The verbal agreement system of four Khām languages

Abstract

In this paper a morphemic analysis is given of the verbal agreement systems of four Kham languages'. Kham (Nepali: Kham Kurd) belongs with Kiranti (Nepali: Kiranti) and Newari (Nepali: Nevari) to the Himalayan subgroup of the Bodic division of Tibeto-Burman. Kham is spoken in the Dhavalagiri, Rapti and Karnali Zones of western Nepal by between 30.000 and 40,000 speakers of the 'Bhuda'. 'Gharti' and 'Rolcha' subtribes. The 'Pun' subtribe once also spoke Kham, but have long since lost their command of the language and nowadays speak Nepali (Watters & Watters 1973). The area where Kham is spoken lies between the Naudanda Lekh in the north, the Dhaulagiri in the east, the Hilichuli Paton in the west and the Jaljala-Nisane Dhuri in the south. The villages are mainly found in the valleys of the Uttar Ganga and the Sanu Bheri (Oppitz 1981:260).