Sonha

Print

Primary tabs

A language of Nepal

ISO 639-3
soi
Alternate Names
Sonaha, Sonahaa, Sunah, Sunha
User Population

20,000 (2020 UBS), decreasing. No monolinguals.

Location

Lumbini province: Bardiya district, Geruwa and Rajapur municipalities; Sudur Pashchimanchal province: Kanchanpur district, Bhimdatta.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Unclassified
Dialects

None known. Reportedly similar to Avadhi [awa]. Lexical similarity: 69% with Rana Tharu [thr], 73% with Kathariya Tharu [tkt], 72% with Dangaura Tharu [thl]. Sonha and Kathoriya [tkt] form a lexical bridge with Rana and Dangaura varieties of Tharu.

Typology

SOV; postpositions; noun head final; content q-word in situ; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks number; split ergativity; passives and voice; nontonal.

Language Use

Home; mixed use: Friends, religion, work. Some young people, all adults.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Sonha
Writing

Unwritten [Qaax].

Other Comments

‘Sonha’ is an occupational caste (gold panners). Hindu, Christian, traditional religion.