literature.

The Sunuwar script is unrelated to any other scripts (even if some letter shapes have some resemblance to Latin and Limbu letter forms with similar phonetic value), and behaves like an alphabet with 35 base letters, written left-to-right, with syllabic features, extended with combining diacritics. The script also features its own set of decimal digits.

Unlike other Indic scripts derived from Brahmic, the Sunuwar alphabet includes no combining vowel signs: the script was initially a pure alphabet and the base consonants initially did not have any inherent vowel. But a second version of the script modified the orthographic rules to imply its presence, where the inherent vowel would be altered when appending any independent vowel letters, or suppressed by using a virama (or halant) sign in some consonant clusters or for consonants in final position of syllables. The independent letter form for the inherent vowel is now removed in most cases from the normal orthography in the middle of words, only used in isolation (i.e. no longer written when following a leading consonant, unless it is at end of words). A number of glyphic forms (conjuncts using consonants in half forms) were added to the script after this orthographic change for more easily writing consonant clusters, instead of writing multiple consonants with virama signs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jenticha|url=https://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=script_detail&uid=ssw8skfwtg|publisher=ScriptSource.org|access-date=8 December 2021}}</ref>

=== Tikamuli === {{Infobox writing system | type = Abugida | name = Tikamuli | altname = {{lang|suz|{{script|deva|तिकामुली ब्रेसे}}}}<br><small>''Tikamuli Brese''</small> | native_name = {{script|sunu|𑯆𑯑𑯃̐𑯌 𑯎̭𑯂𑯒𑯂}} | sample = Tikamuli Varnamala.png | imagesize = 250px | caption = Tikamuli Varnamala (Alphabet Chart) | creator = Tikaram Mulicha | date = 2005 | time = 2005 to present | fam1 = Original invention | iso15924 = | unicode = | direction = left to right | official script = | region = Nepal | language = Sunuwar language }}

The '''Tikamuli script''' (<small>Sunuwar: </small>{{lang|suz|{{script|deva|तिकामुली ब्रेसे}}}}) is a writing system developed by Tikaram Mulicha for writing the Sunuwar language. It is an abugida writing system based on the Brahmi, created within the Sunuwar community in Nepal as an alternative to the Jenticha script (Sunuwar script). The script has one vowel carrier with 5 diacritics, 32 basic consonants and 3 diacritic marks.

At present, the use of this script is limited to Nepal, with the wider community preferring the Koits script. <ref>{{cite web|title= Preliminary Proposal to Encode the Tikamuli Script in ISO/IEC 10646|author= Pandey, Anshuman|date= 2011-01-25|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2010/10465r-tikamuli.pdf|publisher=Unicode Technical Committee| id= L2/10-465R (N3963)|access-date= May 27, 2026}}</ref>

=== Devanagari === {{Further|Devanagari}}

Although Sunwar had no traditional written language in Nepal, most literate speakers use the Devanagari abugida,<ref name="Borchers-2008" /> also used for writing Nepali.

; Independent vowels and diphthongs {| class="wikitable" |- | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = अ | iso = a | ipa = [ə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = आ | iso = ā | ipa = [aː] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = इ | iso = i | ipa = [i] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = उ | iso = u | ipa = [u] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ए | iso = e | ipa = [e] }} |- | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ओ | iso = o | ipa = [o] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ऐ | iso = ai | ipa = [ai] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = औ | iso = au | ipa = [au] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = एउ | iso = eu | ipa = [eu] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = उइ | iso = ui | ipa = [ui] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ओइ | iso = oi | ipa = [oi] }} |}

; Consonants with inherent vowel {| class="wikitable" |- | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = क | iso = ka | ipa = [kə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ख | iso = kha | ipa = [kʰə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ग | iso = ga | ipa = [ɡə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ङ | iso = nga | ipa = [ŋə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = अ् | iso = ’ | ipa = [ʔ] }} |- | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = च | iso = ca | ipa = [t͡ʃə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ज | iso = ja | ipa = [d͡ʒə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ट | iso = ṭa | ipa = [ʈə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ठ | iso = ṭha | ipa = [ʈʰə] }} |- | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = त | iso = ta | ipa = [tə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = थ | iso = tha | ipa = [tʰə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = द | iso = da | ipa = [də] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = न | iso = na | ipa = [nə] }} |- | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = प | iso = pa | ipa = [pə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = फ | iso = pha | ipa = [pʰə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ब | iso = ba | ipa = [bə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = म | iso = ma | ipa = [mə] }} |- | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = य | iso = ya | ipa = [jə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = र | iso = ra | ipa = [rə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ल | iso = la | ipa = [lə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = व | iso = va | ipa = [və] }} |- | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch1 = श | ch2 = ष | iso = sha | ipa = [ʃə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = स | iso = sa | ipa = [ sə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch = ह | iso = ha | ipa = [hə] }} | {{letter | s = Deva | l = suz | ch1 = व्ही | ch2 = ह्व | iso = hha | ipa = [ɦə] }} |}

; Combining diacritics : The sign '''्''', known in Sunuwar as ''sangmilu'', represents a virama or halant; it is used to silent the inherent vowel after the consonant.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |url=https://unicode.org/L2/L2011/11218-n4028-jenticha.pdf |access-date=11 March 2024 |title=Proposal to Encode the Jenticha Script in ISO/IEC 10646 |website=Unicode |date=31 May 2011 |first=Anshuman |last=Pandey}}</ref> : The sign '''ँ''', known in Sunuwar as ''taslathenk'', corresponds to the candrabindu in Devanagari; it is used to nasalize the vowel.<ref name=":2" /> {| class="wikitable" |- |'''<big>्</big>''' |'''<big>ँ</big>''' |- |''sangmilu'' (virama or halant) |''taslathenk'' (cadrabindu) |- |mutes the inherent vowel |indicates nasalization of the vowel |}

== Morphology ==

=== Markers ===

==== Case-marking suffixes ==== According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> “all case markers in the Sunuwar language are suffixes.”

As exemplified by Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> this table consists of the noun case markers. {| class="wikitable" !Morpheme: !Gloss: !Marks: !Occurs suffixed to denotions of: |- |<nowiki>-mī ~ </nowiki>

-amī ~-ī

m ~ -m |INS/L

OC |agents, instruments, locations |persons,

things,

locations |- |<nowiki>-kali ~ </nowiki>

-kal |OBJ |patients |persons,

time |- |<nowiki>-au</nowiki> |VOC |name of person called |persons |}

==== Dual marker ==== A dual marker can be associated with dual/pair or the cardinal number ‘two’.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> {| class="wikitable" |Morpheme: |{{angbr|-niʃi}} |- |Gloss: |Dual (DU) |}

Example of dual marker by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3 |iciṅā āl.'''niʃi''' chan |Now child.'''DU''' exist-NPT.3P |Now I have two children.}}

==== Plural marker ==== In the Sunuwar language, both nouns and pronouns can be marked as dual or plural.

In addition items in a group can be marked plural.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> {| class="wikitable" |Morpheme: |{{angbr|-paki ~ -puki ~ -piki}} |- |Gloss: |Plural (PL) |}

Examples of the plural marker used to point at items in a group by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> {{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|pujā dum pachi rãga po.'''paki''' sai.ni.mī|worship happen after buffalo pig.'''PL''' kill.NPT-23D/-P.3P/SVI|After worship, they kill the buffalo, pig and so on. }}

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|sāg.'''paki''' acā.'''paki''' ho.ʃa.ṅāmin ʃam cai thupro dum.ba thupro tu.ni.miิ|sāg.'''PL''' pickle.'''PL''' keep.PF.then beer SNG much happen.NPT+3S much drink.NPT-23D/-P.3P/SVI|Having stored away sāg (green leafy vegetable) and so on and pickle and so on and, there has to be much beer, they drink a lot. }}

==== Absent marker ==== According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> the Sunuwar language does not have a zero morpheme, but it can still indicate the number amount of something through verbal agreement markers or numerals.

Example of the absent marker by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|go khame jāʔi.na.sku|I rice eat.NPT-1D.1D|Wed eat rice. }}

=== Suffixes ===

==== Possessive suffix: {{angbr|-ke}} (Animate Agent) ==== According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> the possessive suffix {{angbr|-ke}} is attached to a human or animate agent to indicate a possessive relationship.

{| class="wikitable" |Morpheme: |{{angbr|-ke}} |- |Gloss: |Possessive (POSS) |}

Examples of the possessive {{angbr|-ke}} by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> {{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|nāso.'''ke''' dui.ta dhol bā.ba dhanu.kan nāso.'''ke''' bā.ba|priest.'''POSS''' two.piece drum stay.NPT+3S bow.arrow priest.'''POSS''' stay.NPT+3S|The priest has two drums. The priest has bow and arrow. }}

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|ne ʃo.'''ke''' bhāg ho|nose face.'''POSS''' part be-NPT.3S|The nose is part of the face. }}

==== Possessive suffix: {{angbr|-ke}} (inanimate subject) ==== According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> inanimate subjects are marked with the possessive suffix {{angbr|-ke}} to indicate what it is "made of". Example of possessive {{angbr|-ke}} indicating what it is "made of" by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|jasi.'''ke''' bā.b meko jasi ā.kilā|Jasi.'''POSS''' stay.NPT+3S that Jasi its.peg|It is made of Jasi wood. This is a peg made of Jasi wood. (Jasi is the tree Bauhinia variegata) }}

=== Quantifiers === Quantifiers in the Sunwar language are loaned from Nepali. Quantifiers are used for amounts or masses.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> As exemplified by Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> this table consists of quantifiers; including some that are loaned from Nepali.

{| class="wikitable" !From: !Translation: ! |- |aic |small | |- |sappa |very much |[<Nep. besarī ‘very much’] |- |ʃuʃi |many, very, much |[<Nep. dherai] |- |sappa pan |very |[<Nep. ekdam] |- |ici oci |a little | |- |imci |some, a bit | |- |la: |only |[<Nep. mātra] |- |ʃūʃ ʃūs |much, very, expensive | |- |oci |some, little |[<Nep. thorai] |- |i:ʃika |much, a lot |[<Nep. thupro] |- |umcili |small | |}

Examples of quantifiers that indicate amounts or masses by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|go ʃūʃ ma.jai.nu.ṅ|I much NEG.eat.NPT+1S.1S|I don’t eat much. }}

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|disā matrei tui.nu.ṅ|tomorrow only know.NPT+1S.1S|I won’t know until tomorrow. }}

== Syntax ==

=== Adjectives: {{angbr|-ʃo}} === According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> adjectives can belong to the verbal noun form, with an attached {{angbr|ʃo}}. In the Sunwar language, some adjectives are borrowed from Nepali.

==== Adjectives: Color forms ==== Borchers also notes that adjectives can belong to the form/term color.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> As exemplified by Borchers, this table consists of the color form/terms.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{| class="wikitable" !Form: !Translation: |- |jirjir |colorful |- |giิk |light green, light blue |- |nilo |dark blue [<Nep. nilo] |- |buʃ |white |- |kher |black |- |lal |red |- |ojela |brilliant |}

==== Adjectives: Non-verbal nouns without {{angbr|-ʃo}} attached ==== The Sunwar language has a category for adjectives under the form ‘others’, that are not verbal nouns. In addition, some adjectives may be interchangeable as an adverb.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> As exemplified by Borchers, this table consists of the adjectives that are not verbal nouns ending in {{angbr|-ʃo}} form/terms.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{| class="wikitable" !Form: !Translation: |- |umcili/ici |small, little |- |ʃūʃ |much, many, very, expensive |- |theb |big, great (idea, thing) |- |wan |far |- |netha |near |}

Examples of adjectives that are not verbal nouns ending in {{angbr|-ʃo}} by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|ɓak besā.n '''wan''' cha|water very-much.REIN '''far''' exist-NPT.3S|Water is far away. }}

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|go '''umcili''' thiẽ bara bars.ṅā|I '''small''' exist-PT.1S twelve year.GEN|I was small, twelve years old. }}

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|nepāli.puki '''ʃūʃ''' choto bā.ni.m|Nepali.PL '''very''' small stay.NPT-23D/-P.3P/SVI|Nepalese people are very small. }}

=== Particles === As exemplified by Borchers, this table consists of particles in correlation to various relationships.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{| class="wikitable" !Conjunction: !Translation: |- |de |or |- |hana |if |- |ṅana |if |- |dopā |that |- |meklāpāṅāmin |and then |- |pāṅāmin |and then |- |minu {{angbr|-nu}} |and then |- |mapatke |because of |}

==== Postpositional particles ==== According to Borchers, the Sunwar language borrows particles from Nepali that indicate the relationship between clauses.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> Examples of postpositional particles by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{| class="wikitable" !Postpotion: !Gloss: |- |{{tlit|suz|lā}} |‘only’ |- |{{tlit|suz|-bhandā}}: A comparison. |‘than’ |- |{{tlit|suz|cai}}: Singling out or can be seen as “exactly this one”. |SNG |- |{{tlit|suz|yo}}: Inclusive focus. |‘also’ |- |{{tlit|suz|kõ}}: A tag on questions asking for affirmation or negation of a statement. |OR |- |{{tlit|suz|da ~ ta}}: Sunwar focus marker |IFOC |}

=== My stomach v.s. your stomach === Example by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|iิ koʔj|your stomach|your stomach }}

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|ā koʔj|my stomach|my stomach }}

== Syntax == In linguistic typology, a subject-object-verb (SOV) language is one in which the subject, object, and verb of a sentence always or usually appear in that order. If English were SOV, "Sam oranges ate" would be an ordinary sentence, as opposed to the actual Standard English "Sam ate oranges". (A Grammar of Sunwar) <ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYA7CpILphoC | title=A Grammar of Sunwar | year=2008 |publisher=Dörte Borchers | isbn=978-9004167094 | access-date=27 August 2018}}</ref>

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|Go khamay jainu|I rice eat|subject object verb | style3 = font-variant: small-caps;|"I eat rice." }}

Sunwar people called "Khangsa" sign language with voice and direct action, for foreign people who do not understand Sunuwar.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}<ref name="Borchers 1–2" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pandey |first1=Anshuman |title=Proposal to Encode the Jenticha Script in ISO/IEC 10646 |url=http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n4028.pdf |access-date=18 December 2019 |date=31 May 2011}}</ref>

Examples of order: Subject/Object/Verb by Borchers.<ref name="Borchers-2008" />

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|kuṣulanoʔbam.mī pani pher.ni.m|shoemaker.INS/LOC shoes sew.NPT-23D/-P.3P|subject object verb | style3 = font-variant: small-caps;|Shoemakers make shoes. }}

{{interlinear | lang = suz | indent = 3|Kocombo.mī buʔs sāʔī.b|mongoose.INS/LOC snake kill.NPT+3S|subject object verb | style3 = font-variant: small-caps;|The mongoose kills a snake. }}

== Vocabulary == Seu+wa+la (Sewala) {| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" ! Sunwar !! English |- | {{IAST|''Namsewal''}} || Hello / Good Bye |- | {{IAST|''Sew''}} || (Respect) / (Greeting) / I bow to you |- | {{IAST|''Maahr''}} || What |- | {{IAST|''Dohpachaa''}} || How to |- | {{IAST|''Dohshow''}} || How much |- | {{IAST|''Dohmoh''}} || How big |- | {{IAST|''Go''}} || I |- | {{IAST|''Gopuki''}} || We are |- | {{IAST|''Ge''}} || You (informal) |- | {{IAST|''Gepukhi''}} || You are (informal) |- | {{IAST|''Goi''}} || we (formal) |- | {{IAST|''GoiPuki''}} || we are (formal) |- | {{IAST|''Daarshow''}} || Beautiful |- | {{IAST|''Rimso''}} || Good |- | {{IAST|''MaDarshow''}} || Ugly |}

=== Numerals (Devanagari) === {| class="wikitable" ! 1 | {{IAST|ichi/kaa}} |- ! 2 | {{IAST|ni/nishi}} |- ! 3 | {{IAST|sa/saam}} |- ! 4 | {{IAST|le}} |- ! 5 | {{IAST|nga}} |- ! 6 | {{IAST|ruku/roku}} |- ! 7 | {{IAST|chani}} |- ! 8 | {{IAST|sasi}} |- ! 9 | {{IAST|van}} |- ! 10 | {{IAST|gau}} |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Incubator|suz}} *[http://www.sunuwar.org Sunwar language website]

<section begin="list-of-glossing-abbreviations" /><div style="display:none;"> REIN: reinforcement marker NPT: non-preterite SNG: postposition of singularity PF: perfective gerund marker P: patient (of transitive verb) SVI: singular intransitive verb 23D: second and third person, dual </div><section end="list-of-glossing-abbreviations" />

Category:Languages of Nepal Category:Kiranti languages Category:Languages of Sikkim Category:Brahmic scripts Category:Languages of Koshi Province Category:Languages written in Devanagari